Beneath the Paris Stars

Sophia, a young TV-reporter in Stockholm, is at the pinnacle of her career and seemingly has it all. Yet, she is caught in a messy divorce from her controlling ex-husband and is desperate for a clean slate. Convinced that a fresh start awaits her as foreign correspondent in Cairo, Sophia pins her hopes on the job, believing that it’s a done deal – her bags are packed, and her apartment is already rented out. Then the unthinkable email arrives: the job has slipped through her fingers and landed into the hands of a colleague instead.

Amid all the work-related chaos, Sophia receives the heart-wrenching news that her beloved grandmother Emmy has died in a fatal car accident. In the wake of her loss, Sophia learns of a surprising inheritance – a decayed bar named Le Lulu, located in the heart of Paris. Sophia’s grandmother had always been tight-lipped about her youthful adventures with her sister in Paris during the 60’s, but Sophia couldn’t have imagined the extent of Emmy’s life in the City of Love. Why had she never mentioned this mysterious bar?

Reluctantly, Sophia sets out for Paris and when she arrives, she finds the bar to be a run-down establishment in dire financial strait. Despite Le Lulu’s evident struggles, the bar is home to a diverse cast of characters, whose livelihoods are rooted within its walls. Hayley, the cynical mother of a teenage daughter, and Olivier, the handsome young bartender, spend their days and nights immersed in the hum of the bar. Overseeing it all is Louis, the elderly bar manager who has dedicated his whole life to Le Lulu, working tirelessly to keep its doors open throughout the years. It is clear that the bar is more than just a business – it’s a place where people have found a home – yet Sophia’s intention of selling it threatens to upend everything.

To navigate the sale, Sophia reaches out to Tristan, a property lawyer who at first glance seems both arrogant and rude. Still, Sophia wonders if there is more to him behind his tough façade? As days turn into weeks, she and Tristan prepare for the sale, and Sophia’s relationship with everyone at Le Lulu deepens, especially with Louis. Over glasses of wine amid the bustle of the Paris streets, Louis begins to tell Sophia about her grandmother’s youthful escapades in the city. As the image of Emmy’s life in Paris grows more vibrant, Sophia becomes more drawn to the idea of saving the bar rather than selling it and finds herself at a crossroads. So far, she has put everything into her career and isn’t ready to throw it all away. Still, a thought lingers in her mind: what truly matters to her and what kind of life does she desire? Could a fresh coat of paint, some new furniture and a whole bunch of apples bring the bar back to its former glory?

Set against the enchanting backdrop of Paris, where the scents of baguettes, freshly baked apple tarts and the faint waft of Gauloises linger in the air, Beneath the Paris Stars weaves a heartwarming tale of the profound experience of falling in love, both with a city and the people living there. Here, Karolina Schützer explores the transformative power of unexpected connections and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity, serving as a wistful reminder that it is in the depths of darkness that the stars shine the brightest.