The Heroes of the Louvre, written and directed by Élie Chouraqui, hits cinemas in France on September 9, 2026. This historical drama revisits the 1939 evacuation of the Louvre’s artworks, a covert operation designed to safeguard the museum’s treasures at the outset of World War II.
Les Héros du Louvre
Film | 2026
Release in cinemas: 9 September 2026
Drama, Historical
Directed by Élie Chouraqui | Screenplay by Élie Chouraqui
Starring Kad Merad, Marie Gillain, Bernard Le Coq, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Julia de Nunez, Fantine Guyot, César Chouraqui, Ben Attal
Nationality: France
Distributor: Paradis Films
The film focuses on a little-known chapter of the history of the Musée du Louvre. As the German army closes in, Jacques Jaujard, then director of the National Museums and the Louvre School, orchestrates the evacuation of thousands of works to keep them out of Nazi hands.
Among the works involved are major pieces of French heritage, including The Mona Lisa and The Raft of the Medusa. This logistical operation, conducted in a context of particular danger, also rests on the commitment of anonymous men and women, mobilized to safeguard the national collections.
The Heroes of the Louvre follows, in particular, Babi Maklouf Benhamou, a Louvre guard drawn into this mission in 1939. When he agrees to take part in rescuing the artworks, he makes one condition: that his family accompany him. The tale then becomes a family adventure across occupied France, linking the fate of the Louvre’s treasures to that of this family.
Kad Merad plays Babi Maklouf, joined by Marie Gillain, Bernard Le Coq, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Julia de Nunez, Fantine Guyot, César Chouraqui and Ben Attal. The film is produced by Alexandra Fechner Productions, Still Learning and Les Films de l’Altaï, in co-production with the Musée du Louvre.
This release is likely to appeal to viewers drawn to historical films, World War II stories, and narratives tied to Parisian heritage. With its subject anchored in the history of the Louvre, the film also has a direct link to Paris's current cultural scene.
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