JEAN-MARIE MESSIER, THE JUGGLER

The story of a man who came top in his class, who left the French provinces to conquer Hollywood, an heir to old-style French capitalism who transformed himself into the herald of the new economy and globalisation, a financial genius who perished through the stock market, a sensible young man who descended into a frenzy of “communication”? This particular personal destiny, unprecedented in recent economic history, also provides an opportunity to highlight this specific moment in the globalization of capitalism, torn at the turn of the century between technological upheavals (Internet) and stock market (the end of the bubble). This film is based on a rapid chain of events, the eighteen months of madness between the moment of glory and the final fall. It opens in Orlando, Florida, with a huge gathering at which the Americans and the French unite to celebrate the merger between Vivendi and Universal, and ends with the departure of Messier, tears in his eyes as he leaves the company’s headquarters. This chronology reflects the resounding media impact that marked this affair. A headlong rush, the American dream and a frenzy of communication form the impulse for the story, a genuine “Human Comedy” of the Internet age.