“Dialogue of rare subtlety, filled with tenderness and sensitivity.”
L’ÉCLAIREUR FNAC

France, 1972. Sixteen-year-old Marie-Claire Chevalier faces prosecution after obtaining an illegal abortion following a rape. Her mother and the women who helped her are also brought before the court. Their lawyer, Gisèle Halimi, adopts a daring strategy: instead of asking for forgiveness, she challenges the law itself. As the proceedings attract national attention, an individual case becomes a confrontation with a system that denies women control over their own bodies.

Women on Trial (L’Affaire Marie-Claire) is a compelling historical courtroom drama about courage, solidarity and the struggle for women’s rights. Written and directed by Lauriane Escaffre and Yvo Muller, the film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg as Gisèle Halimi, alongside Cécile de France, Saül Benchetrit and Florence Loiret-Caille. Presented in Special Screenings at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, it revisits the landmark Bobigny trial through both the public battle and the intimate experiences of its protagonists. A moving account of women who refused to accept injustice and helped change French society.

102 mins.