Lafayette
At a lively dinner party, the young Marquis de Lafayette hears about the American Revolution. With his fiery, vigilante temperament, he makes the painful decision to leave his wife and child to fight as a mercenary for the American colonies against the English army…
Director, Writer and Producer
SERGE NAEF
NSO MOVIES PRODUCTION
Director of Photography
FELIX VON MURALT, SCS
Location Sound
KIMMO PERKKIO
Editor and DIT
CARINA FREIRE
Costume Designer
CAROLE CHOLLET
Hairstylist
SIDONIE CONSTANTIEN
With:
Lafayette
YOHANN THENAISIE
Adrienne
VICTORIA DUQUESNE
Comte de Broglie
FRANCK DAFOUR
Benjamin Franklin
LIONEL CHABAT
Duc de Gloucester
DAVID LEROY
Duc d’Ayen
OLIVIER GUIBERT
Baron de Sandrans
VINCENT LONGEFAY
“He is determined. Obviously, this war is more important than his family.”
SYNOPSIS
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Le Fayette, is a spirited young man always on the lookout for adventure. He doesn’t see himself spending his days looking after the stewardship of his château and going on boring hunting trips…
In August 1775, he attended a dinner party at which guests—including the Duke of Gloucester, brother of the King of England—discussed the uprising of the American colonies against the British armies. As soon as he understood the political and military situation and heard that young volunteer officers were being sought, the Marquis decided to fight alongside the insurgents for the independence of the American colonies from England.
But his affectionate wife, Adrienne, refuses to let him go, leaving her alone with her daughter. She goes to her father, the Duc d’Ayen, to complain. In order to prevent Lafayette from leaving, the Duc appeals to the King of France, who opposes the Marquis’ departure, as he does not want to commit his troops to a war in which France is not a priori involved.
Lafayette is torn between his love for his family and his desire to fight for a just cause.
On the other hand, he has the support of the Comte de Broglie, the King’s influential minister, and Benjamin Franklin, the “American ambassador,” who is also on good terms with the monarchy. Silas Deane, sent to buy weapons and equipment, is also on his side.
On reflection, his wife understands her husband’s determination and his need to defend the insurgents’ freedom. Lafayette finally embarks on his ship for America, but at night and in secret, to avoid his father-in-law and the king stopping him.
Serge Naef
Writer, director, and producer
Born in Geneva in August 1968, Serge grew up mainly in French-speaking Switzerland. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in economics, he worked in banking for 28 years. Fancying a change of career, he left the bank to study screenwriting at a film school in Geneva, where he obtained his diploma in 2023. He then took a directing course at the same school, with the aim of directing and producing the short film he had written for the screenplay.
Yohann Thenaisie
Lafayette
Yohann is an actor and doctor of neuroscience. After studying at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon and the University of Lausanne, he joined the Bachelor Théâtre de la Manufacture – Haute École des Arts de la Scène. He combines his interests in science and acting by creating scientific communication shows. He won the Ma Thèse en 180 secondes International First Prize in 2021, as well as the Prix Curieux Tremplin for best science show in 2022. His film credits include Rivière (Hughues Hariche, 2023) and A Mort les Bossus (Matteo Friberg, 2024). Website: https://yohannthenaisie.com
Victoria Duquesne
Adrienne
Victoria is a Swiss actress and graduate of the GFCA (École spécialisée d’art dramatique) in Paris. Versatile, she has played a wide range of roles in theater, film, television, commercials, and industrial films. She is also an award-winning director, writer, and teacher.
Franck Dafour
Comte de Broglie
Franck was born in Chadrac on November 20, 1966, and studied at the Conservatoire National de Région de Lyon. He has performed in over forty shows, as well as numerous films, TV series, and short films. Franck is also a scriptwriter, director, and chief editor, as well as a fencing and stick-fighting master.
Vincent Longefay
Baron de Sandrans
Vincent Longefay has been an actor for some fifteen years, and enjoys working in a variety of fields. He has worked on a number of feature film roles – Louise Violet (2024) and M. le Maire (2023)- and short films, such as Marie s’en va marcher (2023). He has also worked as a voice-over artist for corporate films (Michelin, Limagrain, Eiffage) and for radio (France Bleu chronicles and games). Last but not least, he has performed in several theatrical shows (Des ailes à nos bouches by Cie Perpétuel Détour) and street shows (théâtre en déambulation with Vivants des Fugaces and Apocalypse by Marzouk Machine). All the latest news at www.vincentlongefay.com!
Felix von Muralt
Director of Photography
Felix von Muralt was born in Switzerland on November 26, 1963, and studied at the Photojournalism and Documentary Program at the ICP (International Center of Photography) in New York. He has dozens of fiction films to his credit, as well as TV series, documentaries, commercials, and shorts, both as director and cinematographer. He has also received several awards and distinctions in various fields. Felix is a member of the European Film Academy, SCS Swiss Cinematographers Society, Swiss Film Academy, and SSFV. Website: http://felixmuralt.com