Madame Desbassayns: Myth and Reality of an Icon of Slavery (2015)
The life of Mrs. Desbassayns is exceptional in more than one way in the history of slavery on the island of Réunion. Married at the age of 15 to the forty-year-old Henri-Paulin Panon Desbassayns, this young Creole woman named Hombeline Gonneau immediately embarked on an extraordinary journey. She found herself, in fact, at the head of the most powerful landowning family...
Director: William Cally
![]() |
Jacques Deshayes as Narrator (voice) |
![]() |
Stéphane Thomas as Madame Desbassayns |
![]() |
David Erudel as Henri Paulin Panon Desbassayns |
![]() |
Ophélie Galant as Young Madame Debassayns |
![]() |
Kristof Langromme as Slave Neptune |
![]() |
Eric Lauret as Julien Gonneau Montbrun (father) |
![]() |
Muriel Benard as Marie-Thérèse L. des Sablons (mother) |
![]() |
Francis Convert as Abbé Macquet |
![]() |
Mickaël Fontaine as Cavalier Desbassayns |
![]() |
Fabrice Saubert as Housing Manager |
![]() |
Teddy Lebon as Charles Desbassayns |
![]() |
Fabrice Payet as Joseph Desbassayns |
![]() |
Basile Chevalier as "Montbrun" Desbassayns |
![]() |
Marcelino Rivière as Julien Augustin Desbassayns |
![]() |
Benjamin Palomé as Chemist Wetzell |
![]() |
Evelyne Robert as Servant Marie-Barbe |
![]() |
Arielle Belus as Slave Honorine |
![]() |
Marie-Dolaine Guichard as Nénène Madeline |
![]() |
Dina Dianore as Young Nénène Madeline |
| Directing | William Cally | Director |
| Writing | William Cally | Writer |
| Writing | Sudel Fuma | Writer |
| Production | Romain Cally | Production Manager |
| Production | Johann Govindin | Production Assistant |
| Production | Sandrine Dime | Production Director |
| Camera | Axel Mainfroi | Director of Photography |
| Directing | Camille Bessiere-Mithra | Assistant Director |
| Crew | Jérôme Clausse | Drone Operator |
| Crew | Sevan Blain | Drone Operator |
| Art | Olivier Mehari | Head Decorator |
| Art | Geoffrey aktini | Assistant Decorator |
| Art | Karim Debbache | Assistant Decorator |
| Sound | Julien Sena | Sound Director |
| Sound | Christophe Robert | Sound Assistant |
| Costume & Make-Up | Warren Samuelsen | Makeup Department Head |
| Costume & Make-Up | Marie-Claude M'Houmadim'sa | Costume Designer |
| Editing | Totow Wilka | Editorial Manager |
| Editing | Mickaël Cally | Assistant Editor |