Suzanne Beulemans's fiancé, Séraphin Meulenmeester, once tells her that he has... a mistress and a... son! The bad news falls rather well though given that Suzanne has developed a fondness for Albert Delpierre, a young Frenchman who has come to Brussels to study the brewing methods of her father. She decides to break up amicably but Séraphin does not dare admit it to his father, who becomes angry with the Beulemanses. Suzanne's uncle, a vicar, tries to settle the whole thing but the coronation of King Albert I gives rise to renewed resentment. Suzanne finally finds the way to solve the problem: she takes Meulenmeester apart, reminds him of his own misconduct when he was a young man, asks him to forgive Séraphin while her own father accepts Albert as his son-in-law.

In a series of sketches, professional film extras come before the camera one by one to recite the text printed on the back of the resumé photos sent to film producers. If some of these presentations elicit laughter, don't blame the extras, victims of their own illusions, obliged to take part in these cheap displays. A film about the cinema and about life, Nature Morte goes beyond cruelty to create a comi-tragic human document.