Eugene Green, an expatriate American living in France, made his debut as a director and screenwriter with this film, based on a story by Gustave Flaubert. In 1967, Henri (Alexis Loret and Jules (Adrien Michaux) are close friends who have grown up together in a small town in the French countryside. But as they turn 17, they begin to follow different paths in life; Henri moves to Paris to go to college, while Jules stays behind to concentrate on a career as a writer. Henri becomes involved with Emilie (Christelle Prot), the wife of one of his professors, and in time they decide to run away together to the United States, leaving Paris just in time to miss the May 1968 student uprisings. Henri maintains a steady correspondence with Jules, and when Henri and Emilie go their separate ways, she stays in touch with Jules, and they become close confidantes through the mail without ever meeting face to face. Toutes Les Nuits became a surprising critical and modest commercial success after being released independently in France, with early screenings advertised only through invitation postcards.