Pierre Lachenay, a well-known middle-age married writer and publisher, falls in love with air hostess Nicole during a lecture tour. What he intended to be a one-night stand becomes a passionate love affair. While Pierre tries to keep the liaison secret, he is unable to stay away from Nicole.

Before starting one of his most personal works, Truffaut wrote to his close friend Helen Scott, “The film will be indecent, completely shameless, quite sad; but very simple.” Shot very quickly in Truffaut’s own apartment in melancholic monochrome, the film deals with the throes of passionate love.