La Poudre d'escampette (1971)
Directed by Philippe de Broca

Film Synopsis

One evening, on the coast of Libya, Valentin, an arms smuggler, saves the life of a young British officer named Basil whose aeroplane has been shot down at sea.  Valentin has an urgent business engagement and advises Basil to head south, to where the British troops are based on Italian soil.  Basil instead chooses to follow Valentin to a hotel where he asks to spend the night.  A party of Italian soldiers arrive, looking for Basil.  They are about to take Valentin away when the English officer opens fire and kills one of the Italians.   The two men manage to escape, thanks to Lorene, the wife of the Swiss consul.  With Basil and Valentin concealed in her car, she will make an attempt to pass a German roadblock...