This is the first in a series of films about the Paris Commune in 1871. This happened after the siege of Paris by the Prussians when the working-class of Paris who had suffered terribly during the siege began to resist the terms of the surrender. It looks like all the parts of this movie from 1999 are up on Youtube - reading the above link it was made with non professional actors and the results look well worth watching. Learn about the Communards and the spirit of Revolution here.