Renaud, with a heavy heart: the unreleased documentary to watch on France 2

"Mistral gagnant", "Laisse béton", "Dès que le vent soufflera", "Dans mon H.L.M.", "Hexagone", "Manhattan Kaboul", "En cloque" or "Chanson pour Pierrot"... hard to list all of Renaud's songs. For 50 years now, the French singer-songwriter has been telling his life through his music and has been shaping our lives with his songs.

With rebellious, slang-drenched lyrics and a distinctly Parisian charm, Renaud is hailed as one of France’s most beloved singers. On the occasion of his 50-year career and as the artist is set to take the stage at the Zénith de Paris, France Télévisions has decided to pay tribute and to broadcast this spring "Renaud, à cœur perdu". Directed by Tancrède Ramonet and narrated by Marilou Aussilloux, this new documentary invites us to rediscover the richly textured arc and life of Renaud, balancing triumph and hardship. The film also aims to reveal a "unknown, fragile and moving Renaud," according to the press release. 

The documentary will notably unveil previously unseen personal archives, but also testimonies from those close to him, such as Dominique, his first wife and mother of his daughter Lolita, David, his twin brother, as well as his childhood friend and lifelong musician.

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"This documentary grew out of a deep aspiration: to move beyond the clichés that cling to Renaud's image and return to the essence: he is, alongside Brel, Brassens and Barbara, one of the greatest singer-songwriters of French chanson. By telling his life, the backstory of his songs, and also his battles—against injustices, against the ghosts of the past, against his demons and against illness—I wanted to sketch the portrait of an artist who is both a witness to his era and a participant in the grand narrative," explains director Tancrède Ramonet in a press release.

The documentary film "Renaud, à cœur perdu" lands on france.tv starting Friday, May 8, and will be broadcast on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 9:10 p.m. on France 2.