Omar m'a tuer (2011) - full transcript

From Omar Raddad's
book: Why me?

Council. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand up.

Be seated.

My name is Omar Raddad. I was a gardener.
I was born on July 1, 1962...

...in Beni Cheikh Ben Tayeb, in
the Rif Mountains in Morocco.

I am the second of six children.

After I was born, my father went
to work as a gardener in Cannes.

During the summer holidays he visited us.

My mother wanted me to stay with her.

I went shopping and fetched
water from the well.

My oldest brother went to school.



Not me. I never learned
to write.

OMAR KILLED ME

Good evening. Omar Raddad has been convicted...

...up to 18 years in prison for the
murder of Ghislaine Marchal.

The jury took into account extenuating
circumstances.

Before the deliberation, the defendant had
said: 'I did not kill Mme Marchal.

She was like a mother to
me. I am innocent.'

We are going to court.

The victim's family is satisfied with the
verdict that conforms to the facts.

A reasonable and satisfying statement...

...which honors French justice
in a painful context.

A hundred years ago we convicted a
young officer for being a Jew.

Today we condemn a gardener...

...because he has the misfortune
of being a Maghreb.



Maybe the research wasn't perfect.
- That's putting it mildly.

Why did the Marchals choose
a human rights lawyer?

Leclerc is good. - A
leftist moralist.

The paragon of anti-racism in the service
of a right-wing family. A little misplaced.

Rather wise choice given the suspect.
- The rules of the game.

You forget that Mme Marchal's brother-in-law
is the dean of the bar association.

That's a lot to handle for a Moroccan gardener
identified by the victim.

"18 years due to extenuating circumstances"
to ease your conscience.

What? - Serve the
next dish.

Sorry.

What possesses him?

A literate woman who named her
house after a Sagan novel...

...makes an incredible grammatical
mistake in her agony...

...and uses the whole verb. Absurd. - Your
new crusade is getting boring.

You call that a new crusade? I've been
fighting injustice for 20 years.

I've tackled the oil lobby, defending prostitutes
from cops who exploit them.

I've always fought for a good cause.
- Write a book and stop whining about it.

A Crusade to Save a Muslim is
sure to be a bestseller.

THREE YEARS EARLIER...

TOULON JUNE
25, 1991

I thought Karim would be jealous,
but he loves his little brother.

It was the same with your brother Mounir.

Dad, look. The police.

We're going inside.

Good day, madame. Law enforcement.
Is Omar Raddad with you?

Are you Omar Raddad? Can you come down to the station?

For what? - To answer
a few questions.

What have you done?

We just want to ask him a few questions.
Don't worry.

Just a few questions.
- It's a formality.

I'll see what they want and come back.

Nothing to see on his right arm.
Not even on his left arm.

Nothing behind his
ears. No injuries.

Nothing. No bumps on his head.

No scratches. Nothing at all,
not a single scratch.

Why did you kill Mme Marchal?

Madame Marchal? - Mme Marchal.
Do you understand?

You work for her. - Work.
Mme Marchal. Yes.

Why did you kill her?
- I do the garden.

Mme Marchal very nice.
- Check this out.

Take the photo. Look. That's
in the basement.

Do you recognize that?

Is that Mme Marchal? - And look,
the door. Can you read?

Your first name. Can you
read that? - Omar.

With her blood she wrote: 'Omar killed me.'

My name.

You've been living in France since 1985, haven't
you? Six years. You're not an idiot.

You speak French.
- Sunday...

I work... Mme Pascal.

But at lunch you went to
Mme Marchal's house.

You took all your belongings and killed her.

Don't deny it. You
demanded an advance.

That happens a lot. We heard
that from Lilliane Receveau.

Liliane? - Yes, the
housekeeper.

You often asked Mme Marchal for an advance. She was
fed up and asked what you were doing with it.

Not understood. - We
don't speak Arabic.

What did you do with those advances? With
that money? Do you gamble at the casino?

Yes. - Yes
what?

The slot machines.
- See.

You needed money, she refused, you
got mad and then you robbed her.

I do not understand it at all.

Sunday. That's not
Mme Marchal's day.

In the morning I worked at Mme Pascal's.

I ate at home and I went
back to Mme Pascal.

Enough, Raddad. Can you see what you've
done to her?

I've been thinking about that book about
Omar. It's not such a bad idea.

A counter-examination à la Truman Capote.

Has this sold well?
- Very well.

I've submitted it to a few reviewers.
It could excite them.

In addition, it makes your book more current.

Maybe a little too
much? - How so?

Some think you're a little too bigoted,
frozen in time, too committed...

I don't just write historical books.
- That's the image one has.

Take that story about that painter.
Frankly, I don't believe in it.

Then why the advance?
- Out of loyalty.

There's no rush for that book, but there is for the
one about Omar. You think it's important, don't you?

I believe in it. -
Then go for it.

Please. Vergès' number. Say you're calling
through me. He knows about it.

He's a friend.

Your request surprises me, although
I do approve of course.

A man like you can help my client's
case. - A man like me?

You are less a suspect of fighting
for hopeless causes than I am.

You are not the only one with a heart.

Especially in a time when humanism stands
for navigating with your principles.

The bill. -
Yes sir.

You can help us. I need new documents
for a review of the process...

...even if the Public Prosecution Service opposes
this. - If I can get people talking...

Tomorrow you will receive all the documents:
hearing reports, process reports...

Enough for several books.
- Thank you.

Can I meet Omar Raddad? - I'm afraid
he's getting false hopes.

Omar is my first innocent client.
I want to spare him.

The police had found a camera with pictures
that Mme Marchal had taken.

What was on it?

They were destroyed before
I got the file.

They would contribute 'nothing positive'
to the investigation.

Need a lift? - No, thank
you. I live nearby.

Bye. -
Bye.

RADDAD'S APARTMENT CANNET-ROCHEVILLE
27 JUNE 1991

The clothes you wore on
Sunday with Mme Pascal.

That?

Your work clothes.
- Work clothes.

No traces of blood. -
Is it clean or dirty?

Has it been washed?
- Work clothes.

These clothes. Did you wash
it in the washing machine?

By hand? - Not
washed.

The machine, my wife.
Sunday... - Yes.

Wife not. - She was in Toulon.
Did you wash them?

They have not been washed.
- Clothes day Monday...

The other... I...
- And the shoes?

The shoes you wore on
Sunday... - Work.

Where are they?
- Oh, shoes.

That? Did you wear that Sunday?
You have to take it off.

Take them off. Thierry, put them in
bags. - Yes, chief.

NICE MARCH

I'm looking for a taxi. I'll take
your suitcase. - Yes please.

"We count 9 holes, 2 cm deep, 15 stab
wounds in all, none fatal...

...plus 3 hits with
a beam to the head.

Would someone do that out of anger
at not getting an advance?

If you're really desperate for money.

I studied literature. - In anger you
don't make superficial wounds.

Just like in love. You go for it. Anger
is passion. Do you know what I think?

Mme Marchal was tortured by someone
who was looking for information.

This crime was deliberately pre-planned by
someone...

...who wanted more than the few thousand
francs Omar would have asked for.

Did you read that in the autopsy
report? - It's obvious. Look.

"After opening the skull..."
Not that.

'When the chest cavity is opened...

...we see that neither the lungs, the heart, nor
the arteries have been hit by the blade...

...that caused the
external wounds...

...despite a puncture on the abdominal wall
through which the intestines spilled out.

None of the blows by themselves were fatal...

...but the combined injuries
caused her death.'

So? - The handywork of an assassin,
not a gardener.

Did André say to be
frugal? - New.

Then why are you taking me to this dump? To
the Intercontinental. Get in. Come on.

We have to work under good conditions.
One's life is at stake.

Please.
- Here.

Thank you and have a nice
stay. - Good day.

So you have your own
room. Come with me.

And if you go in here,
you can work.

Am I really not bothering you? - No,
you can just keep me on my toes.

Unpack your bags. You have until tomorrow.
I will continue reading.

GRASSE PRISON
JULY 27, 1991

Good day.

Release his handcuffs.

Good. Empty your pockets and
then to the search room.

Wait here.

Door open.

Continue on.

Stop.

Stop. Let me by.

Gentlemen, the new guy.

Go inside. Your bed's there.

Schiffman, move your stuff.

I hope you all get along.

Why are you here?
- I do not know.

Not you?

Hey, that's you. - Omar Raddad
was arrested this afternoon.

He is suspected of murdering wealthy
heiress Ghislaine Marchal.

Despite the incriminating facts, the Moroccan
gardener maintains his innocence.

I did not do it.
- I know that.

God is good. Don't
forget to pray.

Pray to God and call on him.

God is here.
He forgives me.

Everyone has already condemned me. - Girard
and Baudoux will get you out of here.

Latifa chose well. Listen to them. You
have to respect and trust them.

France has welcomed us. Innocents
are not convicted.

I know, but why am I here?

Why are they doing this to me?

Everyone is crying. Latifa,
the kids, Mom.

I'm afraid for her.
- It'll be fine.

We are going to visit her soon in Morocco.

'Omar Raddad confesses to visiting
prostitutes regularly.

A need for money to pay them
could be a motive...

...for a theft that
resulted in a murder.'

What is that? Prostitute?
- Whore.

Whore.

That is not true.

I'm not going to the whores. I have Latifa.

Why is he so angry?
- No idea.

You speak Arabic
right? - No.

He doesn't go to the whores.
- They're lies.

The French justice does not lie.

Justice. You have the National Front
and much more here. It sucks.

Wake up.

I... I don't want any
trouble...racist.

I didn't steal. I
do not use drugs.

And are we sure? - Quiet. You do
understand what he's saying, right?

I have nothing against
you, but I innocent.

You need an interpreter.

I'll ask the director if I can do that.

Good morning.

I'm not asking you to come with
me. It just gets better.

In the evening we write out my notes.
So make sure you're there.

I wasn't going to... - Memorize
this so you know everything.

I want you to be honest, Maud.
If I'm wrong, correct me.

How do I look? - A little chic
for a stupid investigation.

I'm kidding. You look
good. - Working.

Good day. I am Pierre-Emmanuel
Vaugrenard. I'm a writer.

Can I see the Raddads'
old apartment?

What are you? A journalist?

I am a writer, not a journalist. I just
want to see it. It's empty isn't it?

Mme Raddad has moved to Toulon
with the children.

The poor soul has lost
everything. - How so?

They had a great time here.
It is quiet here.

We didn't know that M. Raddad gambled.

The debts, the rent arrears...
One thing leads to another.

Are you interested?

Don't delay too long. Opportunities
like this are quickly forgiven.

It's tempting.

Why such a brutal murder?
Stealing is easier.

Why would he steal from her?
She gave him a fixed salary.

And why didn't he check
if she was dead...

...after he attacked her like
that? - Omar is not violent.

He is very calm, almost docile.
If he went crazy...

...it wouldn't be strange that
he reacted irrationally.

'Went crazy'?
- Or became enraged, if you prefer.

I think the detective's
statement makes sense.

It may not be true,
but it makes sense.

Read it again.

'After his work at Mme Pascal's,
Omar goes back to the villa.

He doesn't intend to kill Mme Marchal,
but ask her for an advance.

She is in the basement using 'Oscar'...

...the apparatus that regulates the water for the pool.
Omar goes downstairs.'

Why didn't she
ask her staff to do it?

She would never go into the basement.
How did Omar know she was there?

I'll continue. 'A heated discussion ensues.
He demands money, she refuses...

...and she chases him away.
Omar decides to kill her.'

He grabs a beam. She turns
to him. He strikes her...

...then goes to get his garden
shears to finish her off.

He leaves her for dead, turns off the
light, steals money from her purse...

...grabs his moped and starts
to call his wife.

Little did he know that Mme Marchal was
meanwhile with her last strength...

...on the cellar wall writing: 'Omar killed
me' and barricades the door.'

...with a folding bed that she drags
along as her bowels fall out...

...without a drop of blood. - Her
dressing gown soaked it all up.

She puts the folding bed on an iron
bar and fixes it with a beam.

Amazing for a dying person. -
There was blood on the bed.

It is certain that the bed was moved.

But there were no fingerprints
on it. What does she do next?

She writes another message, but dies
halfway through. Omar ki...'

That makes sense, doesn't
it? No?

There were no traces of blood on your clothes.

There was no dirt from the basement on your shoes.

No traces of Mme Pascal's garden where you had
worked had been found in the cellar either.

He wants to know what that means for him.

In theory that's good. - Yes.

It's amazing that a killer
after such an attack...

...doesn't have a speck of blood on him.

According to Mme Pascal's statement,
you had not changed that day.

Since your clothes hadn't been washed...

So it's good? Will he be
released? - Not necessarily.

The judge adheres to
the police report.

I understood.

The judge doesn't want
it. - Not yet.

But he will bow to the facts.

Omar's father built it.

He has worked for me since his
arrival in France in 1962.

I recommended them to Ghislaine.
Father and son.

My dear friend, I wouldn't recommend
a murderer, would I?

Francine is right. Omar also works for me.
He wouldn't do something so heinous.

M. Vaugrenard, you must understand that
Ghislaine had a strong character.

She lived according to her
ideas. - Her ideas?

Her beliefs, her way of thinking.
She wasn't always loved.

She preferred to associate with simple
people than with her own family.

That's nice isn't it?
- Not for her family.

My heart aches when I think
they cremated her.

Are you saying she didn't want
that? - Of course not.

She had purchased a plot in the cemetery.
- One doesn't exclude the other.

Do you know any of her friends or acquaintances?
- She spent a lot of time in Switzerland.

She kept money there.
Large amounts.

You mustn't think they investigated
that. They were just chasing Omar.

They didn't take El Ouaer
seriously either. - Who?

A Tunisian who works here. He had seen
a 4x4 with a Swiss number plate...

...and a man walking around her house.

How do you spell El
Ouaer? - O-U-A-E-R.

Can I call him? - He was expelled
from the country.

I can ask around. - And that
Italian with the boat.

Or was he Greek? Ghislaine
was a beautiful woman.

But as soon as we talk about
her, we are reprimanded.

Did the police harass you? -
Harrassed? Are you kidding?

My phone was tapped. Just like M. Sheriff's
and the other neighbors.

They took me into custody.
On my eightieth!

"Why are you defending the killer
and not your friend?"

They said that. Can you imagine?
While I miss her so much every day.

I'll walk with you.

The judge allowed pictures of a lamb being slaughtered
at a sacrificial ritual.

But that's what the eldest son always does.
That was Mohammed Raddad's job, not Omar's.

The judge knows better, he did that in bad faith.

I understand your anger.
Tell me truthfully...

Do you swear that Omar is
innocent? - Without hesitation.

Because your name is Sheriff? - What is your
name? You believe it too, don't you?

Thank you. Bye.
- Bye.

I'm starting to understand that woman.
I recognize myself in her.

A free spirit in a world full of rules.

Why do you say that?
- I see them.

I see them all around her. They are
all there: Claude, her sister.

A great political career. Member
of Edgard Faure's cabinet.

Her husband, Bernard de Bigault de Granrut.

Dean of the Bar Association,
a minister's lawyer...

...chairman of the National Assembly.

Her other sister, Christiane,
is Gilbert Beaujolin's widow.

Businessman, close with Foccart
and his African network.

And Christian Veilleux, child from a previous
marriage, heartbroken and discreet.

All gathered around the ashes of this secretive,
independent woman...

who was sometimes hot-tempered,
but also very loving.

Generous to anyone, as she always
was to the Raddad family.

All are concerned about the truth of her
death, but what about the truth of her life...

NICE COURTHOUSE
DECEMBER 1991

The nightmare is over, Omar!

I do not understand. -
The autopsy shows

...that Mme Marchal passed away
on June 24th between 11 am and 2 pm

...and not on Sunday, as the police
think. She passed away on Monday.

But on Monday you were in Toulon,
that has been irrefutably proven.

The judge cannot refuse
your release.

Thank you.

I called the experts because the date
doesn't match the police report.

They informed me that they made an error.
- What?

She died on the 23rd and not the
24th, as has been said before.

All three experts made the
same typo? You have got to be kidding.

Please.

They're doctors. Very peculiar. You
must have asked them to correct it?

Absolutely not. They themselves acknowledged
that it should be 23 and not 24.

You understand that this changes the whole report.

With 24 hours difference, their
conclusions are invalid.

Is there a problem? - The experts
have changed their mind.

I understand. Find others.

Mr. Raddad is right. We want
an independent investigation.

The judge before me gave permission
to cremate the body.

What? -
When?

A week after her death. That is their right.

What do we do without a body
and a valid report?

I have taken over this case. - We have
no reason to hide things.

Was Mme Marchal burned? - I don't understand,
I've never seen anything like this before.

For him I am guilty.

I try, but I don't remember
anything. - Concentrate.

You're probably overlooking something.

The smallest thing can be important.
- The police don't believe me.

They say I'm lying and didn't go home.

And on the way? - On
the way home...

...I bought a baguette at the
bakery. I put cheese on it.

In French, think in French...

...to answer the judge
and the lawyers.

And after that? -
I watched TV.

"Le Juste Prix" or...

What's that called again?
"La Famille en Or."

Anyone can say they watch that.

But I watch that on Sundays.
- In French.

I can't, Magid.

Think. Did you
encounter anyone?

Neighbors. They say they didn't see me.

Did you call someone?
- No.

Do you have a phone? - No,
I go to a pay phone.

Wait. Magid.

I called Latifa on the way.

Really? - To say I
came to Toulon.

I got my sister-in-law. We chatted a bit.

Omar's call lasted four minutes.

It took him at least 40 minutes to drive
to the phone booth and back.

So he had 5 or 10 minutes to ask
Mme Marchal for an advance...

...to be rejected, to fly into a rage,
to hit her with the beam,...

...to stab her 15 times, to go into her room...

...to grab money from her purse, to make
a phone call as an alibi...

...and to be able to make it back to work
for Mme Pascal by 1 pm.

Unimaginable. It's
unimaginable.

Why didn't Ghislaine Marchal
yell or call for help...

...instead of writing
her attacker's name?

Maybe she was afraid he was still there.
But if she knew she was dying...

...and in her agony spells out:
'Omar killed me.'

Then why didn't she do everything
she could and scream for help...

...hoping someone would come
and disarm her killer?

I didn't know the basement. I never went there.

I didn't know the basement. I never went there.

If we can prove that the cellar door
can be locked from the outside...

...then it proves that there's someone
who wants to frame you.

I'm not coming.

And?

He does not want to participate
in the reconstruction.

That's not wise. That will
work against the process.

Come on, we've wasted enough time.

Youssef keeps crying. You should
come back and grumble at him.

When I get out of the hospital. - Do
not lie. He knows you're trapped.

Karim, you know daddy didn't do anything.
- I'll be out soon, I promise.

Work hard at school and help mom.
Take care of your brother.

Raddad, time is up.

Karim, do you say thank
you? - Thank you.

Go on. Take care of yourself.

Straight ahead.

Karim, pack your things. We go.

I took that lady's purse. Just
like a clown. Nice, huh?

Look, Omar. You put some oil on it...

You light it...

You put the pan on it, put water in it...

...and then you can make coffee
or tea, boil eggs...

Small meals, like at home.

What?

I eat alone at home.
- Don't talk nonsense.

You have to be in shape to defend yourself.

Otherwise I'll force you to eat.

Impossible in the dark.

Do you see the difference? Look
at them side by side.

If I have to look for blood to write with every time,
I can't write in a straight line.

And when I press, the door opens.

Was the door ajar? -
Very much.

To the boiler room, right? - With the body
inside. I know, it's weird.

Or she managed to use all her
might and crawl back inside...

To die and leave the text unfinished? No, we'll follow
the Public Prosecution Service's statement...

...that she died trying to write Omar's
name again.

Then she accidentally pushed the door open.
- To continue writing, she has to stop the door.

It wouldn't work otherwise.

There was blood on the lock.
- The panic lock.

So she writes like this. With
her left hand... Impossible.

As she bleeds to death,
she stops the door...

...with a finger that's almost severed.
- Hysterical strength.

Was the door really open?
- It's in the report.

The officer who arrived first saw
the body in the boiler room...

...opposite the door. If the door
was closed, he could only...

Lights off.

APRIL 1992

Come on, Omar, move a little too.

Guard! Guard!

You haven't eaten for three days now?

And you aren't drinking either?

Water?

Just get dressed.

If you continue, you will suffer from severe
muscle pain, headaches and insomnia.

Then you will have problems with
your hearing, your sight...

...bleeding in your esophagus, kidney failure.

All of this together can lead to death.

Do you understand?

I want the judge to understand me.

Please. Sign
there.

Stay seated. -
He needs help.

Help him.

Come, my son. Take it easy.

Take it easy. Sit down.

You're putting your life on the line. That is sinful.

Listen, Dad. I have
no life anymore.

The judge broke me.

He says I stole Latifa's jewelry
and I'm a thief and a murderer.

I'm telling you to stop this.
Your life is in danger.

That woman was like a mother to me.
She was my mother in France.

And my mother in Morocco...

The judge makes her suffer.

He doesn't listen
to me. - Please.

I don't eat anymore so he will listen.

I've never seen you cry.

You have left home and gone
to France for your family.

Today...

...I will continue what you have
started, to save our honour.

You understand?

Brother... Thank you...

...for you...

How do you say that?

Gene...

Thank you for your generosity.

At least have a drink.
Drink, please, Omar.

Omar Raddad's hunger strike enters its
second week. He is in the hospital.

His health is of concern. His lawyers
demand a medical measure...

...and regret that their release
request has been denied.

I am innocent.

1st DAY OF THE TRIAL
JANUARY 24, 1994

I'm telling the truth.

I am innocent.

I'm telling the truth.

Come on, Raddad. The big day.

Omar, please.

Let us do our job.

Do you trust your lawyers?

Innocent.

Innocent.

My name is Omar Raddad and I was a gardener.

I am the second of six children.

My father became a gardener in Cannes
shortly after I was born.

During the summer holidays he visited us.

My oldest brother went to school.

I never learned to read or write.
- Not even at a Koran school?

My father made me look after
my mother and sister.

You are very religious.

So it is surprising, because faith
requires reading the Quran.

Do you know this saying?

"He who cannot read or write must
hide his head in a hole."

Why hide?

Sir, many people pray without
being able to read and write.

Keep your comments to yourself. I have agreed
to the presence of an interpreter...

...but you speak enough French to express yourself.
Your wife says you can speak it well.

Not me...

Don't tell my wife...

I would rather have spoken French.

That would work in my favor.

But... unfortunately I can't.

Look at these doors, Raddad.

Do you see them?

That does not interest me. Excuse
me, I'm making a mistake.

He means it's none of his business.

The handwriting of the samples exactly
matches that on the door.

Can you guarantee us that these two manuscripts
are absolutely identical?

The circumstances were different. -
With what percentage of certainty?

There is a 2 in 3 chance that those letters
were written by Mme Marchal.

So you're saying that Omar is 66.5
percent guilty and 33.5 innocent?

Rigor mortis indicated that she
had been dead for over 13 hours...

But judging by her eyes and the condition of the corpse,
you wrote she had been dead for about 6 hours.

Eyes can stay clear for over
24 hours. - In summary:

According to your first findings,
on Monday, June 24...

...between 8 pm and 10 pm.

Initially, you're talking about 6 hours, which
may correspond to Omar's lunch break.

Then you say 13 hours and
now more than 24 hours.

That's Sunday June 23rd between
12 and 1pm...

...because Omar, who didn't work on Mondays...

...happened to be in the area.

How can the data be so vague at
first and then so precise?

Determining the time of death
can be difficult and is not an exact science.

Sure, but with such an important typo,
you didn't hesitate to fix it...

...in such a way that exactly coincides with
the gap in Omar's work schedule.

It is based on the fact that
Omar plays on slot machines.

Even better, it is alleged that he
visits prostitutes, without proof.

And even if it were true, that
wouldn't make him guilty.

This creates a false image that makes
him guilty in the eyes of the jury.

Omar gambles so he is willing
to kill to gamble even more.

Omar is a gardener, so the victim
was killed with garden shears.

Omar is calm, so he has the
composure of a killer.

He is always guilty.

He kills a victim who can
identify him, right?

Mme Marchal's position with her robe on
her thighs and arms above her head...

...indicates that she was dragged,
rather than that she crawled.

And the murder weapon, a double-edged
blade 20 cm long and 2 cm wide...

...still has not been found, and doesn't
match any of Omar's tools.

No weapon. No blood
from the accused.

No evidence he was in the
basement or stole money.

Just the message.

Well, I declare that the
sentences accusing Omar…

...are the work of someone who imitated
Mme Marchal's handwriting.

Nothing in the file contradicts this.

Given the autopsy report, would you
recommend an insurance company...

...pay compensation? - No.
Too many contradictions.

Thank you.

You cannot judge someone
on the basis of nothing.

Have the courage...

...the civic courage
to simply say 'no'.

To acquit Omar would be
a credit to France.

Omar, please stand.

When asked if the accused
is guilty...

...after deliberation, the
jury answered: yes.

When asked if there were extenuating
circumstances: yes.

The court sentences Omar Raddad
to 18 years in prison.

Mr. Raddad, you have 5
days to appeal.

This isn't fair!

Hello, sir. Would you like
a taxi to your hotel?

Are you a taxi driver? - Do you
want to go to your hotel?

Cafe Melina.
- Good.

M. Vaugrenard? - Yes,
are you M. El Ouaer?

Yes. - M. Sheriff said
you could help me.

Yes, I know about it. Take
a seat. - Thank you.

On Monday 24 June 1991...

...I was working on a construction
site next to Mme Marchal's house.

I heard the doorbell.

A woman inside screamed: Who's there?
The man didn't answer and left.

What did the visitor
look like? - Blond.

Between the ages of 35 and 37.

He had a red car.

It looked like a 4x4. I never
saw that model again.

According to the police, that
was Mme Koster's car.

That man was not Mme Koster.

Did you tell that to the
police? - Yes of course.

It was July 1, 1991.

Omar's lawyer wanted you to testify.
- I did not know that.

You know, I had left my life behind.
Besides, I had no papers.

That's why I left France, otherwise I'd
have to go to prison, just like Omar.

NEW GRASSE PRISON
FEBRUARY 1994

Here, they're lights.
- I have no money.

We will calculate that later.

And this is a present.
- Thank you.

Why don't you join in and warm up?
- I don't play football.

Do you think I can?

They would really like it.

Everyone is on your side. For real.

Well done. And an L at the end.

Perfect. Thank you. You
may sit down again.

He just wrote down the
date. Who can read it?

Go ahead. -
Tuesday.

And after that? Can't you read that?

Do you know what's after that?
- Nope.

Good, but we've been learning numbers,
you have to work on those some more.

He wrote down: Tuesday, 20... After
that? Who can say which month?

You can't write, can you?

I can write that.

Like on the doors. The
truth is at the doorstep.

Let's go! - With reduced
sentence...

...you'll be free after 7 years.
That's the only truth, Raddad.

No, it's on the door.

Walk through the wall, or
grow wings and fly away.

Hurry up. - OK we're coming.

What are you doing?
- I will stay here.

Something is wrong with the housekeeper.

Receveau? - Something in
her statement is false.

She declares this to the
police on July 9, 1991:

'With regard to my work, I declare that
I left on Saturday, June 22, 1991.

Mme Marchal told me not to come on Monday.
I think she had planned a dinner for that day.'

Receveau went swimming with
her boyfriend and daughter.

Only her then boyfriend now says that's
not true. He wasn't there...

...but her lover, a certain Pierrot
who has been convicted of murder...

...and burglary of a house
near Mme Marchal.

I can see why she wouldn't brag about that.

Where did you get that information?
- Paris Match.

That's just gossip. -
They said it was airtight.

They hope my book proves
their vague hypothesis.

No reason not to check it out.

Hello, Paris-Match.
- Hey.

She won't take pictures.
- No.

I have nothing to say. - Don't worry,
it's purely human-interest.

We want to know what your relationship was
like with the deceased, your memories.

Did she regularly set the dinner table?...
- Never, that was my job.

But you were off by dinnertime, right? - Do you
know who she would have over when she was by herself?

Was she a hermit, as they say? - She
played bridge with her neighbors.

That's about it. - You must have
known Mme Marchal well.

She spoke to you. Omar, she didn't
trust him. - That's for sure.

He always asked for money.

But you know, she was very discreet.
She wrote those things in her diary.

Did Mme have a diary?
Has that been found?

Just like the murder weapon. - That
was the garden shears, wasn't it?

Oh yeah. - Like
that matters.

Is it true that Mme Marchal's son kept you
employed after what happened?

Yeah, but you know, the neighbors,
the rumours...

It was impossible.

I don't get it. He told the police that
Mme Marchal suspected you of theft...

...and yet he kept you employed.
- May I see your press card?

We shouldn't make accusations.

Mme Marchal's killers were devious and time has
elapsed. We can't expose them on our own.

Are you giving up?
- Did I say that?

We just have to show that not all leads
have been investigated...

...and that the lack of clarity
has not worked in Omar's favor.

A lying housekeeper with a criminal
lover isn't devious enough?

What is the connection? - You
romanticize everything.

In your opinion, the killer must be someone
elite who draws attention.

I come from a humble background
and sometimes poverty breeds atrocities.

You don't have to be Machiavelli for that.
- Do you have this ridiculous habit too?

An intelligent woman like you. They're
horrible gadgets, rude and bulky.

They are useless and have no future.

Omar has attempted suicide. Vergès
asks if you can go to Latifa.

Go play with your brother.

Mama, will you look after the little one?

Come on, go to grandma.

He's still alive. That's all that matters.

For how long?

I hope your book sets things straight.

I can't promise anything.
I hope so too.

May I ask you a difficult question?
- Everything is difficult anyway.

Do you ever wonder if your
husband is guilty?

He lied about the slot machines.
He hasn't denied that.

What? - I'm
hungry.

Go to grandma and she will give you something sweet.

Did you talk about money with
each other? - Listen.

When you live with someone for years,
with all the joys and sorrows...

...then you know what someone is capable of.

He always loved flowers,
trees, plants...

That was his hobby.

He was happy with it and
didn't bother anyone.

He was so satisfied that he may have given the
impression that he did not want to integrate.

He must have missed Morocco. Do
you understand that thought?

He never went to school.
That was the reason.

He came in '85. He had time to
learn, make acquaintances...

That didn't interest him. He was happy
with his family and the garden.

France is a demanding country.
- By taking away my son...

...they took everything I
had. That's the truth.

Guard!

MARCH 1994

Guard!

What is it? -
My clothes.

Please, I'm cold. - No no, I'll
get in trouble.

My clothes. - You screwed
up, Raddad.

"I'm not defending Omar
Raddad blindly...

...but he is one of those who are
powerless before the law...

...French and foreigners...

...who are unable to prove
their innocence.

I throw that belief overboard as soon
as someone proves their guilt.

Meanwhile, everything in this file points
to him being an innocent man...

...who, for reasons that escape me,
has been made a guilty man."

End. April 1994

Can it go to the editor?

It's very good.

MURET DETENTION CENTER
JUNE 1994
- You can be proud, and your children too.

I want to ask the president for a pardon.

King Hassan II will support my appeal to Chirac.

Does "pardon" mean I'm innocent? - Not
exactly, but you'll be free.

But then I'm a criminal who
disgraces his family.

I'd still bear the guilt for my whole life.
And my children too.

And my children's children
too. - I understand that.

You want rehabilitation. -
Does that mean innocent?

I want that.

MAY 10th, 1996

Omar Raddad will be released
from prison in two years...

...because Jacques Chirac
pardons him...

...after King Hassan II's
visit to France.

Omar Raddad has been imprisoned for five years
and has always maintained his innocence.

According to justice, he remains guilty.

Chirac's partial pardon means
a reduced sentence.

His lawyer is not giving up hope.

SEPTEMBER 4th, 1998

Please. - Omar,
please.

How were those 7 years in prison?

Horrible. It's not easy for an innocent
person to be behind bars.

That is extremely painful.

How do you feel now?
- Very tired.

I want to thank everyone who has supported
me, all the journalists, everyone.

Thank you. Thank you.

Will you continue the
fight? - Absolutely.

What now? - We're
going to appeal.

We stand behind you and support you.

Your husband is here.

Welcome home.
- Thank you.

I've missed you. - Come
in. You're home.

On TV they said you got out earlier.
What took you so long to get home?

Sorry.

There were a lot of people at the
prison. I brought this for you.

For you and your brother.

Thank God you are free and healthy.

God is great, you understand?
Find work,

take care of your children...

...and forget the rest.
- Come and see.

Go ahead.

What is that? - The
neighbors arranged a party for you.

Really and truly?

I don't know them.
- But they know you.

Look at my boat.
- How beautiful.

Who made it? - That
gentleman.

Come eat, everyone is waiting for you.

Bye dad. - I need to speak
to your teacher.

No, Mama's going to see
him tonight. - Oh yeah?

For example... Here I have
Dr. Fournier.

Emeritus professor and expert witness.

'Mme Marchal's death cannot be determined
exactly between the morning of June 23...

...and June 24 around 3 PM. She probably
died during the morning of June 24th.'

That's the day you were in
Toulon. That's not all.

He also says the forensic experts refused
to properly examine the evidence.

That is good news. There's more.

The forensic investigators appointed
by the Review Board...

...found male DNA in
Mme Marchal's blood.

On the lock and the handprint
by the second message.

The truth lies in Mme Marchal's
blood. - Omar...

...is it OK that we compare
the DNA sample with yours,...

...assuming you would have
had the odd idea...

...to incriminate yourself
with your victims' blood?

I give my whole finger, no problem.

Success is a mystery.

Failure is a mystery.

There is a questionable line between success
and failure that is also a mystery.

And this riddle envelops our lives
in the most romantic challenge.

Indeed, no shelter
leads the writer.

Incessantly he wonders if his novels
are not a dream of a dream...

...a pure illusion that only
has meaning for him...

...and it will disappear, as
fleeting as a soap bubble.

The novel sometimes seems like
a great useless passion.

M. Vergès has requested
a DNA analysis.

He also filed a request for a re-examination
of the handwriting.

But I know if justice agrees,
it's because of you.

They thought the business was closed
and the gardener soon forgotten.

But I know them. I know that mediocre
world of money, power and honor.

And I know how to ward off their influence.
- Can I take a picture?

Only Omar.

I have tried to read your book.
It is too difficult.

We have the proof...

...that the DNA found at the crime scene
does not belong to Omar Raddad.

The Public Prosecution Service claims that it belonged
to a worker or an agent who touched the door.

But there were no workers
except the housekeeper.

And if the blood is from a cop, a
lawyer, or even a journalist...

...can the judiciary check that.
- No investigation whatsoever...

...can refute that only Mme Marchal
can identify her killer.

insane. That DNA was not
found on La Coupole!

Thank you, Master Vergès.

M. Raddad, do you want
to add anything?

I can't read.

I can not write.

And I'm not a former
Attorney General.

I am a gardener.

Today I have heard many things
that have shocked and hurt me.

I will never forgive anyone
who hides the truth.

I cannot forget Mme Marchal.
She was like a mother.

But Mr. President, I also want to
say something about the text.

Sir, is it possible to write
a message in the dark?

In the pitch dark?

Is that possible, sir? No
that is not possible.

You said that if someone else would
have written that sentence...

...that a very strong person
must be. Thank you.

He's very strong.

Because he killed Mme
Marchal, and he killed me too.

Excuse me. Are you
Omar Raddad?

The appeal against the ruling has been
rejected by the Court of Cassation.

Omar Raddad still lives in Toulon and is
not allowed to work as a gardener.

He still wants rehabilitation...

...and demands that the DNA found be compared
with DNA in the DNA database.

Justice still refuses this.