Terror's Advocate
Synopsis
Communist, anti-colonialist, right-wing extremist? What convictions guide the moral mind of Jacques Vergès? Acclaimed director Barbet Schroeder takes us down some of history's darkest paths to elucidate this "mystery." As a young lawyer during the Algerian war, Vergès espoused the anti-colonialist cause and defended Djamila Bouhired, "la Pasionaria," who bore her country's hopes for freedom on her shoulders and was sentenced to death for planting bombs in cafes. He obtained her release, married her and had two children with her. Suddenly, at the height of an illustrious career, Vergès disappeared without trace for eight years. He re-emerged from his mysterious absence, taking on the defense of terrorists of all kinds, from Magdalena Kopp and Anis Naccache to Carlos the Jackal. He represented historical monsters such as Nazi lieutenant Klaus Barbie. From the lawyer's inflammatory and provocative cases to his controversial terrorist links, Barbet Schroeder follows the winding trail left by this "devil's advocate," as he forges his unique path in law and politics. Schroeder explores and questions the history of "blind terrorism" through his penetrating investigation of this compelling man and leads us towards shocking revelations that expose long-hidden links in history.
Credits
Director (1)
Production and distribution (4)
- Executive Producer : Yalla Films
- Co-production : Goodfellas
- Film exports/foreign sales : Goodfellas
- French distribution : Les Films du Losange
Full credits (8)
- Directors of Photography : Caroline Champetier, Jean-Luc Perréard
- Music Composer : Jorge Arriagada
- Editor : Nelly Quettier
- Sound recordists : Yves Coméliau, Béatrice Wick, Dominique Hennequin
- Producer : Rita Dagher
- Co-producers : Vincent Maraval, Brahim Chioua
- Production manager : Sylvie Balland
- Press Attaché (film) : Jean-Pierre Vincent
Media Gallery
Technical details
- Type : Feature film
- Genres : Documentary
- Sub-genre : Documentary
- Production language : French
- Production country : France
- Original French-language productions : Yes
- Nationality : 100% French (France)
- Production year : 2007
- French release : 06/06/2007
- Runtime : 2 h 15 min
- Current status : Released
- Visa number : 114.608
- Visa issue date : 31/05/2007
- Approval : Yes
- Production formats : 35mm
- Color type : Color
- Aspect ratio : 1.85
- Audio format : Dolby DTS
- Rating restrictions : None
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News & awards
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Selections (12)
Awards (1)
About
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"A RIVETING DRAMA. This fascinating story is fresh, epic and challenging to all preconceptions about the use of violence for political purposes."
– Richard Corliss and Mary Corliss, Time
"JAW-DROPPING. If pitched to a Hollywood studio, the story would have been dismissed as crazily implausible. It works brilliantly as a documentary, with a narrative all the more amazing for being true."
– A.O. Scott, NY Times
"SMART AND SOPHISTICATED. Perhaps the most fascinating film at the Cannes film Festival." – Kenneth Turan, LA Times
Communist, anti-colonialist, right-wing extremist? What convictions guide the moral mind of Jacques Vergès? Acclaimed director Barbet Schroeder takes us down some of history's darkest paths in Terror's Advocate, a deeply probing history of the world terrorist movement as told through the story of this enigmatic lawyer, who has defended many of the most infamous figures of the latter 20th Century.
As a young lawyer during the Algerian war, Vergès espoused the anti-colonialist cause and defended Djamila Bouhired, "la Pasionaria," who bore her country's hopes for freedom on her shoulders and was sentenced to death for planting bombs in cafes. He obtained her release, married her and had two children with her.
Suddenly, at the height of an illustrious career, Vergès disappeared without trace for eight years. He re-emerged from his mysterious absence, taking on the defense of terrorists of all kinds, from Magdalena Kopp and Anis Naccache to Carlos the Jackal. He represented historical monsters such as Nazi lieutenant Klaus Barbie. From the lawyer's inflammatory and provocative cases to his controversial terrorist links, Barbet Schroeder follows the winding trail left by this "devil's advocate," as he forges his unique path in law and politics.
Schroeder explores and questions the history of "blind terrorism" through his penetrating investigation of this compelling man and leads us towards shocking revelations that expose long-hidden links in history.
