Germinal

A tv programme

Created by

Written by

Chérif Saïs, Samir Oubechou, Clémence Lebatteux, Julien Lilti, Melusine Laura Raynaud, Loïc Barrère, Cheikna Sankaré, Maud Garnier

Directed by

David Hourrègue

Produced by

Banijay France

Leading French distributor

France Télévisions

Production year2021

Programme formatSeries

GenresFiction

Runtime 6x52'

Number of seasons1

Synopsis

Germinal is the story of a miners’ strike during the Second Empire in a community in northern France. At barely 20 years of age, Etienne Lantier flees Lille after assaulting a superior and finds refuge in the coal mining town of Montsou, where he befriends veteran miner Maheu, who secures him a job pushing carts down the pit and offers him a place to stay.

Etienne discovers the harsh working conditions of miners and the daily humiliations endured by the workers – however, deciding to stay, partly for the beautiful Catherine, Maheu’s daughter, he is soon adopted by the community. But one day when he and his comrades are fined for deficient woodwork, tempers flare and Etienne plans a revolt and begins to dream of a social revolution. Trained by Souvarine, an anarchist mechanic, and Rasseneur, the owner of a local bistro, Etienne does not realise what enthusiasm and chaos his ideas will raise.