Conspiracy film about vaccines grabs eyeballs

A controversial documentary film questioning the purpose of coronavirus vaccines has gone viral in France after endorsements from politicians and celebrities, some of whom later withdrew their support.

Hold Up got more than 4 million views on Google’s YouTube and other platforms over a couple of days last week, helped along on social media by public figures including lawmakers, former first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and actor Sophie Marceau.

Suspicions over the safety and effectiveness of vaccines are widespread in France. In a study released this week by the think tank Fondation Jean-Jaures, 43% of respondents said they would refuse to get a shot – 7% more than in the US, and twice as many as in the UK.

The video, which is more than two hours long, suggests the global response to Covid-19 is a plot hatched by big drug companies and governments to create a surveillance state and a submissive population.

The film has echoes of the English-language documentary Plandemic that also went viral earlier this year.