The trial that made abortion legal in France — and nobody remembers her name.
In 1972, 16-year-old Marie-Claire Chevalier was raped and became pregnant. Helped by her mother to have a clandestine abortion, she was finally denounced and arrested. Both faced imprisonment. Gisèle Halimi, their lawyer, transformed their trial into a historic battle. By denouncing an unjust law, they mobilized public opinion and paved the way for the Veil law, legalizing abortion in France. This forgotten struggle resurfaced almost half a century later, in 2019, when schoolchildren proposed that Marie-Claire be made a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, transforming what had long been her shame into a source of pride and a symbol for future generations.
Acting
Virginie Efira channels Halimi's intellectual ferocity with laser precision.
Writing
Transforms dry legal history into intimate mother-daughter survival story.
Director
Pauline Bureau
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Marie-Claire Chevalier lived anonymously until her 2019 Légion d'Honneur nomination — 47 years of silence.
Director Pauline Bureau deliberately cast Mallory Wanecque, an unknown teenager, to mirror how Chevalier herself was erased from her own story.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
FR
