Movies - La Bataille de Gaulle : The Iron Age, a monumental historical epic about the man before the legend

By Mulder, 15 december 2025

The Battle of Gaulle: The Iron Age immediately stands out as one of the most ambitious French film projects of recent years, and undoubtedly one of the most eagerly awaited of summer 2026, both for its subject matter and its industrial and artistic scope. Directed by Antonin Baudry, this first part of a diptych dedicated to Charles de Gaulle tackles head-on a seminal period, from June 1940 to 1945, when history was still uncertain and the legend had not yet been written, adapting the reference work De Gaulle: A Certain Idea of France by British historian Julian T. Jackson, who also served as a consultant on the screenplay. This choice is not insignificant: far from the frozen monument, the film focuses on the man in the making, isolated, contested, sometimes contradicted by the facts, but driven by an almost obsessive political intuition, that of a France that had not yet had its final say. When the project was announced in July 2021, Ardavan Safaee, president of Pathé Films, already emphasized how crucial this period was, because it was precisely at this moment that Charles de Gaulle became the Charles de Gaulle that history would remember, a man who experienced dazzling successes, humiliating setbacks, personal and political turmoil, and a complex relationship with Winston Churchill, while pursuing a strategy of reconquest via the French colonies, often relegated to the background in traditional accounts.

The screenplay, co-written by Antonin Baudry and Bérénice Vila, embraces this complexity without ever simplifying it, which undoubtedly explains the announced presence of nearly 150 characters, a dizzying number but one that is consistent with the scope of the story and the desire to recreate an entire era rather than a simple individual journey. The cast, impressive in its density and diversity, reflects this choral ambition, with Simon Abkarian in the role of Charles de Gaulle, a choice officially confirmed in August 2023 that intrigues as much as it fascinates, as the actor is renowned for his inner intensity rather than simple physical imitation. Gravitating around him are Niels Schneider as General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, Thierry Lhermitte, Karim Leklou, Benoît Magimel, Anamaria Vartolomei, as well as Simon Russell Beale, Mathieu Kassovitz, Campbell Scott, Tom Mison, Grégoire Colin, Pip Torrens, and Noémie Schmidt, forming an ensemble that evokes more of an international fresco than a classic French biopic. Filming for this first part, which began in the summer of 2023, took place in highly symbolic locations in Paris—from the Place du Panthéon to the Gare de l'Est, via the Marais and the area around the Hôtel de Ville station – before continuing in Normandy and Morocco, with the geography of the film itself serving as a reminder of the scale of the struggle and the dispersion of the Free French forces.

Artistically, La Bataille de Gaulle: L'âge de fer benefits from a first-rate technical team, with cinematography by Pierre Cottereau and Giora Bejach, editing by Katie Mcquerrey, and music by Volker Bertelmann, whose often minimalist and tense work seems perfectly suited to this story of loneliness, doubt, and unshakeable convictions. The production, led by TF1 Films Production and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, is backed by a massive and solidly structured financial package, involving Canal+, Disney+, TF1, TMC, several Sofitvciné, Cinémage, SG Image, the Belgian federal government's Tax Shelter via Beside Tax Shelter, as well as support from numerous French regions, the CNC, and the Moroccan film production support scheme. This industrial architecture reflects a rare confidence in a demanding historical project, far removed from standard formats, and reminds us that French cinema can still give itself the means to tell its own story with ambition and nuance.

Initially planned for release in the first half of 2025, the film's schedule has changed, with Ardavan Safaee finally announcing at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival that it would be released in 2026, with two films released a few weeks apart, a decision later confirmed by Antonin Baudry, who specified in July 2025 that it would be released in the summer. The first trailer, unveiled on December 15, 2025, officially confirmed the dates of June 10, 2026, for L'âge de fer and July 3, 2026, for J'écris ton nom, reinforcing the idea of a cinematic event designed as a whole, to be experienced almost in one breath. Reading the synopsis, it is clear that the film does not seek to embellish reality: Charles de Gaulle appears without an army, without support, without tangible hope, but driven by an almost unreasonable faith, trying to convince the world that the battle for France is neither over nor lost, while, little by little, around him, in England, France, and Africa, anonymous resistance fighters, rebellious high school students, and determined soldiers emerge. An approach that, beyond the historical narrative, strangely resonates with our own era, and which promises a film that is at once rigorous, embodied, and deeply human, faithful to the spirit of Julian T. Jackson and to the narrative standards that Antonin Baudry has already demonstrated in the past, making La Bataille de Gaulle: L’âge de fer much more than a biopic, but a true immersion in the birth of a political destiny and a national myth.

Synopsis:
June 1940. France collapses and signs the armistice. Amid the chaos, one man refuses to give in. Alone against all odds, this unknown general escapes to London to save what remains of a dream: freedom. Without an army, without support, without hope. But with a crazy conviction: France, his France, has not laid down its arms. He takes a final gamble: to convince the world that the Battle of France is neither over nor lost. Reality is stubborn and proves him wrong. But little by little, resistance fighters, rebellious high school students, and determined soldiers rise up around him in England, France, and Africa. Their faith, their audacity, and their thirst for freedom defy history, which seemed to have already been written.

La Bataille de Gaulle
Directed by Antonin Baudry
Written by Bérénice Vila, Antonin Baudry
Based on the book De Gaulle: A Certain Idea of France by Julian Jackson
Produced by Jérôme Seydoux, Ardavan Safaee, Axelle Boucaï
Starring Simon Abkarian, Niels Schneider, Thierry Lhermitte, Karim Leklou, Florian Lesieur, Simon Russell Beale, Benoît Magimel, Kacey Mottet-Klein, Félix Kysyl, François Göske, Anamaria Vartolomei, Adèle Jayle, Loïc Corbery, Mathieu Kassovitz, Tom Mison, Campbell Scott, Grégoire Colin, Anthony Calf, Pip Torrens, Daniel Betts, Stephen, Campbell Moore, Noémie Schmidt, Soufiane El Khalidy, Alice de Lencquesaing, Pierre Aussedat, Sami Ameziane, Pablo Cobo, Joseph Fourez
Cinematography: Pierre Cottereau, Giora Bejach
Edited by Katie Mcquerrey
Music by Volker Bertelmann
Production companies: TF1 Films Production, Logical Content Ventures, Belvédère, Ness Films, Beside Productions, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, Aonia Ventures, Laurent Dassault Rond-Point, Ouroboros Entertainment, Stags Participations II
Distributed by Pathe Films (France)
Release dates: June 10, 2026 (France)
Running time: NC