Atlantique Wall

In December 1941, Nazi Germany started what it believed to be the biggest project in military engeneering history since the Great Wall of China: the construction of a fortification line from Norway to the Pyrenees, designed to protect the third Reich from an allied disembarking.

In France, the construction of the Atlantic Wall was a colossal undertaking that disrupted the daily life of coastal regions. Supervised by the Todt organisation, it was the source of a gigantic plundering of manpower and raw materials, mobilising thousands of workers. It offered companies of all sizes the opportunity to do lucrative business with the occupier, while at the same time revealing the compromises made by the Vichy regime. And it was the target of espionage missions that were decisive for the D-Day landings. Archive footage, live footage of the remains of the Atlantic Wall and testimonials from the last people involved tell the story.