The starry night of May 16th, 1978, was reflected in the calm water of Lake Geneva, Switzerland. On the shore near the town of Novilla, policemen were searching, stirring up the earth, pulling apart the cobs in a cornfield lit by a gibbous moon. Occasionally, one of their metal detectors goes off, and everyone holds their breath, but no : another old tin can. Pure beef ravioli, of course, but that won't make the investigators happy tonight. They were looking for something else, but what ? Gold ? The Holy Grail ? Pandora's box ? Nothing of the sort... They were looking for a coffin, and not just any coffin : that of one of the greatest filmmakers in history.... 

The starry night of May 16th, 1978, was reflected in the calm water of Lake Geneva, Switzerland. On the shore near the town of Novilla, policemen were searching, stirring up the earth, pulling apart the cobs in a cornfield lit by a gibbous moon. Occasionally, one of their metal detectors goes off, and everyone holds their breath, but no : another old tin can. Pure beef ravioli, of course, but that won't make the investigators happy tonight. They were looking for something else, but what ? Gold ? The Holy Grail ? Pandora's box ? Nothing of the sort... They were looking for a coffin, and not just any coffin : that of one of the greatest filmmakers in history....

The Henri Pranzini case, also known as the "triple murder of the rue Montaigne", was one of the most resounding cases of the late 19th century. At that time, the paper press monopolised the media field, devoting entire sections to news items and attracting nearly 10 million readers eager for sordid crimes. In this case, the story you are about to hear was a hit with all the newspapers, which did not hesitate to take up the subject from the very beginning of the investigation, to get ahead of the police by following up leads of their own, and sometimes even to fabricate when the elements were missing. Decades later, his aura would shine internationally, inspiring a playwright to write a play and a director to make a TV film. All the ingredients were there for a thrilling tale: blood, more than enough, jewels and the best detectives of their time, in pursuit of an adventurer as seductive as he was dangerous...