HBO Sets Documentary on Gisèle Pelicot, Survivor at Center of Historic French Rape Case

HBO Documentary Films is in production on a new documentary chronicling Gisèle Pelicot, a French woman who survived a decade of abuse after her husband drugged her and arranged for dozens of men to rape her while she was unconscious.

The untitled film will be directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Joanna Natasegara, whose credits include producing The White Helmets and The Disciple, and will be produced by Abigail Anketell-Jones and Brenda Coughlin, known for Citizenfour and Dirty Wars. Oscar-winner Laura Poitras also serves as an executive producer. The documentary is slated to debut on HBO.

Between 2011 and 2020, Gisèle Pelicot was drugged and raped by her husband, Dominique Pelicot, on numerous occasions. He also invited dozens of men, contacted through an online website, to rape her while she was unconscious in their home in southern France. The abuse was uncovered after Pelicot was detained by police in 2020 for filming women without consent in a supermarket, leading investigators to discover extensive video evidence documenting the assaults. Prosecutors later described the case as unprecedented in scale and severity.

Pelicot’s decision to speak out publicly against her attackers was a departure from the typical handling of sexual assault cases in France, where anonymity is frequently granted to survivors. She has attended appeals proceedings in 2025, including those in Nîmes where one of the convicted men sought to challenge his conviction.

Pelicot’s advocacy has resonated with survivors and rights organizations globally, with commentators noting that her refusal to remain anonymous gave courage to others to speak out and helped generate momentum for legal reforms. Her case has also encouraged broader scrutiny of how courts and societies address sexual violence, particularly in consensual definitions and legal frameworks.

With exclusive and in-depth access, the documentary will accompany Gisèle on her journey as she rebuilds her life, remaining determined to speak out for survivors of sexual violence everywhere.

Joanna Natasegara, director, said “Gisèle’s decision to stand up and speak for survivors of sexual violence everywhere is simply an awe-inspiring act of courage. The film is a testimony to her insistence on dignity, her resolute refusal to be defined by the crimes committed against her, and how France and the rest of the world choose to respond to her bravery. From the day I learned about her story, I felt a responsibility to help to tell it.”