The Marie-Claire Case hits the big screen.

The Marie-Claire Affair will hit theaters on November 4, 2026. Written and directed by Lauriane Escaffre and Yvo Muller, this courtroom drama revisits the 1972 Bobigny trial, in which lawyer Gisèle Halimi transformed the defense of a teenager accused of abortion into a public challenge to the law. The film’s first trailer is now available.

In November 1972, sixteen-year-old Marie-Claire Chevalier stood before the Bobigny court charged with having terminated a pregnancy after a rape. Her mother, along with the women who helped her, are also facing charges. Gisèle Halimi chooses not to argue her clients’ guilt and instead opts to challenge the law that, at the time, criminalized abortion.

This strategy turns the trial into a political and media platform. Its resonance helped shape the public debate on abortion before the Veil Law was enacted in 1975.

• To be read
• Top cinemas in Paris

Charlotte Gainsbourg stars as Gisèle Halimi. Cécile de France portrays Michèle Chevalier, Marie-Claire's mother, while Saül Benchetrit plays the teenage Marie-Claire. Grégory Gadebois portrays Claude Faux.

The cast also features Sarah Suco as Lucette Duboucheix, Florence Loiret-Caille as Micheline Bambuck, and Xavier Robic as the prosecutor. Lauriane Escaffre and Émilie Gavois-Kahn also appear in the ensemble.

Presented in a Special Screening at the Festival de Cannes 2026, the film was subsequently selected for an official, preview screening at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival. It sits squarely in the tradition of the courtroom drama, tracing how a single case becomes a fight against the prevailing legal framework of its era.

To go further, check out the November film releases, the films to watch right now, and our selection of the year's historical films.

This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here.