Potiche

In 1977, Suzanne Pujol is the submissive wife of Robert, the tyrannical president of the umbrella factory. He patronizes her and treats workers with contempt. Her comfortable status masks a fragile balance of power at home and in town.

The umbrella factory workers go on strike, demanding better conditions. Robert storms off to confront them and is taken hostage by the strikers. The incident exposes the vulnerability of management under pressure and sets in motion Suzanne's potential role.

That night, Suzanne visits Maurice Babin, the town's Communist mayor and former union leader, to negotiate for Robert's release. The meeting reveals a potential ally who could reshape the town's power dynamics. The stage is set for Suzanne to step into leadership.

The next day, Babin confronts Robert about misusing company funds for luxuries, and Robert suffers a heart attack, landing him in the hospital. Suzanne's and Babin's negotiations shift as Robert's health crisis creates an opening. The hospital scene marks the turning point in who will run the factory.

Babin convinces Suzanne to take over management in Robert's absence. She adopts a diplomatic, worker-friendly approach and quickly eases tensions, getting production back on track. Laurent designs new umbrella patterns inspired by Kandinsky, boosting sales and showing the family’s potential impact.

Suzanne and Babin go to a nightclub, dancing together as a sign of their evolving relationship. He proposes that they rekindle their affair, but she refuses; they agree to remain friends, and she even shares a kiss.

When Robert recovers, he tries to regain control of the factory. Suzanne asserts she holds the majority of shares and resists his bid for power. The balance of power in the company tilts decisively in her favor.

Nadège ends her affair with Robert and sides with Suzanne, showing respect that Robert never gave. She becomes a quiet supporter of Suzanne's leadership moving forward. These changes consolidate Suzanne's position.

Robert reveals that Laurent's fiancée's mother was his mistress, challenging Suzanne's claims. Suzanne counters that Laurent is not Robert's son, noting that she herself was unfaithful early in their marriage. The revelation deepens the family’s tangled relationships.

Joëlle hands Robert Suzanne's locket, which contains photos of her and Babin. Robert confronts Babin, intending to blackmail him with the idea of an illegitimate son. Babin is initially overjoyed to think Laurent might be his son.

Babin drives with Suzanne to a lake, where she clarifies that Laurent is not Babin's son either and hints that his real father was a notary she had an affair with. Babin is disappointed and leaves Suzanne alone at the lakeside.

At a board meeting to determine the factory's future, Joëlle unexpectedly transfers her shares to Robert, leaving Suzanne with little influence. Suzanne is forced to hand over management to her husband, marking a major setback. The power structure in the company shifts away from Suzanne.

Joëlle reveals that Robert had promised to hire her husband in exchange for her shares, and that she is pregnant again and does not want a divorce. The revelation exposes the transactional nature of the family’s power. The factory's leadership is unsettled by these loyalties.

A few months later, Suzanne and Robert are in the middle of a divorce, though they still live together. Inspired by her newfound independence, she turns to politics and runs for mayor as an independent against Babin. Her bid signals a new phase for both her life and Sainte-Gudule.

She is elected as a deputy, marking a leap into politics while Babin continues as mayor. Her victory signals a major shift in the town's power dynamics and the Umbrella Factory's legacy.