The Last Resistance Fighters
La Verdière is a small village, hours outside of Paris. So how does it come to be that this formerly Nazi occupied locale finds itself facing yet another “invasion” in 1998? And this time not by German soldiers, but the large American bakery chain, The Best of Bread.
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Jean-Pierre Rousseau, Marie Lombart and André & Jacques Marchal are four best friends who date back to their working side by side in the French Resistance of World War II. Now they meet daily to argue over poker at the local Bar des Sports, owned by Jean-Pierre. Occasionally, an old black and white television with a wire hanger antenna will pick up enough of a signal to enable the patrons to watch a grainy image of some random sporting event. Nonetheless, that is the charm of the place and the village in general, with its one bar, one butcher, one flower shop, one barber, and its one baker ... André.
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It seems, though, a large American franchise, The Best of Bread is setting
up shop near La Verdière and André’s bakery will surely fail! This is the least of his
worries as the engineer behind it all is none other than Jean-Pierre’s son Cedric with
whom Jean-Pierre has always had a difficult relationship. Cedric not only has the
nerve to work for the American bakery chain, he is their president! There are some
changes even an old soldier can’t subdue, such as encroaching old age. BUT, perhaps
with a little dusting off of their keen skills from the war, there is one change they can
stop. The Resistance Fighters can concoct and execute the crazy plan that can save
André’s shop and preserve their way of life from another foreign invasion.
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With the 1998 World Cup as a backdrop, The Last Resistance Fighters is
a cunningly crafted comedy/drama that brings us face to face with the modern
dilemmas of what it means to be authentic and connected to each other and why it is
important to stand up for what is beloved and not just what is bankable.
But most importantly, it’s about the classic struggle we all encounter… where
do you go to get a good baguette?