Belle and Sebastian

Belle and Sebastian is a 2013 French adventure drama film directed by Nicolas Vanier. It was based on the 1966 French novel Belle et Sébastien by Cécile Aubry, which in turn was based on the 1965 French TV series. The film was the first of a trilogy, as the second film adventure Belle & Sebastian: The Adventure Continues, was released on 9 December 2015, with the final film being Belle and Sebastien: Friends for Life, released in 2017. Plot In the French Alps, during the year 1943, Sébastien is a seven year old orphan boy living with César, an adoptive "grandfather" and his niece, Angélina. The unusual little family lives in the small village of Saint-Martin, whose inhabitants, despite the German occupation, secretly organize the passage of Jewish exiles into Switzerland. The village is also plagued by a mysterious "Beast" who preys on the flocks of the shepherds and the inhabitants, including César's animals. Sébastien is a very lonely child who is suffering from the absence of his mother. He believes that she migrated "to America, just over the mountains", and spends all his days in the mountains. One day, on the way home, he meets a huge dog, wild and completely discredited: it is the so-called "Beast". Sébastien quickly makes friends with the animal, a female livestock guardian dog, and names her "Belle" because he is struck by her beauty after she is cleaned up from the mud that she was coated with. Sébastien decides to keep his friendship with Belle a secret to protect her. Meanwhile, a German patrol, commanded by the ambiguous Lieutenant Peter Braun, arrives in Saint-Martin to put an end to the secret escape route of the Jews. Sébastien, during one of his trips along with Belle, collides with two of the soldiers; Belle responds by attacking and injuring one of the soldiers. Lieutenant Braun orders the mayor of Saint-Martin to arrange a hunt to track down and kill the "Beast". Meanwhile, César discovers Sébastien's secret and is horrified. Knowing that Sébastien will try to prevent Belle from being shot, César gives the boy the wrong directions to the hunting area, but he is still able to interfere, at least for a while. Then César takes him out of the area, while the hunt goes on. César and the village men manage to find and hurt Belle. Sébastien escapes confinement, and finds the wounded dog and tries to help her. He is now furious with César, but asks for help from Dr. Guillaume, the village doctor and Angélina's boyfriend.