Arte France’s ‘Tax Me (If You Can)’ Scores Wide‑European Broadcast Deals

Paris‑based sales outfit The Party Film Sales, the same outfit that handled the Oscar‑nominated "The Voice of Hind Rajab" and Cannes Un Certain Regard winner "Congo Boy," just announced a handful of new deals for the French documentary "Tax Me (If You Can!)." The film, directed by investigative journalist‑filmmaker Thomas Lafarge, dives deep into the ever‑growing fortunes of the world’s wealthiest and the political push to tax them.

On the eve of the Unifrance Rendez‑Vous in Le Havre – the annual market where French‑made TV and film meet the world – The Party Film Sales confirmed that the documentary will soon be rolling out on public broadcasters in Spain (RTVE), Switzerland (RTS), Slovenia (RTV) and Finland (YLE). Those sales were disclosed just days before Arte France launches the series on its streaming platform arte.tv (Sept 8) and then on the linear ARTE channel (Sept 14).

“Getting leading European broadcasters on board so quickly, before the first airing, is an incredibly encouraging sign,” said Estelle de Araujo, co‑head of international sales at The Party. “Public broadcasters are under budget pressure everywhere, so when they decide to buy a documentary about tax policy, it tells us there’s genuine appetite for this subject.”

The film can be packaged either as a single 52‑minute feature or split into two 45‑minute parts, giving buyers flexibility for scheduling. In it, Lafarge, who is 38, teams up again with co‑director Adrien Pinon and producer Xavier Harel – the trio behind "The World According to Amazon" and "In the Murky Waters of BNP Paribas" – to trace how the ultra‑rich have seen their wealth explode over the last two decades.

He also pulls the thread of the “trickle‑down” economics narrative, championed by American economist Arthur Laffer, and juxtaposes it against a new wave of scholars and activists calling for a global tax on billionaires. French economist Gabriel Zucman, whose work has inspired initiatives in France, the UK, Sweden and the United States, appears prominently in the film.

According to Lafarge, the spark for the project was a simple headline about a handful of multi‑millionaires publicly urging higher taxes. “That struck me as a ‘man‑bites‑dog’ story,” he explained, quoting activist Chuck Collins. “Usually you hear the ultra‑rich quietly protecting their fortunes; when they start advocating for more tax, it becomes newsworthy.”

Securing an interview with Zucman turned out to be a blend of luck and persistence. “I’d been following his research for years,” Lafarge recalled. “When I reached out, his team invited me to Washington for the G20. They hinted something big was brewing, and I didn’t realize it would spark an international campaign on billionaire taxation.”

The biggest hurdle, however, was coaxing the wealthy themselves to speak on camera. “It’s a myth that only French elites are shy about money,” Lafarge said. “In reality, rich people everywhere are wary of exposing their finances, even if they support higher taxes. They’re protecting themselves from potential legal or reputational risk.”

De Araujo hopes the rapid uptake of “Tax Me (If You Can!)” will translate into broader public discussion. “When decision‑makers in public service choose to air a documentary that tackles inequality, concentration of wealth and fair taxation, it sends a powerful editorial and political signal,” she noted.

For now, viewers in Spain, Switzerland, Slovenia and Finland can expect the film to hit their screens later this autumn, while the rest of Europe watches to see if similar deals will follow. As the conversation around taxing the ultra‑rich intensifies, Lafarge’s documentary may just become the go‑to reference point for policymakers and everyday citizens alike.