Wikipedia

Temple Solaire: l'enquête impossible

Temple Solaire: l'enquête impossible is a 2022 French documentary miniseries, covering the Order of the Solar Temple case, as well as the journalistic investigation into it. It features several former members of the group and the families of the victims, as well as several journalists who investigated the case. The series first aired on TMC in June 2022, and received positive reviews.

Temple Solaire: l'enquête impossible
GenreDocumentary miniseries
Written byRaphaël Rouyer
Directed by
  • Nicolas Brénéol
  • Raphaël Rouyer
Starring
Original languageFrench
No. of episodes4
Production
ProducerÉlodie Polo Ackermann
Running time42 minutes
Original release
NetworkTMC
Release17 June 2022 (2022-06-17) –
June 20, 2022 (2022-06-20)

Background

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Main article: Order of the Solar Temple

The Order of the Solar Temple was a French religious group, notorious for the mass deaths of its members in the 90s. Gilles Bouleau was sent to investigate.[1] Arnaud Bédat, Bouleau, and Bernard Nicolas, all journalists, wrote two books on the case together.[2][3][4]

Interviewees

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  • Gilles Bouleau, investigating journalist
  • Arnaud Bédat, investigating journalist
  • Bernard Nicolas, investigating journalist
  • Michel Tabachnik, former member of the OTS
  • Évelyne Brunner, former member
  • Yannick Jaulin, former member
  • Michel Friedli, former member
  • Sylvain Ostiguy, former member

Episodes

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No.TitleOriginal air date
1"Massacres ou suicides ?"17 June 2022 (2022-06-17)
2"Les origines"17 June 2022 (2022-06-17)
3"Soupçons"20 June 2022 (2022-06-20)
4"Verdict"20 June 2022 (2022-06-20)

Production and release

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The producer said that in making the series they had wanted to use the visual language of a science fiction series (drawing a comparison to Stranger Things) to appeal to younger generations who had not followed the case.[5] It is from the same producer, Élodie Polo Ackermann, as Who Killed Little Gregory?.[6][7]

Michel Tabachnik, who had been charged for his role in the deaths, but acquitted twice, was interviewed for the documentary. Tabachnik had previously sued Bouleau for defamation for implicating him in the investigation.[1][8] His appearance in the documentary took many weeks of convincing by the production team.[5] Bédat described their meeting, noting that Tabachnik "agreed to an interview, yelled at me for two hours and then it was over. We became friends".[6] During an interview for the promotion of the series, Bédat stated he had changed his mind and no longer believed that Tabachnik had planned the deaths, and that him being away in concert had perhaps stopped him from being killed as well.[6] He also stated he was surprised that the creators of the series had asked for his involvement.[9]

The series first aired on TMC on 17 June 2022.[2][10] Over the next year, two other documentary series released on the case, La Fraternité and La Secte.[11]

Reception

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Le Figaro positively reviewed the series, calling it "fascinating" and comparing it to a detective story. They noted the editing as "dense", praising the series's access to archival material and its interviews with many ex-members. They did note that the series raised the question of the "interest in stirring up such a quagmire of misery and solitude".[2]

Télé-Loisirs praised Bouleau's "encyclopedic knowledge" of the OTS as expressed in the documentary, describing it as better than the actual investigators and judges who presided over the case.[12] Le Matin called the documentary "captivating" and said it was "surprisingly moving".[13] Le Point praised the series for giving a voice to the relatives of the victims of the group and former members.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b Vermelin, Jérôme (17 June 2022). ""Temple Solaire, l'enquête impossible" : Gilles Bouleau raconte l'affaire qui a bouleversé sa carrière" ["Temple Solaire, l'enquête impossible": Gilles Bouleau recounts the case that turned his career upside down]. TF1 INFO (in French). Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Baudin, Julia (17 June 2022). "Notre critique du documentaireTemple solaire, l'enquête impossible sur TMC" [Our review of the documentary Temple solaire, l'enquête impossible on TMC]. Le Figaro (in French). Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  3. ^ Droux, Antoine (17 June 2022). "Sur le drame de l'OTS, c'était la "foire d'empoigne médiatique", raconte Arnaud Bédat" [Arnaud Bédat describes the OTS tragedy as a "media frenzy"]. RTS (in Swiss French). Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  4. ^ Siebenmann, Laurent (17 June 2022). "Nicolas, Bouleau & Bédat: unis face à l'Ordre du Temple solaire" [Nicolas, Bouleau & Bédat: united against the Order of the Solar Temple]. Le Matin (in Swiss French). ISSN 1018-3736. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Dupreuilh, Fabrice (17 June 2022). "Secte de l'ordre du Temple solaire : TMC déterre le dossier" [Solar Temple cult: TMC digs up the file]. Le Point (in French). Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Schnarrenberger, Adrien (17 June 2022). ""C'est le documentaire ultime sur l'Ordre du Temple solaire"" ["This is the ultimate documentary on the Order of the Solar Temple"]. Blick (in Swiss French). Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  7. ^ Calligarot, Lorenzo (17 June 2022). "Temple solaire, l'enquête impossible (TMC) - Gilles bouleau revient sur les coulisses d'une tragédie" [Temple solaire, l'enquête impossible (TMC) - Gilles bouleau goes behind the scenes of a tragedy]. Télé 7 Jours (in French). Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  8. ^ Teynier, Marc (17 June 2022). "«Temple Solaire : l'enquête impossible» : Gilles Bouleau raconte «l'horreur indicible» sur TMC" ["Temple Solaire: l'enquête impossible": Gilles Bouleau recounts the "unspeakable horror" on TMC]. Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Arnaud Bédat se replonge dans l'affaire de l'Ordre du Temple solaire" [Arnaud Bédat delves into the Order of the Solar Temple affair]. RFJ (in Swiss French). 29 May 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  10. ^ Baÿt-Darcourt, Célyne (17 June 2022). ""Temple solaire, l'enquête impossible" : dans les coulisses des massacres de la secte" ["Temple solaire, l'enquête impossible": behind the scenes of the cult's massacres]. franceinfo (in French). Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  11. ^ Labrunie, Etienne (24 June 2022). "Replay : "Temple solaire, l'enquête impossible" : la secte fait de nouveaux adeptes" [Replay: "Temple solaire, l'enquête impossible": the cult gains new followers]. Télérama (in French). Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  12. ^ Jacob, Rémi (17 June 2022). "Temple solaire, l'enquête impossible (TMC) : quand Gilles Bouleau, jeune reporter à TF1, enquêtait sur ce fait divers hors norme" [Temple solaire, l'enquête impossible (TMC): when Gilles Bouleau, a young reporter for TF1, investigated this extraordinary story]. Télé-Loisirs (in French). Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  13. ^ Siebenmann, Laurent (15 June 2022). "TMC replonge au coeur de l'affaire de l'Ordre du Temple solaire" [TMC goes back to the heart of the Order of the Solar Temple affair]. Le Matin (in Swiss French). ISSN 1018-3736. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
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