François Boyer (1920-2003), the renowned French screenwriter, wrote and published Jeux interdits (“Forbidden Games”) in 1947.
The book tells the story of two children, Paulette and Michel, and their friendship during World War II. After witnessing her father’s death, Paulette wanders the streets until she is taken in by Michel’s family, who offer her a place to stay. Traumatized by the events that befell her parents, Paulette develops an intense fascination with death, which makes her appear cold and impassive in the face of violence. The phenomenon of loss, hypocritically experienced by the adult world, is reinterpreted by the two children, who begin to view it as a form of sacredness, especially following the death of Michel’s brother, Georges.
Paulette, a young girl fleeing Paris during the Nazi invasion, is orphaned after an air raid and finds refuge with a farming family, forming a close bond with Michel, the youngest member. Together, they create a sort of ‘sacred’ place ...
Each being deserves their cross, and every deceased must be honored at any cost.
Jeux interdits is a reflection on human relationships and the futile hostility between people, as seen in the conflict between the Dollé family and their neighbors, the Ganard family. The friendship between Paulette and Michel, which blossoms and grows during the war, mirrors the light and shadows of this dramatic period in history through the eyes of two children bound by life and the affection they share for each other.
