The spectacular saga of the privateers and the cities that made Europe’s greatest maritime powers tremble for more than three centuries.

From the 16th to the 19th century, France confronted Europe’s great maritime powers: the Spanish Crown, England and the Dutch Republic.

To tip the balance of power, the king authorized private shipowners to attack enemy vessels and share in the spoils. This was the war of privateering: a form of legalized piracy, waged in the name of the kingdom as much as for personal fortune.

La Rochelle, Dunkirk, Calais and Saint-Malo became veritable war machines. In La Rochelle, Jambe de Bois and Jacques de Sores struck at the Spanish Empire as far as the Caribbean. In Dunkirk, Jean Bart became one of Louis XIV’s great heroes and saved a France threatened by famine. In Calais, Olivier Levasseur crossed the line from privateering into piracy and entered legend under the name La Buse.

In Saint-Malo, Surcouf challenged England as far away as the Indian Ocean and amassed a vast fortune.

Their exploits permanently transformed the cities where they were born. Through spectacular AI-generated recreations, the film brings the great episodes of this maritime odyssey vividly back to life.