A Man of His Time

September 1940. Henri Marre arrives alone in Vichy as the regime of Maréchal Pétain settles in. Carrying copies of his self-published manifesto Notre Salut (Our Salvation), the 49-year-old is determined to secure what he believes is his rightful place in the new administration through an active collaboration. In his writing, Henri sets out his patriotic convictions and his engineer’s methodology: efficiency above all. Claiming he wants to help save France after defeat, he is zealous, serving the machinery of the new order with increasing skill while trying to salvage his family relations.

This carefully directed and crafted film, based on the life of the director’s great-grandfather, was awarded Best Screenplay at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.