Breillat Adapts Simenon Novel on Race Hatred

Veteran French filmmaker Catherine Breillat is set to write and direct 'The German Cousin,' an adaptation of Georges Simenon's 1939 novel, 'The Krull House.' This film, slated for production in late 2027, will explore the destructive forces of groupthink, race hatred, and mass hysteria within 1930s Europe. The novel, considered prophetic, centers on a German immigrant family in France whose fragile existence is shattered by suspicion and tragedy following a brutal crime.

Breillat, known for her work presented at the Cannes Film Festival, sees a profound modernity and resonance in Simenon's narrative. She emphasizes the importance of carefully observed details in cinema to capture the story's universality and subtlety. The filmmaker intends to use the novel's rich details to avoid artifice, focusing on the psychological dissolution of the individual into the collective.

The adaptation aims to powerfully depict the terrifying phenomenon of mob mentality and lynching, drawing parallels to contemporary societies driven by collective, summary justice. Breillat views the novel as a parable for our times, highlighting how fascism and fervent mob action often begin with a perceived vigilante justice that blinds individuals to complexity and doubt.