FRANCOIS

Ronnie’s on the run from his past – a promising boxing career soured by a fall in a fixed match – but he can’t hide forever, not even in a family-run bistro in Montreal. There he cleans dishes, but the restaurant owner’s son Francois knows his secret. When Francois agrees to fight the school bully in a boxing match, he turns to Ronnie for help training. Francois is a small, fragile boy and Ronnie hesitates but he cannot resist Francois’ charm or his promise to help Ronnie win over Jacqueline, a waitress at the bistro.

Ronnie teaches Francois to fight, all the while unaware that the boy has his own secret- he is dying. Francois’ sickness has driven his father, Philippe, into debt and now it’s time to pay up. There’s an easy solution- Gaetan, who holds Philippe’s debt, wants Ronnie to fight again. Ronnie agrees and as Francois lies sick in a hospital bed, he steps once more into the ring. Knowing that Francois is watching on TV, he cannot bring himself to throw the match. Even Gaetan understands. So before he passes on, Francois at last gets his wish – to see Ronnie fight and win.