They are four. Among the thirteen accused in the Outreau affair, most imprisoned, then cleared in the context of the Outreau affair, four agreed to testify, more than twenty years after Myriam Badaoui’s first confession. Identified in a documentary broadcast on France 2, these rare words report on the four years of investigation and trial that have upset the lives of its protagonists as well as public opinion, against the backdrop of a potential international pedophile network, between 2001 and 2005. To these testimonies are added those of the children of the time. Jonathan Delay, one of the four sons of the Delay couple, and François-Xavier Marécaux, son of Alain Marécaux, acquitted after 691 days of detention.
The journalist-director Agnès Pizzini and the fiction director Olivier Ayache Vidal have gone through the 38 volumes of the instruction file to reconstitute them over a confusing series. The result leads to an unidentified television object, breaking the boundaries between documentary and fiction, and where the codes of documentary as those of cinema theater are summoned. The very real memories of the protagonists collide with reconstructions in a format resembling a making-of.
“This case mixes the real and the unreal so much that the format we created corresponds well to what happened”, comments Olivier Ayache Vidal to 20 minutes. Over the course of the episodes, the people involved witness the situations they have experienced, reproduced by “doubles”, film actors. “At any time, they could stop the scene and say what they wanted, when they wanted. »
“Allow them to say what they could not say”
“I started by immersing myself in the investigation file to understand what happened far from the emotions and passions of twenty years ago when everyone was tempted to take sides”, rewinds Agnès Pizzini. Very quickly, she realizes that where the instruction must bring out the truth, this dantesque affair has generated a form of fiction. Going into something that goes beyond the codes of documentary and fiction in their most traditional aspect becomes obvious.
The co-directors agree to evoke a series co-created directly with the protagonists who intervene. The only information from which they profited before attending the reconstitutions was the events of which they were the object. “We wanted to bring the protagonists back to their memories and allow them to say what they couldn’t say at the time,” rejoices Olivier Ayache Vidal.
In turn, the docu-fiction presents the protagonists, shows the meeting with their understudy on the film set, makes them travel from setting to setting in order to immerse them in the situations they have experienced and which often marked their lives forever.
Saving will “for all the victims”
If this new document devoted to this highly media-covered affair does not learn anything, it allows us to better understand what is at stake between reality and fiction but also past and present. “All the stakeholders who agreed to come back to this matter with us refused other projects”, specifies Agnès Pizzini. With transparency but also helped by Georges Huercano-Hidalgo, the first Belgian journalist to have questioned the instruction of judge Fabrice Burgaud, in charge of the file, the co-directors managed to gather the testimonies which make the richness of the series.
“We have always been very clear in saying that we would only give the floor to the protagonists of this story, without an expert giving an opinion a posteriori”, adds the journalist. Lawyers, journalists or even investigators come in turn to shed light on certain reconstructed situations from their experiences. Only judge Burgaud is missing, met by the project team, who did not wish to take part.
Jonathan Delay, now 27 years old and recognized as a victim of rape like twelve other children in this case, spoke of an “abominable humbug” this Sunday, January 15. “Overplayed, caricatural and far-fetched, far from the dream that was presented to me when the project was announced”, he slices on Twitter, calling on the public to boycott. Surprised by these criticisms, the co-directors say they understand this reaction, assuring that “his testimony was extremely important”. “We would like this film to be a lifesaver for all victims, children and acquitted. They do not testify against each other, moreover the acquitted have compassion for Jonathan and have no resentment, ”says Olivier Ayache Vidal, again evoking his desire to “pay tribute” to these victims.
Four episodes
In the form of episodes between 50 and 55 minutes, the result of these many months of investigation, interviews and reconstruction is spread over four chapters. The production believes that this is the best format to better understand the many characters but also the chronology of events. The little incest affair grows and becomes a pedophile network, passing through the murder of a little girl and then the trial, unraveling certain accusations.
Still amazed by “the audacity of France 2”, Olivier Ayache Vidal believes that the public service gave him the chance to go after an “innovative” artistic proposal. For her part, Agnès Pizzini underlines the democratic interest of such a step back. “It’s gratifying to say that in a democracy, we can question our institutions and that it always makes so much talk…”