The Atomic Republic
In 1974 Iran became a major shareholder in a little known French company called Eurodif. It was a simple commercial contract-Iranian cash in return for the enriched Uranium Eurodif were to produce. This condemned the French republic to a decade of violence on its own soil.
Type (Documentaire / Documentaire fiction / Série documentaire)DocumentaryGenre en anglaisSociety & Economy Written byDominique LorentzDirected by David Carr-BrownIn coproduction with Les ArènesSupported by CNC, ProcirepBroadcasted by ARTE France, SBS Australia, YLEDistributed by ZodiakYear2001Duration52min
By 1991 – 17 years after the Eurodif contract was signed by Valery Giscard d’Estaing – Mitterand, now in his second term, ended he had started. Iran’s shareholding in Eurodif was formally recognised and Frances semi state owned oil company signed a multi-million dollar oil the Total deal obscured the key concession. France was to give Iran the enriched uranium it needed to make the bomb.
The aim of this film is to bring to light and allow the audience to understand an important chapter in our contemporary history. A story that contains the defence policies of the states concerned by the Eurodif issue (Middle East nations, Israel, France, USA, Great Britain, Russia etc…).
Our meticulous investigation lays bare the trail of events and the secret deals that led Iran to get access to nuclear technology.
press coverage
In their remarkable documentary, David Carr-Brown and Dominique Lorentz leave no image unshown, no matter how uncomfortable it may be
Libération
Through this narrative that weaves together archives and testimonies from the key figures of this troubling affair, the entire history of the atomic bomb unfolds before us. This investigation primarily sheds light on the stakes of nuclear issues and the often ambiguous diplomacy of France in this field.
Le Monde
Never before has a television documentary narrated the overall history of the nuclearization of states, and especially the specific role of France in the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Le Figaro
The Atomic Republic (…) is dizzying due to the wealth of unprecedented revelations about shady dealings and, more generally, about the practices of a democratic regime prone to keeping secret everything related to its nuclear policy.
Les Inrockuptibles
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