Initially, a castle, den of all questions: Martel, property of the de Védrines, an aristocratic family whose 11 members, aged 24 to 96, now nicknamed “The recluses of Monflanquin”, find themselves under the control of just one man. With at least one accomplice, the crook extorted 4.5 million euros from them over ten years via his foundation, supposed to protect this clan from a Freemasonic plot.
Case of the Monflanquin recluses: our file
For ten years, the de Védrines were under the mental influence of Thierry Tilly. And although “the guru” was sentenced to ten years in prison in 2013, the family has still not finished their fight in court.
The four parts of Sandrine Cohen’s documentary, the last two of which are broadcast this Wednesday June 26 on Canal+, relate in detail this barely believable affair, from the meeting between Thierry Tilly and Ghislaine de Védrines, until the release of the control and trial. Sometimes little-known episodes of this story which marked the 2000s, in Lot-et-Garonne and beyond.
You were already interested in news items. Why dive back into this one in particular?
It was the producer Laetitia Recayte who came to see me for this project: a highly publicized affair, which I remembered. I had read a lot of things about it and when she came to offer it to me, I wasn’t surprised, especially since there had been the TV movie “Diabolique” following the release of the protagonists’ book . At the time, I had already been offered to direct the screenplay, so I was a bit interested in that. This fascinating story encompasses all questions of the abyss of the human soul. My interest is to try to understand, or at least explain, extremely strange or unexpected mechanisms of acting out that take place in people’s lives. What could be better than news stories to explore all these themes, influence, harassment, and how we recover from that. But I only accepted on the condition of bringing a new angle. I wanted to start from the younger generation, I found it essential to hear from those who had lived under the influence of Tilly at the time of the construction of their personality thanks to their parents. Because when you’re 16, 18 or 20 years old, it’s difficult to tell them: “You think he’s great, but we don’t at all.”
How did you manage to convince some people to testify? What stood out to you in these meetings?
I had decided to meet Amaury, because he seemed the most damaged to me, particularly due to his nine-month confinement in Oxford. We had deep discussions, but he seemed ambivalent to me about whether or not to agree to testify. It was a bit the same for his parents, Charles-Henri and Christine. I always wanted to open this series on the marriage of Guillemette, the daughter of Ghislaine and Jean; I immediately had very good contact with her. It was she who referred me to her brother. François is very authentic and sincere. From the moment he wanted to, he was ready to convince his parents who, for the moment, no longer wanted to talk. All four are inseparable. I then warned the other side, but it was clear that it was one part of the family testifying or the other… I think I will be in contact with them for life. They are not friends, but I feel grateful for the trust they placed in me, I still can’t believe it.
Jean-Pierre Muller
Family gatherings are much smaller these days.
Although they all experienced this influence, the family has now exploded. For what ?
It’s a war of victims: who is the more victim of the two? Charles-Henri, Christine and Philippe still see each other; while Ghislaine, Jean, Guillemette and François no longer see anyone at all.
After serving his sentence, Guru Tilly is free. Have you found his whereabouts?
No, I tried through his lawyer, but without success. Afterwards it wasn’t so bad that he didn’t intervene, because his words were no longer audible.
However, he is able to crack down again. Are ex-victims still afraid of it?
No, I don’t think they’re still afraid. I think they fit pretty well. Ghislaine carries a significant amount of guilt, Jean has regrets and a form of anger, while François and Guillemette have rebuilt their lives. This clan is much more united and attentive.
The Château de Monflanquin played an essential role in the family… Do the de Védrines still have Martel in mind?
Charles-Henri and Christine de Védrine, yes. They fought to get it back for years, to no avail. For Ghislaine’s clan, it’s more the regret of having lost a family, even if it was dysfunctional… But Ghislaine and Jean still have a home in Monflanquin, very close to Martel.
“Les Reclus, a family under influence”, to watch on Canal +.
