I Don’t Kiss

An idealistic twenty-year-old Pierre leaves his remote Pyrenees home to seek a freer life in Paris. He dreams of breaking away from provincial restrictions and chases a dream he barely tests. The journey marks the start of a new, uncertain chapter as he makes his way toward the capital.

Pierre arrives in Paris and reconnects with Evelyne, the middle-aged nurse he once met in Lourdes. Evelyne is vague and distracted by caring for her paralyzed mother, yet she agrees to help him. She secures him a hospital kitchen job and a place to stay.

Pierre moves in with Evelyne and their relationship becomes intimate. She is preoccupied with her paralyzed mother, making their connection uneasy at times. Despite the strain, Pierre clings to the affair as a lifeline in the city.

To fulfill his childhood dream, Pierre enrolls in acting classes and buys a book on how to become an actor. He throws himself into the idea of a stage career, hoping for recognition. The city seems to offer a path, even if it remains uncertain.

During preparation for Hamlet, Pierre recites with no feeling and forgets his lines. The humiliation exposes the gap between his ambitions and his talent. He abandons the tentative dream of acting.

Evelyne tells Pierre she doesn't think he truly loves her and ends the relationship. She leaves him some money, but Pierre refuses the money and leaves the place she offered. The breakup destabilizes his already fragile sense of security.

Pierre pretends to be ill to avoid work and eventually loses his job. With no income, he becomes homeless and struggles to survive on the streets. The city that promised escape turns hostile as he fights to stay afloat.

While homeless, Pierre is robbed of all his belongings by thieves, leaving him penniless. He spends nights on the streets, seeking shelter in parks and alleyways. The theft drives him deeper into vulnerability and isolation.

Pierre returns to the park where Romain once took him in. Romain refuses Pierre's monetary favors but offers to take him on a trip to Spain. The invitation hints at a possible escape from his bleak reality.

In Seville, Spain, Romain takes another lover, leaving Pierre alone and disappointed. The trip ends with Pierre returning to Paris, unsettled by the change in his fortunes. The experience marks a turning point in his search for belonging in the city.

Back in Paris, Pierre turns to prostitution as his only viable income. He makes his rules explicit: no kissing, no sucking, no sex with men. He gradually learns to navigate the street economy despite his initial reluctance.

During a police crackdown, Pierre meets Ingrid, a would-be singer who dreams of a better life. They share a day together and then a night of intimacy, but Ingrid's pimp discovers their liaison. The pimp and his gang beat and rape Pierre, forcing Ingrid to watch.

Pierre leaves Paris and joins the paratroops, voicing to a visiting officer his desire for revenge and for the leap into the void at night. He acknowledges a longing to erase the past through a dangerous act. The military escape becomes a new chapter in his pursuit of meaning.

On a visit home, Pierre tells his brother that he did not hate the city—he was simply not ready for it. After his release from service, he heads back toward Paris with an uncertain future. At the beach, he strips and walks into the sea, leaving his fate unresolved.