1938, Paris, at the Superior Conservatory of Dramatic Art. The first-year entrance exams are in full swing. Many applicants, but few are accepted. Isabelle is one of the few chosen. She joins former students from the second and third years, including François and Cécilia. Passionate and eager to become comedians, they clash in tumultuous love affairs, because, by dint of acting, they imagine that life is a farce. François, for example, is in love with Isabelle, who also loves him, but is pursued by Cecilia, his former mistress