Crime squads against the sensitive neighbourhoods: every day the pressure is on | M6 | Zone Interdite

You often see the BAC crime squads on TV! Plain clothes detectives, experts in “grab ‘em” techniques with guns in their hands, they arrest the villains red-handed. Now Zone Interdite takes a relentless look at the reality of their everyday work. For months, Sébastien Girodon’s camera followed two squads, in Lyon and in Sarcelles, to find out what really lies behind these men and women who are both fascinating and disturbing. For the first time, as well their every day work, these street cops reveal their private lives and their innermost feelings. The women who share their lives also tell their story. Some of these police officers have reached hero status because they have saved lives or prevented robberies. However, others are considered by some citizens to be cowboys. In this documentary, the director also gives a voice to the young people who live in difficult neighbourhoods. They believe they are being harrassed by the police and the BAC and speak out against too many, heavy-handed checks. So who are these police officers actually? Are they really protecting the population? Are they used as a safety barrier? Why is any dialogue between young people and the officers of the BAC so difficult?