A Day in the Country

"A Day in the Country" (Partie de campagne, 1946) is a short French film by Jean Renoir — watch it online on iFILM. Based on Guy de Maupassant's story of the same name and running just 40 minutes, it was filmed in 1936 and released only after the war.

A Paris shopkeeper takes his family on a Sunday outing to the countryside. His wife and daughter Henriette draw the attention of two local men at the inn. For the mother, it's a passing amusement. Henriette does not walk away unchanged, and the afternoon's consequences stretch well beyond the day.

Renoir shot the film with a lyrical ease that became a touchstone for French cinema. Henri Cartier-Bresson appears in a small role. Stream "A Day in the Country" online on iFILM.