The film follows author Romain Gary as he recalls his growing up with his Lithuanian-born mother. The two leave Vilnius, Lithuania for France, where they settle in Paris. As twenty years pass, they encounter social change, age, different convictions, poverty and the slow approach of World War II.
The film was shot in Nice, Paris and the USSR.[1] Dassin broke both his legs after falling over in October 1969 after three days of filming in Nice.[2]
