Arrest warrant - if in doubt, against the accused
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Arrest warrant - if in doubt, against the accused |
| Original title | Présumé coupable |
| Country of production |
France Belgium |
| original language | French |
| Publishing year | 2011 |
| length | 102 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Vincent Garenq |
| script | Vincent Garenq Hubert Delarue Serge Frydman Alain Marécaux |
| production | Christophe Rossignon |
| camera | Renaud Chassaing |
| cut | Dorian Rigal-Ansous |
| occupation | |
| |
Arrest Warrant - In Doubt Against the Defendant is a 2011 Belgian-French feature film directed by Vincent Garenq . It is based on a true case known as the Outreau affair and one of the biggest judicial scandals of the 21st century in France.
action
Alain Marécaux is a bailiff and works too much, which occasionally creates tension with his wife Edith. They have three children: daughter Cécilé, the youngest, Sébastien and the eldest son Thomas. One night, Marécaux and his wife are woken up by the police. Both are arrested for raping minors, a charge that Marécaux finds absurd. When first questioned by the police, he is supposed to admit that he is homosexual. He is also given the prospect of securing the release of his wife with a confession. He insists on his innocence. After the first few nights in custody, he met his lawyer Hubert Delarue. Little by little he learns the connections. According to one mother, over a dozen people are said to belong to a pedophile ring and have raped the children of this woman and a neighbor. Marécaux does not know the woman, but believes that her son went to class with his son Sébastien. To make matters worse for Marécaux is the fact that Sébastien, who is barely school-age, also accused him of indecent touch when questioned. Marécaux cannot explain either the charge or the testimony of his son. Although no evidence could be found to corroborate the prosecutors' testimony, the young judge Burgaud allowed his pre- trial detention to be extended.
In prison, Marécaux receives a visit from his sister who informs him that his children have been placed in foster care. During the first questioning of the plaintiffs Myriam Badaoui and Aurélie Grenon, they got entangled in contradictions, which the judge only noticed when Marécaux's lawyer made him aware of them. Although the information provided by the two women about Marécaux's clothing cannot be verified, Marécaux and his wife remain in custody. However, they were able to briefly see what gives them strength during the house inspection.
One day during visiting hours, it was not his sister who appeared in prison, but the President of the Chamber of Bailiffs. He has notified all of Marécaux's clients and pointed out the presumption of innocence, but advises Marécaux to close his practice and to submit his resignation. Marécaux agrees. A few months have now passed since the custody began. Shortly after New Year's Eve, Marécaux learns that his mother has passed away. After Marécaux's arrest, she stopped talking and eating. Marécaux learns of the death shortly before an interrogation by Judge Burgaud. The latter is incapable of empathy when he asks Marécaux, who is fighting against tears - also about his mother. Because of the emotional stress, Marécaux is transferred to a psychiatric hospital and later to a prison, where he only has to share the cell with one other inmate. In desperation, Marécaux swallows an overdose of medication, but is saved. He learns that his wife has been paroled. He himself has to remain in prison. His eldest son Thomas, who has ever greater problems dealing with what has happened, goes to the home voluntarily.
After another suicide attempt, the news that Edith has met another man and will separate from him, and 20 months in prison, Marécaux finally goes on a hunger strike . He informs the main politicians of his decision. As a result of refusing to eat, he rapidly loses weight and is eventually admitted to hospital. When he was already barely able to speak, the decision was made to release him subject to conditions until the trial. In the following years, Marécaux learns to walk and eat again with great effort. He spends the time leading up to the trial with his niece and her three children. Due to his own situation, he agrees with the family judge to leave the two younger children to his wife, who, however, insists on suspending the father's visitation rights for the time being because of the traumatization of the children. Marécaux accuses the judge of being responsible for the breakdown of his family.
During the trial, Myriam Badaoui becomes entangled in contradictions. Jimmy, who was allegedly raped by the more than a dozen Badaoui suspects, cannot even identify Marécaux, who was allegedly one of the main perpetrators, when questioned. In the middle of Jimmy's interrogation, Ms. Badaoui asked to speak. She confesses to having lied. All of her accused are innocent because only she, her husband and the couple next door have molested their own children. In the end, some of those accused by Badaoui were sentenced to prison terms, including Marécaux for sexually abusing his son. He tries again to kill himself. The unjustly accused were not finally released until December 2005. In 2007, Marécaux was reassigned to the civil service as a bailiff. Judge Burgaud is the only judge to be prosecuted for the trial.
production
Arrest Warrant - When in doubt against the accused loosely based on Alain Marécaux 'autobiography Chronique de mon erreur judiciaire (Ü. Chronicle my miscarriage of justice ), which was published in 2005. In it, the author describes the events that went down in French judicial history as the Outreau affair, during which President Jacques Chirac publicly apologized to the victims for the failure of the French judiciary and the injustice suffered. The film was shot in Loos , Lille and locations in Belgium , among others . Fanny Drouin created the costumes and Thierry Rouxel designed the film .
After several smaller screenings in France, the film was shown in September 2011 as part of the Venice International Film Festival and was also shown in French cinemas on September 7, 2011. Here he was seen by 406,436 spectators. The film was released on DVD in Germany in November 2013.
Awards
Director Vincent Garenq was awarded the Europa Cinemas label in Venice for an arrest warrant - In case of doubt against the accused . At the Bratislava International Film Festival he received the award for best director; the film also ran in the competition for the Grand Prix.
The film received two César nominations in 2012 : Philippe Torreton was nominated for Best Actor , while Vincent Garenq received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay . Raphaël Ferret was nominated for Best Young Actor 2012 for a Prix Lumières .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Bernard Lamarque: Vincent Garenq est venu présenter “Présumé Coupable” à l'UGC . bordeaux-gazette.com, August 26, 2011.
- ↑ Réaction du Président de la République du au terme "procès d'Outreau" . elysee.fr, 5th December 2005. ( Réaction du Président de la République au terme du "procès d'Outreau". PRÉSIDENCE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE. ).
- ↑ See allocine.fr
- ↑ Awards and nominees on academie-cinema.org