In Normandy in 1835, Pierre Rivière savagely murdered most of his family and then, in the course of the investigation and trial, wrote an unusual autobiographical account of the murders, carefully explaining his motivations for the heinous crime. More than a century later, philosopher-historian Michel Foucault discovered the document and was so struck by its eloquence, lucidity and ratiocination that he published the text in a 1973 volume, which became an important landmark in French letters and Foucault's career. Inspired by Foucault's book, René Allio directed the celebrated film I, Pierre Rivière three years later, focusing not only on the murders and their aftermath, but also on the everyday life of French farmers during the 19th century. Working as assistant director was the then twenty-four year old Nicolas Philibert, who was tasked with scouting locations and finding a cast among the locals. The profound influence of Philibert's unique experience upon his subsequent career is wonderfully captured in his greatly anticipated new documentary, which centers on Allio's film and marks Philibert's Return to Normandy.