Set against Paris' oldest bridge, the Pont Neuf, while it was closed for repairs, this film is a love story between two young vagrants: Alex, a would be circus performer addicted to alcohol and sedatives and Michele, a painter driven to a life on the streets because of a failed relationship and an affliction which is slowly turning her blind.
In the first sequence, there is a long part where homeless people are rounded up and “treated” at a hospital. Not a mental institution, but I could imagine this scene being triggering for similar reasons.