Summary

This French drama explores a world in which children must make adult decisions. When Martin's (Copans) mother dies suddenly, his fear that he will be sent to an orphanage keeps him from reporting her passing to anyone but his closest friends. However, the once elite group who is privy to this information gradually expands, increasing the chances that Martin will be found out and sent away. The children are forced to rely on each other as they try to figure out what to do with the body, which Martin has not moved from his mother's bed since her death. To keep authorities and suspicious outsiders away, the children go to great lengths to create a make-believe world around Martin and to provide for their friend as best they can. Jacques Fansten, winner of a special 1986 Prix de la Television from the Societe des Auteurs for his work in television films, has been a director for French television since 1972. "La Fracture du Myocarde" was shown on French television before it was released theatrically in America as "Cross My Heart," which was Fansten's first film to be released in the United States. The program was filmed on location in a school in La Ferte Bernard, a small town just west of Paris, and eight of the 11 child actors were found at the school itself.

(This program was awarded the Prix Italia for Fiction, 1990 Prix Italia.)