La Faille: Piccoli and Tognazzi in a restored thriller returning to theaters

Michel Piccoli and Ugo Tognazzi face off in The Defection of Simas Kudirka, a political thriller by Peter Fleischmann returning to theaters on December 9, 2026. Lost Films is rereleasing this 1975 work in a 4K restoration by Studiocanal.

In an imaginary country, Georgis is arrested without understanding what he is accused of. Two members of a special police force, played by Piccoli and Mario Adorf, have to take him to headquarters. Their drive prolongs the interrogation and sets up a confrontation between the prisoner and representatives of a regime determined to make him talk.

The screenplay, by Jean-Claude Carrière, Martin Walser and Fleischmann, adapts Antonis Samarakis’s novel. The director places this story within the political cinema of 1970s Europe: the mechanisms of repression and uncertainty about the police’s intentions are at the heart of the narrative.

• To be read
• Cinema: what does a film that’s been restored in 4K actually mean?
• Top cinemas in Paris

The cast also includes Adriana Asti. The cinematography is by Luciano Tovoli, and the music by Ennio Morricone. First released in France on June 18, 1975, the film is receiving support for this re-release from AFCAE’s Heritage and Repertory program.

To find out more, also check out our selection of films to see in theaters in December, our guide to films currently in theaters, and the thrillers to see in theaters.

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