In Nazi occupied France, 1942, a group of ordinary people risk their lives in a race against time to save dozens of Jewish children from deportation. This terrifying true story is recounted in La Troisième Nuit (titled ‘When the Night Falls’ in English) by director Daniel Auteuil in a taut thriller that premiered at Cannes Film Festival.

Rooting the story in such a dark chapter of French history, underlined by a decision to shoot inside a real former WWII prisoner camp, guided the instincts of cinematographer Jean‑François Hensgens AFC, SBC from camera tests to colour palette.

His creative partnership with Auteuil began on 2023 feature Un Silence, in which Auteuil starred but did not direct. “We got along very well,” Hensgens recalls. During that shoot, Auteuil confided that he wanted to direct again and handed Hensgens the book that would become Le Fil (An Ordinary Case) which world premiered at Cannes in 2024.

So, when Auteuil sent him the script (co-written by Camille Lugan) for La Troisième Nuit, Hensgens travelled to Auteuil’s house in the south of France for a weekend of uninterrupted conversation.

“At that moment we both felt the film should be in black and white — but the producers were worried about distribution and financing. At the same time, we were very conscious of not wanting to mimic Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List [which is based on similar events].”

Rather than compromise, Hensgens decided to test cameras and lenses and present them in a blind test to both Auteuil and the producers.

“This is a process I like to do before any film so that we are not prejudiced in what works for the particular story,” Hensgens says.

At Panavision in Paris, he presented tests shot with ARRI Alexa 35 and RED V-RAPTOR 8K VV using several Panavision lens sets, including the vintage B‑Series anamorphics from the 1960s and ’70s. The result was unanimous.

“The producer was sure it was Alexa 35 but it was RED V-RAPTOR with the B‑Series,” says Hensgens. “Panavision had modified the lens to cover the V-RAPTOR’s large sensor.”

The choice aligned with the references that Auteuil and Hensgens shared of classic Orson Welles (Touch of Evil) and Alfred Hitchcock (Dial M For Murder), deep‑focus compositions in which foreground objects dominate the frame. Hensgens used old “bonnette” close‑up filters to mimic the split‑diopter‑like look of Welles’ films.

“A big object in the foreground and the background still readable,” he explains. “It gave us a subtle visual tension that suited the story’s moral unease.”

Given the period setting, 16mm might seem an obvious choice but Hensgens disagrees. “Super 16’s depth‑of‑field characteristics didn’t fit the film’s language. Daniel wanted to play with focus as a storytelling tool and this is something the large‑format V-RAPTOR enabled beautifully.”

Building a palette from photography, painting and war films

This idea extended to using a severely restricted, almost monochromatic color palette built around browns, cyans and sickly yellows.

Touchpoints for this included Pierre Soulage, a French painter renowned for his innovative use of black and whose work was in retrospective at a Paris exhibition only yards from where director and DP were prepping the film. The work of distinguished photographer Dolorès Marat was another reference as well as Christopher Nolan’s 2017 Oscar winning Second World War drama Dunkirk shot by Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC.

“In Dunkirk, the skin tones are brown and the costumes more in the cyan direction. The separation of tones became a key reference for us.”

The film’s extensive use of flashlights (two thirds of the story takes place in a refugee camp with no power) pushed him toward the stylised yellow light reminiscent of Robert Rodriguez’ stark adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel Sin City.

“It wasn’t conscious. I only realise the connection when I’d finished grading.”

He says, “The color in La Troisième Nuit was emotional. I was trying to create atmosphere - a feeling of dread - with colour, with focus and camera movement.

“I had worked with RED before, and I love the texture and dynamic range. I expose using a spot meter, choosing whether to protect highlights or shadows depending on the scene.”

Hensgens shot RAW but created two LUTs and relied on daily grading from Paris lab M141. “It’s important for Daniel to have something 80% finished in the editing room,” he says. His long‑time colourist Richard Deusy handled the grade, continuing a collaboration that spans more than a decade.

“I often shot at 2000–2500 ISO on older RED cameras to create grain, but now texture can be added cleanly in post — though I still want it present in dailies.”

Shooting inside a real WWII camp

After two weeks in Lyon, the production moved to Thorée-les-Pins, near La Flèche, a former military camp which from 1944 to 1948, was one of the largest internment centers for German prisoners in Europe. Six of the watchtowers are still intact, complete with original searchlights and were used as part of the set.

“It felt very strange to be sure and I think the emotional weight of the place helped shaped the film’s atmosphere. It was something very special,” he says. The production added modern automation to the towers’ lights, allowing the team to choreograph sweeping beams and flashlight effects with precision.

Hensgens worked with Stéphane Bourgoin the gaffer he has known for 20 years. They used 9K HMIs for daylight but relied heavily on concert‑style fixtures controlled via iPad to create the shifting, unstable light of a powerless camp.

The schedule was tight: 28 days, unusually short for a French feature. But Hensgens had six to seven weeks of preparation and a crew fully aligned with the visual plan. “All was clear. We are on the same page and we can go very quickly,” he says.

A second camera for instinctive moments

Alongside the V-RAPTOR, Hensgens carried a Nikon ZR compact camera with a Panavised adapter to take the B-Series lens. He used it for vehicle rigs and at times when the A camera was being prepared for set. He also grabbed it when the camp’s atmosphere demanded an immediate shot.

“Sometimes I’d go out alone into the camp when I had five minutes because the light was very good at that moment,” he says. “It’s so easy to use and the workflow is the same as RED camera which is a huge advantage to me.”

In the final film, the Nikon shots blend seamlessly. “The second shot in movie is from the Nikon and it's impossible to tell the difference.”

Auteuil not only produces but plays the role of humanitarian Alexandre Glasberg in the film. He put his trust in the expertise of HoDs like editor Valérie Deseine, costume designer Charlotte Bétaillole and Hensgens himself to steer key decisions.

“Daniel likes his creative team to propose a strong direction but it is always a matter for dialogue and debate. We share a visual language that is both modern and rooted in cinema history.

“We are making a period picture using older lenses but the most modern camera. It's a contradiction but I think the combination is ideal for Daniel. We are trying to create an unsettling atmosphere and texture by mixing an old style and modern sensibility at the same time.”