Hôtel du Nord

This much-loved classic of poetic realism is shot on a beautiful set in a corner of working-class Paris, with most of the action taking place at the seedy, canal-side hotel of the film’s title. The drama centres on two pairs of lovers – a sad young couple who have checked into the hotel to carry out a suicide pact, and a prostitute and her gangster boyfriend played by Arletty and Louis Jouvet in performances of impressive emotional depth.