The Passengers of the Night

Set in Paris in 1981, this drama follows Elisabeth, whose marriage is ending just as the city celebrates a night of political change. Left to support her two teenage children on her own, she takes a job on a late-night radio programme, where she meets Talulah, a homeless teenager she invites into her home. Talulah finds family warmth for the first time, and her presence has a lasting effect on Elisabeth and her children.

Mikhaël Hers directed and co-wrote the film with Mariette Désert and Maud Ameline, following his earlier feature Amanda. Charlotte Gainsbourg plays Elisabeth, with Noée Abita as Talulah. Quito Rayon Richter and Megan Northam appear as her children, and Emmanuelle Béart is among the credited cast of twenty-two. The screenplay moves between the everyday life of a family finding its footing and the atmosphere of the nocturnal radio studio.

The production had a budget of around four million dollars and took about two million at the worldwide box office, a modest return for a French drama of this scale. Audiences rate it 6.9 out of 10 on IMDb from roughly 3,600 votes, and 6.9 out of 10 on TMDB from a much smaller base of 183 votes, indicating a consistent but limited reception.