Au Revoir les Enfants (1987)

Au revoir les enfants

105 min ·PG

DramaWar

franceparent child relationshipresistancevichy regimeholocaust (shoah)world war iideportationjew persecutionauschwitz-birkenau concentration campnational socialismbiographyantisemitismbest friendcatholicismresistance fighterjewish boycalmreflectivechildren in wartimebittercompassionategentle

Au revoir les enfants tells a heartbreaking story of friendship and devastating loss concerning two boys living in Nazi-occupied France. At a provincial Catholic boarding school, the precocious youths enjoy true camaraderie—until a secret is revealed. Based on events from writer-director Malle’s own childhood, the film is a subtle, precisely observed tale of courage, cowardice, and tragic awakening.