The ambitious two-part production, titled De Gaulle: Resistance and Liberty, has already captivated audiences in France, grossing over $50 million since its summer release and establishing itself as one of the year's biggest box office hits there. Produced with an $84 million budget by Pathé, the film recounts the extraordinary journey of Charles de Gaulle, then a relatively obscure general, who defied France’s surrender to Nazi Germany in June 1940 and fled to London with an unwavering conviction that the fight was far from over.

For director Antonin Baudry, a former French diplomat making his second feature, the film was an opportunity to explore a less-mythologized version of the national icon. Baudry, who co-wrote the script, told Deadline that the conventional image of de Gaulle as a revered figure didn't exist at the film's starting point. "The national icon did not exist in 1940," Baudry explained. "Therefore, it shouldn’t exist in the film: that was simple." He aimed to portray de Gaulle as the isolated, somewhat "bizarre" individual described by those who encountered him during those desperate early war years.

Baudry emphasizes that De Gaulle is not a traditional biopic. Instead, it focuses intensely on the critical period between 1940 and 1942, eschewing flashbacks to concentrate on de Gaulle's initial, solitary defiance. The narrative unfolds through the eyes of three primary characters: De Gaulle, Winston Churchill, and Fernand Bonnier de la Chapelle, charting events from small, intimate moments to epic battles, underscored by Volker Bertelmann’s powerful score.

Actor Simon Abkarian, who embodies De Gaulle, found himself drawn to the general's profound isolation and intellectual depth. He admitted to not fully grasping the extent of de Gaulle’s predicament before taking on the role. "I didn’t know how alone he was," Abkarian shared, highlighting that de Gaulle was condemned to death by the Vichy French government and stripped of his nationality. Abkarian was also struck by de Gaulle's command of language, noting, "His language was very clear, just like Churchill was at the time. They were educated and the language they had was the messenger for their vision."

Rather than aiming for naturalism, Abkarian approached the role by portraying a man who was consciously building his own public persona. "He had his own theatrics in life, so the goal was not naturalism or realism," he revealed. "He was building his own persona, so I had to play someone who plays that."

The film’s U.S. premiere at The American French Film Festival will feature both installments, with the second part, De Gaulle: Liberty, followed by a conversation with Baudry and Abkarian. The creators hope that American audiences will connect with the film's universal themes of moral choice, courage, honor, and resistance in the face of overwhelming odds. Abkarian believes such stories are crucial in contemporary society, stating that the film "reestablishes the compass of morality, courage and honor." When asked what he hopes American viewers will take away from De Gaulle, Baudry offered a concise and powerful response: "Hope."