The Black Indies

Idris is a young shepherd in the desert of Tunesia. One day a jeep drives by and a woman takes a picture of him; she says she's from Paris and promises to send him a copy. But when nothing arrives during the next months, Idris becomes worried. His father advises him to get his "face" back or bad things may happen to him. So he sets out to Paris... and discovers Paris as a world full of strange things and weird behavior.

A French telefilm broadcast on 30th September 1962, this is a detective fiction, set in London, 1927. The plot is set in a single space... a police interrogation room for suspects. It has only three characters; the suspect, who is an architect, and an idealist influenced by radical ideas. The other two characters are policemen, who try to coax from him the motive behind the death (murder?) of his three year old child. Even in a remastered DVD, the beta production values of a television production will be evident. But at barely a few minutes over an hour, it packs a brisk, at times rushed, but an interesting narrative. Makes one wonder, what other gems must the TV vaults in France (and UK, and Germany, and Italy) conceal?

François Vidocq has been sentenced to eight years' hard labor for a crime he didn't commit. Escaped with the help of his faithful friends Desfossés and Fil de fer, the convict is pursued by his lifelong enemy: the policeman Flambart. Between scams and disguises, Vidocq initially leads an undercover life in 19th-century Paris. Eventually, the two men team up to fight criminals... And Vidocq succumbs to Annette's charms.

The Anodin family, is a French TV serial, in 8 episodes of 45 minutes, from 1956, on RTF.

Mr. Follavoine plans to supply the French army with chamber pots. In preparation for this lucrative contract, he invites a doctor from the Ministry of War. The business dinner takes a different turn when Mme Follavoine appears, obsessed by their son Toto's constipation.

In Lourdes, in the 1860s, the young Bernadette disturbs despite herself the peaceful life of the small town. She is the only one to see the apparition of The Lady, every day. The villagers take sides, the notables try to stifle the affair. But crowds come from all over the country. Inspired by the true story of the Lourdes affair.

Silvia and Harlequin, two young peasants, are in love. The Prince, who is also enamoured of Silvia, will test their feelings. Will the rural world withstand the corruption of the court and its rewards? Marcel Bluwal directed a prestigious television adaptation, filmed in a natural setting, with a star-studded cast.

The 1982 French television miniseries "Mozart" traces the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from his childhood as a musical prodigy to his final years as one of history's greatest composers. It follows his European concert tours, his pursuit of artistic independence, his marriage to Constanze, and the personal and financial struggles that accompanied his remarkable career. The series emphasizes historical authenticity, recreating eighteenth-century settings and depicting the people and events that shaped Mozart's life and music. Blending biographical storytelling with performances of his compositions, it offers a thoughtful portrait of the man behind the enduring musical legacy.

Based on the memoirs of Eugène-François Vidocq, this series follows the adventures of this former convict turned policeman in the early 19th century. In these new adventures, Vidocq comes up against a ravishing “baronne”, a formidable gang leader. The cases entrusted to Vidocq are not only police affairs, but also delicate, political and even diplomatic affairs.

Unwilling to marry, Silvia poses as a maid in order to meet the man she is to marry incognito. This will allow her to study the character and behaviour of her fiancé. But the young man resorts to the same stratagem...

This 2-part TV film, adapted from an autobiography, tells the childhood of writer François Cavanna, son of an Italien emigrant and a French mother.

A failed actress sinks into neurosis and mythomania. To give relief to her dismal existence, she engages in all kinds of activities ranging from false testimony to occasional prostitution.

The wife of an American doctor suddenly vanishes in Paris. To find her, he navigates a puzzling web of language, locale, laissez-faire cops, triplicate-form filling bureaucrats and a defiant, mysterious waif who knows more than she tells.