LES CHANTS DE MANDRIN

In 1755, Louis Mandrin — an outlaw and hero of the people — has just been executed in Valence. Yet his fellow smugglers continue running black markets to avoid the abusive taxes imposed by the “fermiers généraux,” privatized tax collectors in pre-revolutionary France. They write songs extolling Mandrin, print them up and hand them out, paving the way for his legend. The film, which has a sensual, dreamlike beauty and a strong sense of fraternity, pays tribute to the founding values of the Republic.