The Current

'Je Suis Charlie' film chronicles aftermath of Paris shootings

When two gunmen linked to Al Qaeda killed the cartoonists of France's satirical Charlie Hebdo, it was personal for filmmaker Daniel Leconte. He had chronicled the cartoonists court fights on free expression and has created an homage to those individuals and the principles they died trying to uphold.
Father and son filmmakers Daniel and Emmanuel Leconte were with the Charlie Hebdo staff in the days and weeks that followed the Paris attack and chronicle the aftermath going back to work in the film, 'Je Suis Charlie'. (Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images)
"You have the right not to say 'I am Charlie' and even say 'I am not Charlie'. But you have no right to kill somebody because you're offended."- Daniel Leconte, director of "Je Suis Charlie"

On January 7th, 2015, eight journalists of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were killed in by radical Islamic extremists. Two police officers, a caretaker and a visitor were also gunned down in the attack.

Days after the shootings, protests all over the world took place, chanting "Je suis Charlie."

Charlie Hebdo's publishing director Stéphane Charbonnier. (Michael Euler/Associated Press)

The cartoonists Stephane "Charb" Charbonnier and  Jean "Cabu" Cabut were among those killed that day, after brothers Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, forced their way into the offices and opened fire.   

The terror wouldn't end until three days later, when the brothers were killed by police -- ending a hostage situation outside Paris. 

But for all the tremendous solidarity that followed the attacks, Charlie Hebdo continues to have its critics, -- those who believe it's unfairly targeted Islam with cartoons of the prophet Mohammed. 

Father and son filmmakers Daniel and Emmanuel Leconte were with the staff in the days and weeks that followed the attack. Their new documentary is called "Je Suis Charlie," and they were in our Toronto studio.

"Je suis Charlie" is showing at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.
 

 
This segment was produced by The Current's Lara O'Brien.