It was the French Titanic: How much is the TV movie Secrets of the Laner on Africa’s Forgotten Ship?

What is it about?

Investigating the murder of a journalist, Lea and Gregory search for the secrets of Africa, the real “French Titanic”, which sank in 1920 off the coast of Les Sables-d’Olonne. On this liner, which connected to various colonial ports, many Senegalese gunners returned home after the First World War. Did the journalist reveal the theft of the liner’s legendary treasure? Does the 47-meter-deep wreck hold new secrets?

Saturday, September 9 at 9:10 p.m. on France 3

who is he with

Léa Tunkara and Grégoire DeCamp, the two police heroes of the TV movie Secrets of the Paquebot, are respectively played by Leonie Simaga, seen in the films I Promise You and The Albie Murders, and Arthur Dupont, who is familiar with the detective genre as he gives his features. Beretta in Agatha Christie’s Little Murders from 2021.

The wonderful cast is rounded out in particular by Muriel Combeau (Nina, Un Si Grand Soleil), Juliet Plumecok-Mech (Vortex, Fear on the Lake) and Tobias Nuyten (The World of Tomorrow).

Is it worth checking out?

France 3’s Saturday night regulars won’t be disorientated by Les Secrets du paquebot, which, despite its cryptic title, is another regional thriller in the vein of “The Murders of…” and related TV movies like The Secret of. The Cave, Curse of the Lily or L’oubliée d’Amboise, which were removed from the collection for various reasons, but still contain almost all of his DNA.

As always, the investigation is led by a rather lovable duo of investigators. And as often, these two cops are linked by a past – lovers here – which heightens the intrigue and allows Arthur Dupont and Léonie Simaga, both in excellent roles, to have a bit of “fun” not just with the score. A case that the heroes are trying to solve.

However, the presence of these premises inherent in the detective fiction of France 3 does not prevent Les Secrets du paquebot from standing out. Indeed, this Unitarian film by Christophe Lamott (The Day I Burned My Heart, Une Affaire Française) and screenplay by Xavier Daugreil (Les Randonneuses) and Marie Vinoy (Le Secret d’Elise) has the merit of being released from oblivion. Sinking of the liner Africawhich seems to have been erased from collective memory, even though today it remains the worst disaster in the history of the French civil navy.

Using welcome archival footage, this documentary television film recounts the tragedy that took place Africa On the night of January 12-13, 1920, this flagship of the Navy had just completed her 58th voyage with over 600 passengers on board. The liner, now considered the ‘French Titanic’, sank off the Vendée coast, killing 570 people, including 200 Senegalese gunners returning home from the First World War.

While rehabilitating the memory of these Senegalese shooters, Les Secrets du paquebot creates a well-crafted investigation that you enjoy following and don’t get bogged down by twists and turns. The only downsides: a slightly disappointing finale that doesn’t live up to its promise, and a mystery that’s artificially tied to a historical fact too little known to deserve the central theme of a historical TV movie. .