Zouhair Chebbale

January 26, 1945, snow falls on the war-torn Alsatian countryside. A young American lieutenant stands on the wreckage of a tank and single-handedly repels a German counterattack consisting of six tanks and more than 200 men. This extraordinary feat of arms will make him the most decorated soldier in US history. A title that would open the doors of Hollywood to him after the war, allowing him to become a popular movie star. America celebrated his triumph but remained indifferent to the invisible wounds of veterans like him.

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.

January 26, 1945, snow falls on the war-torn Alsatian countryside. A young American lieutenant stands on the wreckage of a tank and single-handedly repels a German counterattack consisting of six tanks and more than 200 men. This extraordinary feat of arms will make him the most decorated soldier in US history. A title that would open the doors of Hollywood to him after the war, allowing him to become a popular movie star. America celebrated his triumph but remained indifferent to the invisible wounds of veterans like him.

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.