A member of the French Academy, in his day, Emile Friant (1863-1932) was a real superstar. A painter, draftsman, engraver, inventor and teacher at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris, with a passion for sporting activities (aviation, ballooning, boating), Emile Friant was a multi-faceted man.

With the help of numerous contributors, this documentary reveals the life and work of this French painter from Lorraine. From his training in Nancy with Louis-Théodore Devilly to his artistic engagement during the First World War, without forgetting his major paintings and engravings, Friant reveals himself to be a man anchored in his time, while his creative techniques, combining photographs, drawings and sketches, demonstrate his modernity.