Une affaire privée, a thriller directed by Guillaume Nicloux starring Thierry Lhermitte and Marion Cotillard, will air on Arte on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 8:55 PM. The film will also be available on Arte.tv starting September 23.
Released in 2002, the film tracks François Manéri, a disillusioned private investigator who is handed a missing-person case by his anxious boss. Rachel, a 22-year-old biology student, has vanished without a trace for six months. François starts probing her close associates and piecing together the various facets of her life.
Thierry Lhermitte stars as a lone-wolf detective whose investigation gradually spirals into an obsession. Marion Cotillard plays Rachel, alongside Samuel Le Bihan, Jeanne Balibar, Clovis Cornillac, Aurore Clément, Niels Arestrup and Bruno Todeschini.
Guillaume Nicloux also writes the screenplay for this film, built around testimonies, false leads, and the worlds the investigator moves through. A Private Case marks the first part of an informal diptych centered on the character François Manéri, whom Thierry Lhermitte would later revisit in That Woman There.
To go further, also check out our selection of films, series and shows to watch on TV this week, our guide to releases across all platforms, and today's pick: What to watch today on streaming.
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