The Savage State

The Savage State
The Savage State
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Francis Girod
Written by	Francis Girod; Georges Conchon
Based on	L'État sauvage; by Georges Conchon
Produced by	Francis Girod; Michel Piccoli
Starring	Michel Piccoli; Marie-Christine Barrault; Claude Brasseur; Jacques Dutronc
Cinematography	Pierre Lhomme
Edited by	Geneviève Winding
Music by	Pierre Jansen
Production; company	Gaumont
Distributed by	Gaumont Distribution
Release date	19 April 1978;
Running time	115 minutes
Language	French
Box office	$7.7 million

The Savage State (or L'état sauvage) is a French drama film directed by Francis Girod.

Plot

In 1960, Minister of Information of a progressive African state still under French colonial rule, the doctor Patrice Doumbe also fighting against the compromises of his own government. Avit Laurençon happens, international official mission as spouses and Laurence, a French whose connection with Doumbe people talking the colony, under the eyes of his ex-lover, Gravenoire trafficker and Orlaville, the local police commissioner .

Cast

Michel Piccoli : Orlaville
Marie-Christine Barrault : Laurence
Claude Brasseur : Gravenoire
Jacques Dutronc : Avit Laurençon
Doura Mané : Patrice Doumbe
Rüdiger Vogler : Tristan
Sidiki Bakaba : Cornac
Alphonse Beni : The Minister
Baaron : Modimbo
Umban U'kset : Kotoko
Jean-Baptiste Tiemele : Gohanda
Peter Bachelier : Renard
Philippe Brizard : Paul
Celia : Irène
Akonio Dolo : Elie
Joseph Momo : Raoul

Production

Principal photography took place from 4 November 1977 to 10 January 1978. The film was shot in French Guiana, including in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and Cayenne.

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result
1979	César Awards	César Award for Best Sound	William Robert Sivel	Won
1979	César Awards	César Award for Best Editing	Geneviève Winding	Nominated

References

↑ "L\'Etat sauvage (1978) - JPBox-Office".
↑ "L'État sauvage". Ciné-Ressources (in French). Cinémathèque française. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
↑ Hespel, Stéphane (18 May 2020). "Michel Piccoli, Guyanais le temps d'un tournage dans les années 1970". France-Guyane (in French). Retrieved 1 August 2026.

External links

L'état sauvage at IMDb

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[1] "L\'Etat sauvage (1978) - JPBox-Office".

[2] "L'État sauvage". Ciné-Ressources (in French). Cinémathèque française. Retrieved 1 August 2026.

[3] Hespel, Stéphane (18 May 2020). "Michel Piccoli, Guyanais le temps d'un tournage dans les années 1970". France-Guyane (in French). Retrieved 1 August 2026.