The Golden Fish is a 1959 French short film directed by Edmond Séchan. It won an Oscar in 1960 for Best Short Subject.

Plot

The film, which has a musical score but no dialogue tells of a boy, a golden fish, and a black cat. The boy leaves school, comes home to his apartment, feeds his bird, and goes out with a glass bottle and two coins. The boy sees his mother walking on the street, and goes to a festival. There a roulette booth offers fish as a prize: an aquarium is stocked with various black fish and one golden fish. The booth's sign says "REGLEMENT Chaque gagnant a droit à un magnifique poisson exotique/les poissons ne sont pas rachetés" (Regulation: Each winner is entitled to a magnificent exotic fish/the fish are not redeemed [for money]). He looks longingly at the golden fish, and at the coins, but doesn't place a bet (Another sign says "20 F la partié"), and leaves. An older man with a beard places his bet on spades, but the wheel lands on 7. The boy comes back, now his bottle filled with milk. The older man bets on spades, 4, 5, 6, 7, wins a bet when the wheel lands on spades. He wants the golden fish, which hides in the rocks. While trying to get the fish, his arm knocks over the boy's bottle, breaking it. The man gives the boy two coins as a consolation. The boy places his bet (on hearts), and wins. The fish swims willing into the net, and the boy leaves with the fish in a plastic bag.

Awards