The French Connection... Revisited

Delve into the mists of time to ponder on the awful reputation that Marseille once suffered from as a hotbed of violence and organised crime. One of the prime factors in popularising that image was William Friedkin's 1971 film The French Connection and its sequel, French Connection II, directed by John Frankenheimer. In them Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle was a classic fish-out-of-water cop, a tough New York policeman way out of his depth in the murky swamp of Marseille's heroin trade. Tonight, if you are in Marseille, you can revisit the first film at a free open-air screening - and marvel at how things have changed. Click here to read more