The trial movie is a genre unto itself in American cinema. However, in recent years, French filmmakers have also been investing in the courtroom with films that, from “L’Hermine” to “Anatomy of a Fall,” have enjoyed considerable critical and public recognition. How can the popularity of this genre be explained? These enclosed spaces where speech is king have accompanied cinema since its inception. The oratorical jousts and dramatic twists transform the courtroom into a true spectacle that questions the foundations of our societies. How does Justice reflect the values and flaws of our societies? How does truth emerge from the labyrinth of facts?

Based on the testimony of directors behind this renewal of the French trial film, figures from the judicial world, and cinema specialists, this documentary explores the history of an American genre that the French are completely reinventing.