Netflix's Ad Vitam focuses heavily on something known as the GIGN, but what does the term mean?
The new streaming thriller mixes elements of several big-name blockbusters, taking ingredients from action greats like Taken, the Bourne franchise, and Mission: Impossible (whose latest movie is due this summer).
This unique mixture creates a man-on-the-run story filled with international espionage, betrayal, and doing anything to save a loved one.
What Does GIGN Mean in Ad Vitam?
Fans are scratching their heads after hearing the term GIGN several times in Netflix's Ad Vitam.
The French-language action thriller follows a man named Frank (played by Guillaume Canet) as he is sent on the run following his wife being kidnapped by a group of mysterious gunmen.
From there, the story jumps back in time, revealing to audiences how Franck found himself in this situation and who exactly was after him/his wife.
That is where the GIGN comes in (aka the Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale). Translated into English, the team's name is National Gendarmerie Intervention Group.
Established in 1974, GIGN is an elite French tactical police unit used primarily for counterterrorism, hostage rescue, surveillance of national threats, protection of government officials, critical site protection, and protection against organized crime.
The real-life French group is a major plot point in the movie, serving as an origin story for its primary protagonist. Franck is revealed to have been an agent of the team, following in his father's footsteps, who was also a member of GIGN.
Ad Vitam derives its Latin name from this familial connection within the force. In the film, "Ad Vitam" is written on the back of Franck's GIGN badge, a family heirloom passed down to him by his late dad (read more about what Ad Vitam's title means).
Franck does not last long on the squad, though, as he is discharged and fired after leading his team into a deadly mission that resulted in the death of his partner, Nico.
The real-life GIGN is known as one of the most efficient SWAT-like organizations in the world, so French law enforcement highly seeks vacant positions in the unit.
Unlike some national tactical police units, GIGN does not just operate within French borders, taking on missions worldwide to protect French interests.
Many of its missions are deeply classified; however, one of its most prominent public efforts came in December 1994, as GIGN members successfully stormed Air France Flight 8969 after it had been hijacked by several members of the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria at Marseille Provence Airport (per Global Defense News).
Ad Vitam is not the first time GIGN has been depicted in pop culture. The group has also appeared in several other French productions for film and TV, including L'Assaut, L'Ordre et la Morale, and L'intervention.
Ad Vitam is streaming on Netflix.
