To his chagrin, young Marcel Pagnol and his family move back to their home in Marseille, France, far from their pastoral holiday cottage in the hills. Determined, Marcel makes the long voyage back to the cottage on foot and lands himself in trouble. One day Marcel's father discovers a shortcut to the cottage, but it requires trespassing. Despite their trepidations, Marcel and his family begin using the secret trail to reach their cottage.

Raised by his science teacher father, Joseph Pagnol, and seamstress mother Augustine, young Marcel grows up during the turn of the century in awe of his rationalist dad. When the family takes a summer vacation in the countryside, Marcel becomes friends with Lili, who teaches him about rural life.

A Parisian criminal gang fall apart after challenges to the gang's leader lessen his influence.

Theatre play broadcast live from the Théâtre André Malraux in France.

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin is raised by his father and his grandfather because his mother dies when he's still very little. He works as a handyman, studies the law at a university and travels the country as an actor before he becomes the celebrated playwright Molière who impresses firstly the Duke of Orleans and then even King Louis XIV.

Ferdinand Faure, our hero, comes up from Aix-en-Provence to join the Cartoucherie Theatre company along with his pals : Jean-Claude, a brash, self-assured Parisian, and Max, a teacher of American literature, Provencal to the bone, and in love with his flighty wife, Bernadette. At the Cartoucherie, director Ariane is surrounded by a motley crew including one Clémence, who walks the high wire while juggling with clubs.

The filming of Mnouchkine's "Molière" comes to an end and the entire troupe of the Soleil learns that the film has been selected for the Cannes Festival. Ferdinand, a neophyte star, is going to come up against the festival's fauna and, finally, free himself from Ariane's grip and take his freedom as an adult actor.

We are in the aftermath of 1968, when terrible angers erupt, those of Ariadne against the comedians who do not find their characters and the rebellion of the comedians who can no longer stand Ariadne's demands. These days of anger are those during which, in extremis, the show is made and finally played.

After "Les Enfants du Soleil" in which ferdinand Faure, a young actor from Aix-en-Provence arrived in Paris and received his sentimental education at the hands of Clémence, our hero now tackles the terrible hardships of stage training. Indeed, poor ferdinand finds himself up against Ariane, Ariane the Great of the Cartoucherie Theatre. The actors all do improvisations in Commedia dell'arte masks. Between the distress of Bruno who can't manage to "get into" the troupe and the insistence of Ariane who urges all the masked actors to step beyond their private defences, something crazy, funny and desperate emerges : the Golden Age !