François Ruffin

A family fired by a company owned by LVMH (Group owned by French billionaire, Bernard Arnault) seeks reparation from their previous employer with the help of the movie director.

On June 9, 2024, in a shocking move, the French President dissolved the National Assembly following the RN’s historic success in the European elections, triggering four weeks of an unprecedented and chaotic campaign. From right-wing alliances to the left’s union and the final makeup of Parliament, this documentary unpacks the twists and turns of a political earthquake with expert analysis.

Following a heated debate on a French news television channel, Left wing MP François Ruffin defies a TV columnist and attorney, Sarah Saldmann, to work and live one month on the minimum-wage. This humanistic and humoristic documentary highlights the daily struggles and joys of the working-class compared to the fantasy the bourgeoisie has built up in the media. It also raises a thorny question : can the rich be socially reintegrated ?

Since the cult success of Merci Patron!, activist/journalist/filmmaker François Ruffin has become an MP. Here, he attempts to table a law aimed at upholding the rights of what in Quebec are known as caregivers, and shows us in passing how a law whose need seems patently obvious is put together, debated, voted on and . . . dies on the battleground of French politics. A stirring documentary about social injustice that somehow manages to make us bust a gut laughing as we rage with indignation. And also cry at the beauty of it all, thanks to the director’s humanist sensibility and a deft play between reality and fiction.

Made on a shoestring budget, François Ruffin and Gilles Perret’s investigative documentary has the adventurous spirit of a road movie. Intimate and sometimes humorous, encounters with yellow vest protestors pierce through reports of violence and destruction, revealing a collective desire for equity.

Four LEGEND episodes every week. Whether famous or not, LEGEND gives a voice to anyone with an extraordinary life story to share. Tune in each week for four new podcast interviews. Catch our interviews and reports every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 11 a.m., as well as our LEGEND STORY format at the same time on Tuesdays.