In occupied Paris, an actress married to a Jewish theater owner must keep him hidden from the Germans while doing both of their jobs.

Paris, 1942. Lucas Steiner is a Jew and was compelled to leave the country. His wife Marion, an actress, directs the theater for him. She tries to keep the theater alive with a new play, and hires Bernard Granger for the leading role. But Lucas is actually hiding in the basement... A film about art and life.—Yepok

It's late 1942 in Nazi occupied Paris. The theaters are still busy in part because they are one of the few places which still have reliable heating. One of those theaters is the Montmartre, which was formerly owned and directed by the renowned Lucas Steiner, a Jew, who fled the country to unknown parts to avoid persecution and probable concentration camp imprisonment. The theater is now owned by its lead actress, Marion Steiner, Lucas' gentile wife. They are mounting a new production called The Disappearance, which was staged by Lucas before his departure. The play is being directed by Lucas' assistant, Jean-Loup Cottins, using the notes left by Lucas. In the lead roles are Marion and Bernard Granger, who is new to the company. Bernard seems primarily interested in sex, most particularly with Arlette Guillaume, the company's costume designer who doesn't give him the time of day. The one woman Bernard doesn't seem interested in is Marion. Bernard and Marion have a strictly professional relationship and they work well on stage. They, however, are both hiding issues relating to the war - Marion's having to do with Lucas' whereabouts - which, when revealed, makes the issues they are hiding about their feelings all the more poignant.—Huggo

In Nazi-occupied Paris, actress and businesswoman Marion Steiner manages her theater in the absence of her husband, the noted directed Lucas Steiner. Lucas, a Jew, is believed to have escaped the occupied area just prior to the German arrival but he is in fact hiding out in the theater's basement. The company is rehearsing Lucas's most recent play and he is passing notes to his wife throughout rehearsals. Marion has much to put up as finances are meager and they are under constant pressure from the authorities over the content of their plays. They persevere however, working and waiting for their circumstances to improve.—garykmcd

Paris, 1942. With the Germans in control and her Jewish theatre producer-director husband on the run from them, an actress, Marion Steiner (played by Catherine Deneuve) is left with the task of running his theatre. She starts rehearsals for a new play, written by her husband, and hires a new director and a leading man, Bernard Granger (Gerard Depardieu). It's make or break, as a flop will see the theatre go bankrupt. This, with the Germans clamping down on everything and the city's biggest drama critic an anti-semite and Nazi pawn, means it's going to be tough. Meanwhile, (known to her) her husband is hiding in the cellar, and he can't help but offer suggestions on the finer details of the play...—grantss