The Bobigny trial, held in autumn 1972, is the subject of L’Affaire Marie-Claire, a new film by Lauriane Escaffre and Yvo Muller. The case helped open the way to the legalization of abortion in France, and the film approaches it through the experiences of the women involved.
Charlotte Gainsbourg plays lawyer Gisèle Halimi, while Cécile de France portrays Michèle Chevalier, Marie-Claire’s mother. The story alternates between hearings in a small courtroom and Halimi’s preparation of the defense. Her strategy is to turn a case involving Marie-Claire’s abortion after a rape into a political trial.
The film gives Halimi a central role while also bringing other participants in the proceedings into focus. Its title signals a perspective centered on women, and the production is supported by a symphonic score by Philippe Rombi.
L’Affaire Marie-Claire brings the story to cinema after several theatrical works have explored the Bobigny trial, including Pauline Bureau’s Hors la loi and Emilie Rousset and Maya Boquet’s Reconstitution : Le procès de Bobigny. The review notes that the film’s portrayal of women’s lives is effective, though its writing has some awkward moments.
Sources: Le Monde Culture.