Bord de mer (2002)
Directed by Julie Lopes-Curval

Film Synopsis

In summer, Cayeux-sur-mer is the perfect picture postcard seaside resort, a haven for holidaymakers who flock here in their thousands to take advantage of the rolling stretch of beach.  But in the winter months, this anonymous coastal town in the north of France looks very different.  There is little to distract even the locals, many of whom find themselves without work at this time of year.  Marie is luckier than some.  At least she has a job at a pebble sorting factory.  The pay is low and the work is monotonous, so Marie longs to escape from the town and start a new life somewhere else.   Her retired mother Rose shows her no sympathy - she is usually too busy squandering what little cash she has on the slot machines to have any interest in her daughter's woes.  The only person who seems to understand Marie's disillusionment is her friend Paul, who finds his work as a grocer's assistant in the winter a step down from his usual summer job as a lifeguard.  Marie finds she has a kindred spirit in Albert, a white collar worker who has just been dismissed from the factory belonging to his father.  Resentful of his brother's success, of which his parents constantly remind him, Albert has grown to hate the town and shares Marie's desire to run away and begin a new life.  With his expensive car, could this be the Prince Charming that Marie has been waiting for...?