Emmanuel Marre film Notre salut explores Vichy regime

The film “Notre salut”, directed by Emmanuel Marre, is scheduled for theatrical release on September 30, 2026. The production, which won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival, explores the historical period of the Vichy regime during World War II.

Based on the personal history and letters of the director’s great-grandfather, Henri Marre, the film follows a zealous and opportunistic official (played by Swann Arlaud) navigating the bureaucracy of the Pétain administration. The narrative examines the banality of evil through the lens of a man seeking social advancement and professional stability within the collaborationist government.

Critics have noted the film’s clinical approach to the era, focusing on the administrative and personal compromises that facilitated the regime's actions rather than focusing solely on military conflict.