August 1918, the Germans retreated and surrendered by the tens of thousands...
It wasn't just the French army supported by its allies who was on the winning side, but the country as a whole, from behind the lines - thanks to its resources, its arms and will power.
The war was not fought only by the military, but by all the French...ordinary citizens as well as the countless foot soldiers. In this first total war, a war of attrition, everyone stood firm, each in his or her place: workers in the factories, bakers in their workshops, peasants and farm workers in the fields, deputies in parliamentary committees and mayors in their towns.

100% archive documentary film with an original photo-fiction process offering a multi-layered narrative of the Great War from behind the lines. Recurring witnesses are: a teenager, a peasant woman, the mayor of a small village and a member of parliament. As their story unfolds, we’ll witness their deep fear of war, but also their views on the conflict as well as very prosaic details of their daily lives.
This collective approach to the story of 1914-18 “from behind the lines” reveals the gradual modernization and unification of France, a process that paved the way for the country’s post-war society.
Available for viewing: original French version only.