'' The French Minister '' ( ) is a 2013 French comedy film directed by Bertrand Tavernier . Based on " Quai d'Orsay " , a comic strip by Christophe Blain and Abel Lanzac , the film takes an initially comedic look at the French Foreign Ministry under Dominique de Villepin but moves into more serious territory as France , in co-operation with Germany , opposes the 2003 Invasion of Iraq . It was screened in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival . In January 2014 , the film received three nominations at the 39th César Awards , with Niels Arestrup winning the award for Best Supporting Actor
39th César Awards
39th César Awards
The French Minister