based on "the jesuit relations", the film dramatizes the story of the canadian martyrs at the jesuit mission of sainte-marie among the hurons through the reflections of jean de brébeuf (alain cuny) as he awaits his death. the cast also includes jacques godin, françois guillier, jacques kasma, ginette letondal, hubert loiselle, yves létourneau, monique mercure, albert millaire, jean-louis millette, jean perraud, jean-guy sabourin, marcel sabourin, janine sutto and maurice tremblay.