Directed by Cédric Jimenez and co-written with Audrey Diwan, La French is a crime thriller inspired by the confrontation between Judge Pierre Michel and the French Connection in 1970s Marseille. Starring Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lellouche, and Benoît Magimel, the film will be available in France on HBO Max from December 6, 2025.
In 1975, Pierre Michel, a newly appointed judge specializing in organized crime, takes on the French Connection, a mafia network exporting heroin internationally. Despite warnings, Michel decides to wage a determined crusade against Gaëtan Zampa, a key figure in the Marseille underworld. He quickly discovers that the fight against this organization requires a more direct approach and that it exposes him to major personal repercussions.
The story follows the judge's progress in the face of a deeply rooted system, amid judicial tensions, criminal pressure, and power games within the city. This confrontation between a tenacious magistrate and an untouchable godfather forms the dramatic heart of the film.
The feature film revisits one of the major French criminal cases of the 20th century. The title echoes the French Connection, a network dismantled in the 1970sand already the inspiration for several works. Cédric Jimenez's film takes a rare perspective by choosing to tell the story from the point of view of Judge Pierre Michel. Filming took place largely in Marseille, sometimes in the very locations where the historical events took place. Jimenez had 360° sets built to complement the actors' performances and enhance the immersion.
La French follows in the tradition of French crime thrillers inspired by real events, with a dark tone, a strong urban atmosphere, and issues related to both justice and criminal power struggles. The film may appeal to audiences who enjoy crime stories rooted in historical reality, portraits of criminal figures, and investigations conducted against a sprawling system.
La French
Film | 2014
On HBO Max December 6, 2025
Action, Crime, Thriller | Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes
By Cédric Jimenez | Starring Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lellouche, Benoît Magimel
Nationality: France
The film offers a reconstruction of Marseille in the 1970s through the confrontation between a determined judge and an all-powerful godfather, providing an insight into French criminal history.
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