In Grenoble, Yohan, a judicial police officer, tries to collect clues that would allow him to move forward on a complex crime. The charred corpse of a young woman recently discovered in a neighborhood of the city haunts his thoughts, and, despite intensive searches, Yohan is unable to make any headway in the investigation.
Over the course of the interrogations, the leads constantly multiply, and the young police officer gradually seems to lose his temper in the face of contradictory statements from the victim’s entourage. For the first time in his career, Yohan faces doubts that end up gnawing at him…
Directed by Dominik Moll, The night of the 12th offers an insight into the daily life of a police officer haunted by an intractable femicide. The feature film, awarded seven trophies at the 2023 César ceremony, including that of best film, is broadcast this Sunday, May 26, 2024 on France 2.
The story is inspired by the book by Pauline Guéna, 18.3, a year at the PJ of Versailles. Interview with the author.
The film The night of the 12th is taken from your story. How was the project set up?
Director Dominik Moll read 18.3 during confinement. The book recounts several cases handled by the Versailles judicial police in 2015-2016. He almost immediately chose the story of this young girl who was burned alive, whom I called Clara, whose murderer was never found. And transposed it to the Alps. Clara is a pretty, happy girl, without fuss, without enemies, who enjoys life, and whose boyfriends focus the attention of the investigators.
Clara’s story raises questions about male violence against women?
The theme of violence against women came later in the project. It’s not central to the book. But that’s the point of adaptation! In reality, the Criminal Brigade is mainly confronted with deaths by settling scores, young men linked to the world of banditry and drug trafficking. Women are more often victims of intra-family and marital violence. There is no need for the investigation to go back to the PJ to find the culprit.
Are all investigators haunted by a crime, like Captain Yohan Vivès? played by Bastien Bouillon, perfect in this role ?
The case of a woman burned alive is necessarily upsetting, which explains why there was a rebound in the investigation three years after her death. I don’t know what particularly struck the captain in this affair. It’s unique to everyone. Sometimes it’s the first to die. Or we can be struck by a detail. I kept in mind the image of the nails that had just been done, summer colored, in the case of a strangled victim.
Read also: ENCOUNTER. With the film “The Night of the 12th”, Dominik Moll plunges into the darkness of a cold case
How did you come to this year of immersion at the PJ?
Georges Simenon “hanged out” at the Quai des Orfèvres. Likewise, journalist David Simon spent a year in the Baltimore homicide squad to write the book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streetsat the origin of the series The Wire (Bugged). It was not easy to obtain authorization. The Versailles Regional Directorate of the Judicial Police is a big machine, with 120 investigators spread across different brigades, such as Crime and the repression of banditry.
Your new novel, Queen, is also drawn from this experience…
This almost full-time immersion changed my perception of the world. I’ve seen more things in a year than in a lifetime! This book was born from the last crime scene I saw, and whose investigation I did not follow. It was cinematic and intriguing, with this woman, a witness, who remained silent.
You write scenarios (In therapy, Gone forever). Why not that of Queen ?
I find it difficult to tamper with your own text, to sacrifice parts. The scenario of The night of the 12th was written by Dominik Moll and Gilles Marchand. I was a consultant. But I would like Queen is suitable!
Sunday May 26, 2024, France 2 9:10 p.m.
