The documentary opens with a sequence reminiscent of James Bond. Literally airlifted from a helicopter, France Télévisions journalist Julian Bugier lands on the bridge of the frigate Chevalier-Paul, cruising in a secret location. The cameras are immediately plunged into the heart of a military exercise, the cost of which will be questioned throughout the rest of the film.
The armies represent the second line of defense for the state: €57 billion in 2026, just behind education. How is this “colossal budget” spent? Is it still “without waste”? Who benefits from this money? The documentary sets out to answer these questions by taking us behind the scenes of the military industry, from a pig farmer supplying a military base to high-tech military technology companies, subcontractors, and influencers.
160,000 shells per year
Like all accounting, the documentary – punctuated with explosion scenes and artillery batteries – offers a breakdown between costs and revenues. On one side, there is the cost of armament: €3,000 for a fighter pilot helmet, €20,000 per training flight hour, between €70 and €100 million for the purchase of a Rafale fighter jet.
On the other hand, attention is drawn to the economic impact of the military industry. In Bourges (Cher), the producers of the Caesar cannon boast of “a thriving business” boosted by the war in Ukraine. France is the second largest arms exporter globally. In Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées), where 160,000 shells are produced annually, a worker reflects: “It’s like having blood on my hands. But there is an economic reality.” A reality that raises another question, somewhat touched on by this documentary: how much is the nation willing to pay to rearm itself?
