Hiver 54, l'abbé Pierre (1989): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1989, Hiver 54, l'abbé Pierre is a drama and history film directed by Denis Amar, running about 102 minutes.

What it’s about. Postwar France was slow to recover from the after-effects of the World War Two. The economy was doing poorly, and many people were poor and homeless, sleeping under bridges, etc. The winter of 1953-54 proved particularly difficult for these people, as it was one of the coldest on record. Father Pierre (Lambert Wilson), a parish priest, on seeing the suffering of these people (and their frequent death from the cold), was moved to write the French government seeking help for them. When his letter, which was published in the newspapers, succeeded in rousing overwhelming popular support for helping the homeless, he was able to form a charitable group (still active today) titled "Les Chiffoniers d'Emmaus," or "The Ragpickers of Emmaus" to channel help to them. This biographical film tells the true story of Abbe Pierre's successful efforts in those years.

Who’s in it. Hiver 54, l'abbé Pierre stars Lambert Wilson as L'abbé Pierre, Claudia Cardinale as Hélène Larmier, Robert Hirsch as Raoul and Bernie Bonvoisin as Castaing, dit "la Castagne", among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.3/10, Hiver 54, l'abbé Pierre has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Hiver 54, l'abbé Pierre page.

If you liked it. Fans of Hiver 54, l'abbé Pierre tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.