Directed by Mélanie Auffret and co-written with Michaël Souhaité, this film stars Michel Blanc, Julia Piaton, and Lionel Abelanski. Released in French theaters on March 1, 2023, this French comedy set in a Breton village will be available on Netflix on December 17, 2025. The film follows an overwhelmed schoolteacher and mayor who is confronted with the arrival of a 60-year-old man determined to learn to read.
Alice is both mayor and schoolteacher in the small town of Kerguen. Between administrative tasks, helping residents, and managing her class, her days are already full. The arrival of Émile, a resident with an explosive temper who never learned to read or write, further complicates her schedule. Determined to return to school, he joins the children's class, upsetting the balance of the group.
As Alice tries to keep the school open and preserve the vitality of the village in the face of depopulation, Émile's presence reveals the community's fragilities and resources. Little by little, this unlikely duo must find a way to coexist in the classroom and in the village, transforming an unmanageable situation into an opportunity for collective solidarity.
Mélanie Auffret draws on her experience of rural life to address the depopulation of villages, the closure of shops, and the threat to schools. She conducted fieldwork with mayors of small towns, including Fanny Lacroix in Isère, as well as organizations working to combat illiteracy, which affects a significant portion of the adult population. The script, written with Michaël Souhaité and supported by consultant Romain Compingt, revolves around the meeting between Alice and Émile. Filming took place in Brittany, notably in Le Juch, a village chosen for its setting and location, with extensive casting of local children.
The film is in the vein of social comedy, using humor to tackle serious issues such as access to public services, education, and social ties. The tone emphasizes human warmth, everyday situations, and interactions between generations. The film is aimed at families and adults who appreciate stories rooted in the local area, relatable characters, and tales of villages facing rapid change.
Our opinion on Les Petites Victoires:
Les Petites Victoires is a well-deserved double winner at Alpe d'Huez. Mélanie Auffret's film is a little gem, a real success full of humor and tenderness. However, the story of this comedy suggested something quite different. Les Petites Victoires is somewhat misnamed, as Alice (Julia Piaton), the mayor of the small village of Kerguen and the film's protagonist, suffers one defeat after another. She is unable to revive her village, which lacks essential shops, or prevent the closure of its school, where she also works as a teacher. She is left alone to solve all the problems of the small community and has no time for herself.
As if that weren't enough, Emile (Michel Blanc), the village's grumpy old man, who is illiterate and has a volatile temper, barges into her classroom to learn to read and write. And even though at first he takes malicious pleasure in tormenting the children (all very well cast and adorable in their roles), he gradually integrates into the class and helps Alice cope.
This is a charming family comedy that tackles a subject rarely seen in this genre: rural France. Villages that have no doctor or baker and are remote enough that you can still find people who have never left the place or who cannot read. This is the case with Emile, an adorable character who, despite his grumpy demeanor, is actually a man broken by his circumstances who has never had any luck in life.
Julia, meanwhile, is the mayor, teacher, social worker, carpenter, and sometimes even psychologist, and is in fact the only authority figure in her village. She is the only person people can turn to when they have a problem, and this is obviously beginning to weigh on her. Despite everything, Les Petites Victoires remains hopeful and surprises us by taking directions we wouldn't expect from a mainstream comedy. Nevertheless, the film is genuinely funny. Most of the scenes are well crafted, and Mélanie Auffret proves once again that laughter can be elicited in many ways. We absolutely loved this emotional rollercoaster!
Les Petites victoires
Film | 2023
On Netflix December 17, 2025
Comedy | Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes
By Mélanie Auffret | Starring Michel Blanc, Julia Piaton, Lionel Abelanski
Nationality: France
Set in Brittany, with its village characters and the duo formed by Julia Piaton and Michel Blanc, the film offers a social commentary in the form of a comedy, focusing on the small struggles and successes of everyday life.
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