An extensive exploration of the circumstances that led up to—and the circus that followed—director Roman Polanski's conviction for having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
Filmmaker Marina Zenovich had unprecedented access to several of the key players in the case, including the lawyers representing the case, the media covering it, and the unusually clear-eyed and candid victim. Unearthing a trove of telling footage from the past, and combining it with insightful interviews from today, she brings comprehension and clarity to events long clouded by myth and misconception.
The title refers to the director's status as a criminal in the United States and an acclaimed artist in France. The documentary was made for HBO and has found a select audience at the cinema, which is fitting. Nothing about Polanski or his persona would suit the small screen. He is a larger than life character who was singled out in a 1977 court case that became a mockery of the American judicial system. The back story of his tragic beginnings (his parents died in Nazi death camps) and the love match with Sharon Tate and ensuing horrors helped to paint him as a sympathetic character. Focusing on the lengthy court battles, director Marina Zenovich brings to life the struggle that both the def