1939 was an *annus mirabilis* for Hollywood, famed for an unusually high number of films that became beloved classics, withstanding the test of time. It was also supposed to be an *annus mirabilis* for French cinema, which was at the time giving Hollywood a run for its money. A new prestigious film festival was about to open in Cannes, and Jean Renoir, one of the most celebrated film-makers at the time, was about to…More