Is the Iacono Affair Series True to the True Story? - Archyde (2023)

LE MENSONGE – France 2 adapts the Iacono affair in four episodes. But is The Lie true to reality? What we know.

[Mis à jour le 12octobre 2020à 20h55] The Iacono affair hit the headlines for fifteen years. After several years of legal combat for this former mayor falsely accused of rape by his grandson, France 2 adapted its story into a mini-series, Le Mensonge with Daniel Auteuil. But if the show’s starting point is this case, does it stay true to the true story? The family collaborated on the project, giving feedback on how their story was being handled. Gabriel Iacono also worked in the control room on the project, guiding Victor Meutelet (Lucas Arbona in the series) in his choices.

If the substance of the Iacono case was taken up in Le Mensonge (a mayor accused of rapes that he did not commit by his grandson), the series had to take certain liberties with reality. As the director Vincent Garenq explains in Parisian, “to reduce fifteen years of life, it was necessary to go through simplifications and explain it from the start to the family.” In addition, the names and places have been changed: Christian Iacono is called Claude Arbona on France 2, and finds himself mayor of Castel-sur-Mer, and not of Vence as in real life.

In The Lie, the protagonist’s grandson is no longer called Gabriel, but Lucas. Victor Meutelet, who plays this character, has also confirmed withAllocine that the changes made were certain details compared to the real story, “cLike for example the fact that Lucas has only one lawyer from the beginning to the end of the series whereas Gabriel told me that he had five. It’s just so as not to get lost in the characters. But it’s light. “ These changes had to be necessarily made, but Christian Iacono said he was very happy with this adaptation, judging that the “general spirit” of the injustice he suffered “is well respected”.

The Lie is a series adapted from a real legal drama. The true story behind the fiction of France 2 is that of Christian Iacono: the former UMP doctor and mayor of Vence was accused in 2000 of rape by his grandson, Gabriel. The latter claims to have been raped when he was 6 and 8 years old, from 1996 to 1998. Experts note injuries suggesting sexual violence on the body of the little boy. This, along with the post-traumatic stress from which the child suffers and the various suicide attempts that he commits, make these accusations credible.

Christian Iacono was sentenced twice: in 2009 (he was sentenced to 9 years in prison), then on appeal, in 2011. In total, he spent sixteen months in prison. But in May 2011, new twist: Christian Iacono is acquitted after Gabriel retracted, admitting to having lied fifteen years earlier. The grandson, then 20 years old, reveals in a letter sent to the prosecutor of Grasse that he was raped, but not by his grandfather. However, he would not remember the perpetrator of the assaults he allegedly suffered.

During a third trial in 2015, Gabriel Iacono will reveal that he “never” suffered rape by a third person, admitting to having lied “to attract the attention of his family” and then having wanted “unconsciously, to please my father “who did not get along with him. Finally, Christian Iacono will be acquitted, after fifteen years of proclaiming his innocence.

What did Christian Iacono think of Lies?

But what did Christian Iacono think of the adaptation of the drama of his life on the small screen? The former mayor was consulted by the France 2 teams so that the transcription is as modest and fair as possible. The one who was a doctor was also able to give his point of view, understanding that such a vast affair must necessarily be simplified to fit over four episodes.

In the end, Christian Iacono believes with the Parisian that The Lie is a success, judging the result “very good”. “The general spirit is well respected. It is not easy to sum up the complexity of a long family situation. The director was forced to simplify a little, otherwise it would be a saga in twelve episodes. But it shows them well. risks of a false allegation taken into account by justice. “

How Daniel Auteuil slipped into Christian Iacono’s skin

To play a fictionalized version of Christian Iacono in Le Menson, France 2 has chosen to call on Daniel Auteuil, who finds his first role here on television after 40 years of absence from the small screen. “I was waiting for an opportunity, a compelling story, admits the actor in an interview with Parisian. This real family tragedy is extremely violent. I didn’t hesitate when director Vincent Garenq offered it to me. ” Daniel Auteuil was able to consult the former mayor, while his grandson also worked on the set of The Lie. “I was more inspired by the happiness found today, assures the actor, always at the Parisian. It bothered me a little to go and ask them questions. I remain in the field of fiction knowing that these people really exist. I just tried to be as honest as possible with them. “

But the actor admits it himself: he does not “know” how he would react if he faced such accusations. “When everything is against you, there is a form of overwhelming, it’s staggering. Getting angry is useless. This character keeps reason, he makes sure to defend himself, tries to find out where everything is from. it came. It was interesting to show this descent into hell and the strength of soul of this man who keeps all his love for his grandson “.

All about the lie