The Dominici Affair

The 1952 brutal slaying of a family camping in rural France sent shock waves through the country for years.Gaston Dominici, the patriarch peasant accused by his own son, was soon sent to jail for the shooting of the British couple and their 10-year old daughter.Many believed he was innocent at the time, and some people still think he is.The alleged motive: Water.

Orson Welles, one of history's most talented and most controversial directors was in Europe at the time, shooting the "Around the World" series for British Television.The Shakespearean aspect of these characters and tragedy in the sunny land of Pagnol seized his imagination."No writer could imagine characters like these Dominici.You have to see them to believe it," declared Welles to the press.

Welles believed the old man was guilty and he explored the subject in a 26 minute documentary, "The Tragedy of Lurs," which was left unfinished due to government pressure and was never broadcast.

This DVD Presents the Welles documentary beautifully resorted and reconstructed by Christophe Cognet from Welle's notes and according to the crew's indications.It also contains exciting new interviews with Jacques Chapus, the journal who assisted Welles on the shooting and Alain Pol, director of photography on the film, as well as a presentation of the criminal affair and a study of Welles' huge yet underrated contribution to television writing at the time of the "Around the World" series.A must-see!