DE GAULLE – PART ONE: RESISTANCE

(La Bataille De Gaulle – L’Age de fer)

Special Screening | France, Belgium | 2026 | Biopic, War, Period, Thriller | 160 min | In French with English subtitles, in English

Directed by: Antonin Baudry
Written by: Antonin Baudry, Bérénice Vila
Based on the Book by: Julian T. Jackson
Produced by: Jérôme Seydoux & Ardavan Safaee (Pathé Films), Axelle Boucay, (Ness Films), Belvédère, TF1 Films Productions, Logical Pictures, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, Beside Productions, Laurent Dassault Rond Point (LDRP II), Stags Participation II
Cinematography: Pierre Cottereau, Giora Bejach
Original Score: Volker Bertelmann
Film Editing: Rehman Nizar Ali, Katie Mcquerrey
Cast: Simon Abkarian (De Gaulle), Simon Russell Beale (Churchill), Florian Lesieur (Bonnier de la Chapelle), Benoît Magimel (Koening), Loïc Corbery (Pleven), Anamaria Vartolemei (Livia), Niels Schneider (Leclerc), Karim Leclou (Blajez), Grégoire Colin (D’Argenlieu)
International Sales: Pathé Films
US Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Films
US Release Date: November 2026

Synopsis

June, 1940. Hitler’s army storms into France. Maréchal Pétain immediately caves, signs an armistice, and the country falls to its knees. Everyone but one man — de Gaulle, an obscure general who turns on his heels, hightails it to London, declares himself “La France” and single-handedly rallies a nation. Simon Abkarian is spellbinding as the arrogant, brilliant strategist who, against all odds, bullies his way into Churchill’s inner circle, creates the Free French Forces out of thin air, and is savvy enough to know when his friends are actually his foes. All for a love of country and an unwavering fervor to uphold its values.

Director’s bio

After studying engineering, literature and cinema, Antonin Baudry became an advisor to Minister Dominique de Villepin at the Ministry of the Interior in 2004. From 2010 to 2014, he was cultural counsellor at the French Embassies in Washington, D.C. and Madrid. Drawing on his diplomatic experience, he collaborated with Christophe Blain on the award-winning graphic novel series Quai d’Orsay, which he, Blain and director Bertrand Tavernier adapted for Tavernier’s feature film The French Minister (2013), which nabbed the Best Screenplay award in San Sebastián. His first feature film, the submarine thriller The Wolf’s Call (2019) was nominated for three César Awards, including Best First Film. The first part of a diptych, De Gaulle – Part 1: Resistance premiered, Out of Competition, at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It is presented at TAFFF 2026, and for the first time in the US, back-to-back with the second part De Gaulle – Part 2: Liberty.