Friends

Fifteen-year-old Paul Harrison is a neglected English boy who is living in Paris with his wealthy businessman father. Despite his father's wealth, Paul feels alone and unloved, spending most of his time wandering the city streets. One day, he meets a fourteen-year-old French girl named Michelle Latour, who has recently arrived in Paris to live with her cousin. The two quickly become friends, and Paul finds comfort in having someone to talk to. However, Michelle is not happy with her living situation in her cousin's Montmartre apartment. She finds it disturbingly unwholesome and longs for a place to call her own. Paul sympathizes with her and suggests they run away together. Michelle agrees, and the two set off on an adventure. They travel to the idyllic marshlands of the Camargue, where Michelle has a small cottage that she and her recently deceased artist father would escape to from their home in Arles. Paul and Michelle settle into the house, enjoying their newfound freedom and playing at being responsible adults. They become lovers and even have a baby, which they raise together in their little cottage. However, their idyllic life is not without its challenges. As they navigate the difficulties of raising a child and living on their own, they each begin to discover the troubles of family life. Paul struggles with the idea of being a father and provider, while Michelle grapples with the loss of her father and the responsibility of caring for a child. Their adventure comes to an end when the police finally find Paul and Michelle. They are forced to return to their former lives, leaving behind their small slice of paradise in the Camargue. Though they are sad to leave, they take with them the lessons they learned and the memories they made during their time together.