French Documentary Film Features Chapel Hill Author

The enduring French mystery of The Man in the Iron Mask continues to captivate audiences in the 21st century, despite its origins in the late 1600s. Sarah Brandes Madry of Chapel Hill is among the authors and interviewees featured in the new documentary, Masque de fer: l’énigme du Roi Soleil, which explores the centuries-old enigma.

Author of The Second Son: The Man in the Iron Mask, Madry holds her deep dedication to French history dear. Her book, closely aligned with the mystery itself, caught the attention of the producers of the new film, leading to her being interviewed as part of the production to speak on the subject.

“I am excited to have my detective efforts and research on this old mystery included in this documentary film, but most honored to be in the company of French historians whom I have admired for decades.” Said Madry.

Specializing in French history, historians and devoted authors such as Madry have gained recognition and the opportunity to take their interests to the next level through this film. A brief overview of the mystery the film entails is provided by Madry herself.

Eustache Dauger, “The Man in the Iron Mask,” was a real person and has been written about in many books, stories, and plays. He was sometimes masked late in his life by a velvet mask. His name was never known, and his face was never seen, even by his guardians, except for two or three. The natural wonder as to who this person could be and why he had no name or face produced a rumor mill among prison officials and a few first-hand observers that spread into the general public and has never abated.” Said Madry.

Featuring a new approach to investigating a mystery that draws on cultural, medical, genetic, and seventeenth-century history, all within a compelling 120-minute film, Sarah Madry approached this interview with attentiveness and devotion, aiming to raise awareness of a story that, though old, remains relevant today.

“It is a story above all about exclusion, the putting away from sight, the abhorrence of what we do not understand, of that which is different; exclusion leads to mystery and often to hatred. Therefore, the story has relevance to the present.” Said Madry.

Madry’s love for France and its cultural history, beginning with her first visit in 1959, was further shaped by her father’s time stationed in France during WWII and by her attendance at a French school in Paris in 1963. She hopes that those within her community will take a chapter from her life to learn about what she holds dear. Whether through reading her book or watching the new film, her enthusiasm for this story remains constant as she continues to share it with those around her.

“I hope people who read my book come to know and admire Eustache Dauger as I do and that the dedication I had to pull together French history from the legend of one of Charlemagne’s knights to the path through a dark, wet Paris of a French king on a rainy night to his queen in the Louvre, supposedly in search of an heir to his rule, will provide them entertainment, a virtual trip to France, and enjoyment of the pursuit of a cold case that has lived unsolved over three hundred years.” Said Madry.

For those who would like to view the film, it will be broadcast on the French channel Planète+, with streaming available in English here in America.