France2 Infrarouge

Editorial tone

Bold, close-up, socially relevant. Infrarouge shows the reality behind the headlines — no voyeurism, but no whitewashing. Socially critical gaze that takes those affected seriously and gives them space. Tone is direct, sometimes confrontational, but never sensationalist. Emotionally grounded, not sentimental. Provocation is allowed when substantively justified. Empathy, not pity.

What this format covers

• ●Social fault lines: precarity, exclusion, social inequality
• ●Justice and incarceration — the system behind the cases
• ●Migration, integration, identity in French society
• ●Healthcare system, psychiatric care, nursing
• ●Gender relations, sexual violence, domestic violence
• ●Changing world of work: uberization, burnout, precariat
• ●Youth, banlieue, social mobility

What this format does NOT want

• ●Travel formats or lifestyle documentaries
• ●Historical retrospectives without contemporary relevance
• ●Purely scientific or technical subjects
• ●Wildlife films or nature documentaries
• ●Light entertainment or feel-good formats
• ●Films without clear socio-political relevance

Visual expectations

Documentary proximity is decisive. Observational camera, long takes, intimacy. No overproduced television — reality must speak. Authentic locations, real situations. Handheld camera allowed and desired when it creates closeness. Talking heads only in moderation. The film must tell visually, not just verbally. Reference: Raymond Depardon, Cinéma du réel.

Expected exposé structure

1. Titre + sous-titre (title + subtitle)
2. Synopsis courte (short summary, 5–10 lines)
3. Note d'intention (director's intention, why this subject, what approach)
4. Traitement (treatment: cinematic approach, narrative structure)
5. Personnages (protagonists/access figures with short portraits)
6. Repérages (research status, material already shot)
7. Budget estimatif et plan de financement
8. Société de production, réalisateur, CV

Example productions

• Les Femmes du Bus 678 (Infrarouge, 2014)
• Femmes de chambre — Hôtel de luxe (2018)
• À l'école des chances (2019)
• Adolescentes (Sébastien Lifshitz, 2020)
• Les Enfants du 209 rue Saint-Maur, Paris Xe (2018)
• Infrarouge: Sous les radars (2022)