À une certaine distance de l'orchestre

The film tells the story of Zygmunt Lubicz-Zaleski (1882-1967) - a poet, writer, translator, musician, critic of art, music and literature, doctor of philosophy, and journalist.  Forced to emigrate for political reasons, in 1914 he committed himself fully to teaching Polish in France. His lectures turned out to be the cornerstone of Polish language studies in France. After the outbreak of World War II, he became a member of the Polish resistance movement in France, chairman of the Polish Red Cross, which helped refugees, and president of the Welfare Society for Poles in France. Arrested on 19 March 1943 by Italian fascists and handed over to the Nazis, after a period of brutal interrogation he was sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp.
When the war was over, he decided to stay in France with his family and organised assistance for Polish university students abroad. He was a very active publisher and lecturer, and was general secretary of the Polish Society for History and Literature in Paris. He engaged in social, political, and scientific activity, promoting Polish culture and building good French-Polish relations. Zaleski helped Polish emigrés and scientists, and was an ardent supporter of Polish interests in France.