A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
What song were they playing?
When?
When it all began.
They were playing "Kiss the Devil."
One of their biggest hits.
The one we'd been waiting for.
It's almost as if...
they wanted to hit us when we were at an all-time high.
You were up front by the stage at that point?
- No. - No?
No.
But you said you were up front.
Not at that point.
When the song started, I was back by the bar.
It's important you tell us exactly what happened.
I went to get a couple of beers and was heading back to Alex,
making my way through the crowd of people dancing.
The place was electric.
Then all of a sudden...
Sharp popping noises, like firecrackers.
The singer looked up
and stopped singing.
There was dead silence.
Then...
Then there were more popping noises.
Everyone started panicking.
People threw themselves on the floor,
people were screaming and running.
Let's take a break.
Did you fall to the ground?
I did.
I'd almost reached Alex,
but I laid down on the ground like everyone else.
That's when...
I realised that Alex was already down.
Right in front of you?
- Was he lying face down? - Yes.
Was he already dead?
How did you know?
- You saw blood? - Sir.
- A lot of blood? - That's enough.
It was pitch black. How could she see him?
That was only for a few seconds. The lights came back on quickly.
And then it was just awful.
We understand this isn't easy.
Some of our colleagues had friends at the Bataclan.
She's already made a statement to the counter terrorism unit.
I know.
But we've been asked to go over it one more time.
Alex was hit in the first round of gunfire?
Did you see the attackers?
Any details?
I think there were three or four of them.
Three or four?
Three.
They had assault rifles and they circled around us
to see who was moving.
We heard a mobile phone ring
and then more gunshots.
When they heard a phone ring, they'd shoot people like rabbits.
So that we couldn't get help.
Were you playing dead?
That's all I could do.
At one point,
one of them walked towards me.
He stopped and stood right next to me.
And...
I kept my eyes shut and he kept on walking.
I have nightmares about it.
I see him looking at me,
then my phone goes off and he shoots me.
At least you made it out.
But if he'd killed me, I'd be with Alex now.
You were on the ground. Then what?
Then it was very quiet.
Alex was lying on the ground in front of me.
And it smelled strange.
A mixture of blood and gunpowder.
I was soaking wet.
I wasn't sure if it was beer or if I had pissed my pants.
You're putting her through hell.
It's standard protocol.
Stop, this is going too far.
Do you want even more sordid details?
How did you manage to get out?
Between two rounds of gunfire, we heard...
this metallic clicking.
I think they were reloading their guns.
Some people in front of me got up and ran towards the emergency exit.
I automatically followed them.
I don't even know how I got outside.
- So you left your boyfriend behind? - Stop it with the insinuations.
If it were my wife, I don't think I could've left her there.
What exit did you use?
The one by the stage.
On the right?
No, on the left. Behind the curtain.
It leads to Passage Amelot.
We had nowhere to turn.
Everyone ran as fast as they could.
I remember someone was clutching onto a window ledge.
And a girl in front of me looked back as she was running
and smashed into a pole and fell down.
Did you help her?
No.
I just kept running like crazy.
I didn't know what to do, except think about Alex.
I remember seeing him before those guys showed up.
I was getting a beer at the bar
and he was waiting for me by the stage.
And...
he was bobbing his head to the music,
pretending to have a good time.
But he hated that band.
He didn't listen to that kind of music.
He was an illustrator.
He wanted to get his first graphic novel published
with his best friend, Léonard.
But no one could see how talented he was.
I insisted he bought us the concert tickets.
And now I'm so mad at myself
because if he hadn't been so nice,
none of this would've happened.
Did you get what you needed?
Are we done here?
The Victim Support Association's members are cooperating.
My client's answering your questions, but to what end?
- You're getting paid. - It's not about the money.
Besides, I'm barely breaking even.
You seem more reasonable.
Let's call it a day.
Unless you think my client did something wrong.
I'd like to go back to when you were at the venue,
on the ground next to Alex.
After the shooting began,
how much time passed before you bolted for the exit?
I don't know, one minute.
One minute?
Maybe a minute and a half.
Not two minutes?
Can you repeat that louder for the recording?
- Less than two minutes. - Thanks.
What happened on the balcony?
What?
Lying on the floor, you saw the attackers, so you must have seen the balcony.
Not really.
What was going on up there?
Total panic, like downstairs.
Can you elaborate?
- What do you mean? - About the panic.
They escaped via a skylight. Didn't you see them?
What are you talking about? What skylight?
There isn't one.
People hid up in the attic, which they accessed via the boxes.
Everybody knows that.
What's your name?
Omar.
Could you remind him that I'm a war victim?
The DA said so.
I haven't forgotten.
I'd like to hear more about the shooters.
You said there were three of them.
Were they masked?
No.
Would you say they were tall or fat?
- Or... - They were average.
Average?
Yes, average.
Shall I say it again?
All the other witnesses
talked about seeing fat figures.
I don't remember anymore.
If the shooters looked fat,
it's because they were wearing explosive belts.
This is ridiculous. What are you getting at?
Someone filed a claim against your client.
- Choose your words wisely. - A serious one.
- Look what she's gone through. - She hasn't, though.
Because she wasn't at the Bataclan on November 13th.
That's why we called her in.
To put an end to her lies.
OK.
We're making progress.
How's it going over there?
We're having a blast. What do you think?
I don't know why they gave this job to Audrey,
but we weren't very lucky.
Why are we attacking this poor girl?
It's Audrey's strategy, not ours.
It's going too far.
All we have is a claim against her.
We'll be in big trouble if it falls through.
Audrey will be in trouble, not us.
That's the beauty of it.
He's pissed off that he's not a team leader.
No kidding.
Right, I've resumed the recording.
It's 2:28 p.m.
The same people are present.
My client has been through enough.
- Can I use my tablet? - That's not standard procedure.
Yes or no?
Some witnesses took these photos after the attack.
I imagine they're in your file.
That's Passage Amelot.
The photos are rather blurry,
but they give you an idea of what it was like.
And if you look carefully...
There.
I was there. Can't you see that?
Aloud, for the recording.
I confirm that's you.
You owe me an apology.
What about the Bataclan?
Does this photo prove you were there?
- That is the Bataclan. - No, it's Passage Amelot.
Which borders the Bataclan. She was there!
In front of it, not inside it.
I don't get why you're doing this.
How much more of this do I have to take? Did you make a bet?
Does this photo show you inside the Bataclan?
A simple yes or no would suffice.
- No. - No!
Thank you.
Why do we have footage of Alex entering the Bataclan alone?
Because I got there after him.
- He didn't wait for you? - No.
I asked him to save us a spot close to the stage.
We're not bringing this up to hurt you.
Someone claims you're lying.
Who?
- Miss... - Well, answer me! Do I know this person?
It's our job.
People claimed they were at the Bataclan just to get compensation.
That outraged you and you tweeted about it.
So we're just checking.
If this claim against you is unwarranted, then we'll be glad to hear it.
We just want the truth.
So let's work together.
Back already?
Nothing gets by you.
I was going stir-crazy at home. I needed to get out,
so here I am.
What an exciting life you lead.
Can you think of one thing?
One thing that proves you were there.
And can you prove that she wasn't there?
Miss, it would be really helpful...
Why is she here?
What else can I say? I was there.
I follow her on Instagram. She has thousands of followers.
She's an activist for the Victim Support group.
She's tough, she was at the Bataclan.
Or so she says.
You know how much money the State freed up
for the victim compensation fund?
- No. - 300 million.
You got something, right?
You received 28,000 Euros.
- What did you do with it? - That's irrelevant.
I don't think so.
Let me tell you something.
When I got that stinking money, I didn't even know what to do with it.
So there.
I thought, "Why did I even get this money?"
Because my boyfriend died a horrific death?
When I got that money, I pictured Alex lying in his blood.
So you didn't spend it?
Answer me.
Keep in mind that we have access to your accounts.
I blew it all.
Happy now?
On anything and everything.
Clothes, vacation...
I even went on vacation with Alex's mother.
To forget about this shit.
But we realised that leaving didn't solve anything.
We were together, but we both felt alone.
And after that,
I started to see things differently.
I didn't want to forget what had happened
and wanted to help in some way.
That's why I blog and tweet.
I talk about my life. I'm trying to pick up the pieces.
I'm sure you've read what I've written.
So think about it. If I was making it all up,
why would I bother doing all of this?
You think it's all fake?
I have no idea.
You tell us.
If she's lying, she's really good at it.
Since she always has an answer?
Since you can't fake these kinds of feelings.
Answer the question.
No one we've talked to recalls seeing you at the concert.
I can't recall anyone either.
- You can't? - No.
- Not a single person? - Well, Alex.
Besides Alex.
It was a concert, not a dinner party.
I was there to see the band.
And you're a big Eagles of Death Metal fan?
- I used to be a fan. - Used to be?
When your boyfriend dies at their concert, you don't really listen to them anymore.
Know what I mean?
Alex and I had been together since college.
Our friends called us the perfect couple.
That ended that night. End of story.
My client has been more than cooperative.
Either take her into custody or let us go.
She's lying?
One of her friends turned her in.
She wasn't really there?
- Shit, I don't believe this. - Laetitia.
It's disgusting.
Our friends were injured there.
Cécile Boisson was shot, remember?
She's holed up at home and doesn't answer my phone calls.
Calm down.
She will never walk again.
Stop shaking your head. Where were you that night?
Where were you?
Studying?
With your nose in a book for your police exam or something?
Are you crazy?
What do you think, Gérard? Where was she that Friday the 13th?
She shows up here with zero experience.
- Who's the real impostor? - That's enough!
Laetitia,
you shouldn't even be here.
You fucking lying bitch!
Damn it!
OK, we're done now, Captain.
I'll decide when we're done here.
Your colleague did that for you.
Sit back down.
Have you lost your mind? You want to screw this all up?
What are you doing here?
I'm back in three days anyway. You've also forgotten about Cécile.
No, I haven't.
Everything she's said is a lie.
Maybe, but I have to prove it.
You can't just show up and scream like that.
I should be in there.
And you should be in charge.
But I'm not.
- You've checked her phone records? - Yes.
That should tell us where she was.
Her phone was turned off, so that doesn't help us.
Well, it's in line with her story.
Why?
You only turn your phone off for a good reason. Like at a concert.
You really turn your phone off at a rock concert?
And her credit card?
She used it to buy lunch and that's it.
She used his credit card to get the beers at the concert.
Omar went upstairs to check everything.
There are some contradictions in her story,
but we don't have much to go on.
A nice cold beer
and a smoke...
I thought you'd given that up for your wife. Didn't you make a deal?
Get back in there, we're not done with you yet!
What are those two even talking about?
I think we'll go and let you deal with your little crisis.
If I were you, I wouldn't go yet. It'd look like you were hiding something.
I have nothing to hide.
I have just a few more things to ask you.
It is just me, Captain, or have you lost some of your edge?
So...
Your phone was off during the concert.
My battery was dead.
- How convenient. - No.
If it had been on, I could've proven I was there.
Where's your colleague?
That's too bad. I liked him better.
Are you kicking me out of class?
That's just it, Laetitia. This isn't school.
You can either stay here or go home, but I don't want any more problems.
I've got something.
For the recording: Sergeant Omar Matif has returned
at 2:52 p.m.
You were right, ma'am,
we had those photos in our file.
They were taken by Alain Berbizier. He's also in the association.
Here's the problem: this photo was taken at 9:59 p.m.
Nineteen minutes after it all began.
No way.
His iPhone saved the photo at 9:59 p.m.
- It says so here. - It's wrong.
- No, it's not wrong. - Yes, it is.
Sometimes the clock doesn't work properly.
- Really? - It's not reliable.
His phone is reliable.
It was accurate at the start of the concert.
I don't get it.
Can you explain this?
You ran toward the exit
less than two minutes after it all began.
You'd said a minute and a half.
Maybe it took longer, I don't know.
It was chaotic.
Seventeen minutes longer?
Or it's from when I went back?
Honestly,
I don't know. My memory's playing tricks on me.
That's one hell of a trick.
My therapist said it's normal for my memories to be fragmented.
It's a survival mechanism.
Isn't that right?
Survivors never remember the facts the same way twice.
Because of the trauma.
Tell them.
I don't know.
Look, she's lost her lawyer.
Can we zoom in on Miss Weber's hand?
Cigarettes.
Yes. I had bought them right before the concert.
You'd just left that massacre you'd witnessed
but held onto your cigarettes?
What the hell?
Because of fraud, the investigations take even longer.
We have to examine everything.
The real victims feel humiliated.
But I help them via the association.
Then tell us the truth.
For their sake.
I was there.
But I showed up late.
When I left work, my phone was off.
I didn't realise how late I was.
I stopped to buy Dumarak cigarettes
and I saw what time it was.
Dumarak?
The ones in the photo.
Indonesian cigarettes,
with clove.
The kind that Alex smoked.
He'd tried to quit smoking dozens of times,
so I bought his cigarettes and held onto them.
When I saw the time, I panicked.
The concert had started. I ran and got in a cab.
I was only 15 minutes away.
The cab driver told me about the attacks,
including the one at the Stade de France.
He said there was something in the air.
He said something I'll never forget.
He said, "Paris carries on even with all these sirens."
He dropped me off
as close to the Bataclan as he could.
He didn't want to get too close.
The police had arrived?
I don't know.
There were tons of people. Everyone was in shock.
I could only think about Alex.
So I went around Boulevard Voltaire
and then down Passage Amelot.
Hence the photo.
That's right.
I was worried about him.
I hadn't planned on lying...
I just kept thinking about him and how he must have been inside.
You should've been at the concert with him.
But you got there too late.
That's why you lied.
I was stuck outside and couldn't get in.
It was insane.
And so you invented this story.
And you stuck to it. Why?
Because I felt guilty.
But many survivors from that night felt guilty.
And they didn't lie.
Can I take out my phone and show you something?
I can't even remember how I got home that night.
I only remember feeling nauseous.
And when I got home, I heard this message.
I must've listened to it 100 times before responding to it.
Émilie, we can't reach either of you.
Alex isn't answering.
We saw what happened.
We don't know where you are.
Alex said you were going to a concert tonight,
but I can't remember which one.
Please call me back and let me know you're OK.
We wanted to tell you we love you.
I can't believe this is happening...
Émilie, please call us back soon.
That's Alex's mother?
What could I tell her?
That her son died alone, waiting for me at this concert?
That I'd made him go see a band he didn't like?
When she called me back, she was so poised and told me to be brave.
I didn't want to disappoint her.
So I couldn't bear telling her the truth.
I told her I was with Alex, but that I was lucky enough to get out.
Then she put all her attention on me, as if I were her daughter.
So I played the part.
There was no turning back.
I didn't realise, but it all happened so fast.
I had to tell my friends, post about it on social media.
Once you've started a lie, you have to see it through.
I swear there were days I believed I was actually there.
Except that you weren't.
Your client will be charged with fraud and perjury.
PAUSE
What are you doing?
I have a proposal.
What did you say?
That we need to cooperate?
That's not how this works.
You're in charge, right?
No.
Then can I speak to your team leader?
Send her in.
Laetitia's out in the hallway.
Sorry, I didn't realise you were the team leader.
Now you know.
We studied law together.
I think you should let my client breathe a little.
Her confession is vague, she's emotional.
No need to report it.
Hasn't she suffered enough?
She's committed fraud. The DA will want to sue.
Audrey, she went through hell.
She was outside the Bataclan, her boyfriend died.
How much is that worth? Thirty thousand? Fifteen?
Please. Let her go.
I'll do the same.
What does that mean?
I'm talking about your colleague, Sergeant Serra,
who isn't authorised to be here.
Isn't she on sick leave?
How would you know?
- Who told you? - And yet she's here.
Trying to intimidate my client.
You all saw her bang on the window.
Insulting her, and...
then she did the same thing to me in the hall.
She totally rattled my client.
Not to mention standard protocol.
I have plenty to overturn this.
- Your client lied. - And she's sorry.
No, she's sorry she got caught. It's not the same.
Serra's behaviour doesn't change anything.
You want me to take her down?
With all the problems you'll have?
Not to mention dragging everyone back through all of this.
Olivier, what do you think?
You seem to think you should have my job, so what do you think?
I think you should play along.
That way everybody wins.
She'll go to court.
If you want to report my colleague, I'll accept the consequences.
Ma'am.
You are going to be prosecuted.
The DA will question you, and you and your lawyer
will have access to your file.
You should go home, you're putting us at risk.
Go home, Laetitia.
If I eat any more, I'll be sick.
My wife made me promise to cut out sugar.
Your life's pretty exciting too.
Totally.
Miss?
When you were being questioned,
you asked about who reported you.
And we said we couldn't say.
That's right.
His name is Mr Meier.
Alex's best friend.
The Dumarak cigarettes that Alex smoked are hard to come by.
There's only one place that sells them downtown.
I would know, I've smoked my whole life.
The tobacco shop is on Rue Belgrand.
It's right next to Mr Meier's apartment building.
He doesn't have a mobile phone charger?
Why are you telling me this?
In the interview room, you said
that you were late because you were coming from work.
But I think that you were at Mr Meier's apartment.
So...
What were you doing there at the end of the day with your phone off?
What were you doing that distracted you so much that you forgot about the time
and the concert?
What are you on about?
I think the lie began well before the attacks happened.
And both of you were lying.
How long has this been going on?
Alex wasn't able to get his book published,
so he was really difficult to be around.
And it only happened once with Léonard.
It wasn't until after the attacks
that he kept calling me.
He said that what happened would bring us closer.
And he wouldn't leave me alone.
So I decided to break it off with him once and for all.
And that's why he turned you in.
Alex died loving me, even though he should have hated me.
Can we go back in?
Back in?
The interview room. I'll explain everything.
That won't alter your charges.
But it matters to me.
I want it all on the record for Alex
and his mother.
At 3:25 p.m.,
the interview starts again in the presence of Captain Hagen,
Sergeant Matif and Ms Claire Bertin.
Please state your name
and say why you are present.
My name is Émilie Weber.
And I am here to tell the truth about what happened on November 13th.
Subtitle translation by: Louise Layman