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Democracy Series #4 - Transmitting Democracy

Legacies and New Struggles

Join us for a panel and the U.S. premiere of the documentary film "Les combats méconnus de Robert Badinter" in partnership with Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education.

For reasonable accommodations, please contact the Center for Accessibility at 202-727-2142 or DCPLaccess@dc.gov. For ASL or tactile interpretation, please allow at least seven (7) days notice.

On November 5, join Villa Albertine, the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation and the DC Public Library for an exploration of equality and justice through the legacy of the late French Minister of Justice Robert Badinter, as part of our Democracy in an Age of Uncertainty series.

The evening features the exceptional presence as keynote speaker of Christophe Soulard, First President of the French Cour de Cassation followed by a panel discussion with Jean-Michel Arrighi, Secretary for Legal Affairs at the Organization of American States, Frédéric Mégret, Professor of Law at McGill University and Alex T. Johnson, Director of the Global Futures Collaborative at Howard University.

In the second part of the evening, in partnership with Movie Nights by French in Motion, we will present the U.S. premiere of the documentary Les combats méconnus de Robert Badinter, originally screened in France for Badinter’s induction into the Panthéon. The screening will be followed by an insightful discussion with co-director Bethsabée Zarka, who will shed light on Badinter’s lifelong fight for justice.

The program is free and open to all. 

Program

6:00pm | Panel Discussion

The pantheonization of Robert Badinter offers a moment to reflect on what it means to transmit democracy in an age marked by uncertainty and new challenges. A tireless advocate for justice and fundamental rights, his legacy extends far beyond the abolition of the death penalty. It continues to inspire those who, in France and the United States, work to safeguard the rule of law, judicial independence, and the equal dignity of all citizens. This panel builds on that legacy, bringing together leading voices in law and civil society from both sides of the Atlantic to explore how Badinter’s lifelong commitment to justice resonates today and for future generations.

7:00pm | Screening of "Les combats méconnus de Robert Badinter" (The Unknown Battles of Robert Badinter) and Q&A

Documentary by Dominique Missika and Bethsabée Zarka

On the occasion of Robert Badinter’s pantheonization, the film The Unknown Battles of Robert Badinter sheds light on the less familiar aspects of a life dedicated to justice and human dignity. Beyond his historic role in the abolition of the death penalty, the documentary highlights his many other struggles: defending judicial independence, advancing a democratic and rights-based Europe, and safeguarding civil liberties against authoritarian temptations. By combining the voices of historians, jurists, and witnesses, the film offers a vivid account of the depth of Badinter’s legacy and its urgent resonance for current and future generations.

We are honored to welcome co-director Bethsabée Zarka for a discussion following the screening.

The film is produced by Nova Production and LCP-AN, with cinematography by Joseph Haley, Caroline le Hello, and Pierre Duyckaerts; editing by Bruno Maruani; research by Élise Lellouche; graphics by Maud Drouin; and an original score by Alexandre Zapata. Broadcast by LCP-AN and Toute l’Histoire with the participation of the CNC. This screening is made possible with the support of French in Motion, a nonprofit organization fostering collaborations in the audiovisual industry.

About the Speaker

Christophe Soulard is the First President of the Cour de Cassation (French Supreme Court), France’s highest judicial authority, since July 2022. As the country’s top-ranking magistrate, he also serves as President of the High Council for the Judiciary (Conseil supérieur de la magistrature) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National School for the Judiciary (École nationale de la magistrature). A specialist in criminal and European law, he has devoted his career to upholding the rule of law, judicial independence, and access to justice.

After serving at the Court of Justice of the European Union, he held senior positions in Metz and at the Supreme Court, including President of its Criminal Chamber (2017–2022). An accomplished academic, he has taught EU and procedural law at Sciences Po, Strasbourg, and the University of Lorraine.

He has also sat on national commissions on financial markets, customs, and tax law, and since 2025 presides over the Robert Badinter Institute, honoring the legacy of the former Minister of Justice. Deeply engaged in international judicial cooperation, he promotes dialogue between national and European courts, as well as civic education through law and the protection of fundamental freedoms and human dignity

About the Panelists

Jean Michel Arrighi was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1953. He is an Attorney and Doctor of Laws and Social Sciences from the Universidad de la República (Uruguay) and has served as Professor of Public International Law at the Universidad de la República and the Universidad Católica. A member of the Institut de Droit International, he has lectured widely across the Americas and Europe, including at the OAS Course on International Law, Université Paris II, and the Hague Academy of International Law. Author of numerous books and articles on international and inter-American law, he has served since 2007 as Secretary for Legal Affairs of the Organization of American States (OAS), after holding key positions within the OAS since 1993.

Alex T. Johnson is Director and Co-Founder of the Global Futures Collaborative, a global engagement practitioner resource center powered by the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University. He former served as Deputy Director for U.S. Foreign Policy at the Open Society Foundations. A former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and Special Advisor at the Department of Defense, he is a leading expert on human rights, inclusive diplomacy, and transatlantic security. His career has focused on advancing diversity in U.S. foreign policy and strengthening democratic institutions worldwide.

Frédéric Mégret is a Professor of Law and holds the Hans & Tamar Oppenheimer Chair in Public International Law. He previously served as a William Dawson Scholar from 2015 to 2023 and held the Canada Research Chair in the Law of Human Rights and Legal Pluralism from 2006 to 2015. In 2024–2025, Professor Mégret was the James S. Carpentier Visiting Professor at Columbia Law School. He holds a PhD from the University of Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne) and is a graduate of Sciences Po Paris.

Bethsabée Zarka earned a Master’s in Journalism and Literature from New York University before beginning her career at AFP in Jerusalem during Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. Back in France, she directed several documentaries, including John Lennon, une vie inachevée, Alain Bashung, dernier rappel, and Jacques Martin, Les coulisses d’un empire for Un Jour, Un Destin, as well as reports for Envoyé Spécial (France 2), Arte Reportage, Canal+, France 24, and M6. Her film Israel: Under Pressure from the Ultra-Orthodox was selected at FIGRA in 2016, followed in 2025 by Hasidic Jews in New York. She has just completed Les années collège, a four-year project in a middle school in Picardy inspired by Frederick Wiseman’s cinéma vérité style.

 About the Partner Organizations

The Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation’s work has included underwriting of such public spaces as Washington’s Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Holocaust Museum; in New York, the new Statue of Liberty Museum; and in Chicago, as early supporters of the Obama Presidential Center. In connection to French culture and history, it has underwritten efforts at Notre Dame restoration, the Louvre Endowment, and to Holocaust studies including the 1988 Academy Award winning documentary, Hotel Terminus, the Life and Times of Klaus Barbie.

This event is organized as part of Movie Nights by French in Motion.

Created in 2016, FRENCH IN MOTION is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with chapters in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington DC. We bring together a growing community of nearly 400 film and TV talent and professionals from both sides of the Atlantic. Led by an executive board of seasoned industry executives and producers, French In Motion champions award-winning international co-productions in film and TV, including an Oscar-nominated feature.

Movie Nights by French In Motion is an exciting initiative launched in Washington DC in 2024. The program celebrates the creativity and diversity of our local French In Motion community of filmmakers, while also showcasing select French works from France and occasional international titles. Through monthly screenings hosted in various venues across Washington DC, Movie Nights creates a space for discovery, dialogue, and cross-cultural exchange.

About the Series

Democracy in an Age of Uncertainty, a series from Villa Albertine exploring challenges to liberal democracies in France, the United States, and around the world, launched at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in September 2024. The series continued with three events , including our latest installment at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center in May 2025. The series is made possible thanks to the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation.

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