Place de la République

The sidewalk is crowded, people push past each other, the traffic roars on the street. For 10 days, Louis Malle positioned himself at one of the busiest traffic junctions in Paris and interviewed passers-by, lottery ticket sellers and construction workers: Where do you come from? What are your interests in life? Are you happy? The people gave surprisingly open answers, allowing frank insights into their lives and opinions, often interacting with the camera that Malle brought into the film proactively. The result is a sometimes amusing, sometimes thought-provoking document of a certain time and a penetrating examination of the factors that influence people's happiness. (mg)