Documentary · History

Lyautey le marocain

On both sides of the Mediterranean, a battle is being fought over the preservation of Marshal Lyautey's legacy. In 1912, Marshal Lyautey became the first Resident-General of the French Protectorate in Morocco. There, he was a soldier, peacemaker, administrator, builder, urban planner, writer, and protector of the arts and monuments. A century later, the Lyautey Foundation, chaired by Claude Jamati, the marshal's great-grandnephew, is working to preserve his castle in Thorey-Lyautey near Nancy. In Morocco, the Casamémoire association is campaigning to ensure that his architectural legacy, unique in the world, is not sacrificed under pressure from property developers. Through their struggle, this film reveals the complex history of a man who left his mark on the memory of Morocco and France.