On January 7, 2015, the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo fell victim to a terrorist attack that cost the lives of twelve people, including France’s most renowned cartoonists: Cabu, Wolinski, Charb, Tignous and Honore. The next day, police were killed in the street. On January 9, a new attack targeted French Jews. Four hostages were murdered. This film is a tribute to all the victims.

Picture gallery

The original title is L’humour à mort: a beautiful title that perfectly transcribes the struggle of the satirical newspaper that was hit by the attacks of January 7, 2015. Designed, launched, filmed, edited and funded with a sense of urgency fueled by the events, this documentary by Emmanuel and Daniel Leconte (who directed It's hard Being Loved by Jerks, which centered on the case of the Danish Mohammed cartoons in 2007) attempts to place events, words and their consequences, within a dramatic context – with a clear aim of responding to the attacks after January 11. The Charlie Hebdo team tells its story, a scholarly narrator denounces the attacks, the film speaks out. And yet the result is too simple, too superficial to really offer something on such a serious subject. At least there is the funny, sensitive and beautiful portrait of Cabu, who is described by his colleagues and illustrated by his unforgettable drawings.