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There have been many documentaries on the history of the death penalty, but few have dealt with the individual bearing the greatest responsibility in the death process: the executioner. That is the aim of this film which retraces the lineage of professional executioners, from father to son. The profession was born in medieval Europe and remained unchanged until the dawn of contemporary civilization. Its two remaining representatives in western Europe were pensioned off in France on September 18, 1981 with the abolition of the death penalty. This is the chronicle of a profession apart, rejected by society. It includes interviews with Jacques Delarue (the leading historian on the subject) and a descendant of a family which included no less than 400 executioners (Michel Démorest, genealogist). It also draws on a rich iconography to recreate some "tableaux vivants." The film shows us how, down through the centuries, the executioner's place in society barely evolved and vividly highlights the complex relationship mankind maintained and continues to maintain with the death penalty.

France - 2001 - 52 mn - Betacam Digital - Colour

Réalisation Patrick Cabouat, Alain Moreau Auteur Alain Moreau Image Lionel Legros, Ronan Jupin Son Florence Hermitte, Marc Ricard Montage Fabien Béziat Musique originale Christophe Maréjano Textes dits par Claude Serillon

Production Ampersand, 35, rue du Sentier, 75002 Paris, France Tél : +33 (0)1 4411 1234 Fax : +33 (0)1 4411 1230 E-mail : info@ampersand.fr Co-Production France 5

Ventes Ampersand, 35, rue du Sentier, 75002 Paris, France Tél : +33 (0)1 4411 1234 Fax : +33 (0)1 4411 1230 E-mail : info@ampersand.fr