A Man of His Time

Henri Marre arrives in the city of Vichy in 1940 with his self-published manifesto Notre Salut, hoping to save France.

It is early in the Second World War, and France has capitulated. The Pétain regime is establishing itself in Vichy. Henri arrives in the city broke and without connections. He gradually gains a foothold among the bureaucrats of the new administration and is given a task that seems fairly harmless. Little by little, he understands that the work is really about arresting and deporting Jews. Henri sees in the new regime an opportunity to become a man of importance.

A MAN OF HIS TIME is inspired by the director's own great-grandfather, and he follows up his debut ZERO FUCKS GIVEN (co-directed with Julie Lecoustre) with an impressive work that bridges the fascism of that era and the present day. In a striking lead role, we find Swann Arlaud, perhaps best known from the Palme d'Or winner ANATOMY OF A FALL. The film won the Best Screenplay prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.