Abolition of poverty, fight against the death penalty, the rights of peoples, free education for all, prohibition of child labour, emancipation of women, creation of the United States of Europe ... Victor Hugo embodies a 19th century which was the antechamber of our world. His convictions and fights reflect his remarkably visionary thinking!

After the 1848 revolution, the world-acclaimed author of “Notre-Dame of Paris” or “Les Misérables” and leader of the Romantic Movement, became the figurehead of the French Republic. His life embraced the hectic course of the 19th century and as a privileged witness of the period, he sought to grasp its heartbeat through his writings and his political commitment.

His political affinities moved from the royalist right to the republican left, but he remained committed at all times to the defence of individual liberties. This documentary sheds light on this aspect of his life: Victor Hugo, icon of the Republic, and his many battles.
In 1885, the young Third Republic turned his funeral into a national event, the first national funeral granted to a poet. A “first” never to be repeated…