The heroine in L'Eau Vive is the unwilling heir to a fortune. Young Hortense (Pascale Audret) has always known that her family was greedy, but until she inherits her father's hidden millions she has no idea how loathsome her relatives could be. Surrounded on all sides by grubby, outstretched hands, Hortense takes some comfort in the fact that her legacy is still missing. When the money is finally recovered, our heroine does the "right thing" with her windfall, leaving her mercenary family empty-handed. Throughout the film, Hortense's dilemma is likened to a government dam project not far from her home; as the bridge grows in size, so too does Hortense's resolve to rise above the nastiness all around her.

生命是我们的，由法国共产党产生，包括纪录片和虚构的场景涉及夹在工人阶级，农民阶级和资产阶级的日常现实的事件：一个板董事举办大规模解雇;在工厂，罢工将阻止老工人被解雇;农民积极分子，防止癫痫发作的一个贫苦农民的财产支持;一个失业青年谁拥有不够吃由青年共产主义者的欢迎。