“Can ecology burst the screen?” This is the question posed by the Parisian documentary film festival Gare aux Docs, for its fifth edition, from August 16 to 27. To answer this, ten films will be screened every evening from Tuesday to Saturday for two weeks at the REcyclerie, a third place dedicated to ecology and living together located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. Located on the edge of the small belt (the place once housed the Ornano station), it offers outdoor screenings on the tracks of the old railway line as part of the festival.
On the program: films to question the place of ecology in today’s societal, political and media space, discover transition paths towards an eco-responsible way of life or become aware of contemporary environmental issues. . The documentary New Seed, by Sophie Labruyere and Nicolas Meyrieux, broadcast in February on Francetv Slash, traces the passage of a young videographer from the streets of the capital to the fields of the Landes, where he decides to become a farmer. In a completely different genre, Behemoth, by Liang Zhao, offers an aesthetic and terrifying dive into a China deteriorated by incessant industrialization.
If most of the films on the bill have been shot in the last ten years, we note the presence of Year 01, by Jacques Doillon, Alain Resnais and Jean Rouch, a delightful adaptation released in 1973 of the eponymous comic strip by Gébé, acerbic critic of the race for growth. Finally, the National Audiovisual Institution (INA), partner of the festival, should offer interesting perspectives with the broadcast, before each film, of television archives questioning the place of ecology in public debate.
A few days before the launch of the festival, Franceinfo Culture was able to speak with Simon Rossard, head of eco-cultural programming at la REcyclerie.
Franceinfo Culture: How was the “Gare aux Docs” festival born?
Simon Rossard: La REcyclerie is located in Paris, a stone’s throw from Porte de Clignancourt, in a priority area of the city where there are few green spaces and places to build common property. The festival was born from the desire to bring free cultural content to the inhabitants of our neighborhood, especially during the summer. Many people do not go on vacation, the cinema seemed to us to be the best way to escape without moving from home. And very quickly, we wanted to highlight documentary cinema, as well as a cinema that is committed and touches on ecology.
Why did you choose a specifically documentary film festival?
La REcyclerie, whether as part of Gare aux Docs or other events, has always established its programming by trying to offer the public a culture of ecology (scientific, political, media, etc.). Our job is to help everyone to give themselves the means to move forward on their path towards an eco-responsible lifestyle. This required being as close to reality as possible. It is in this sense that the choice of the documentary was imposed, in order to be able to share experiences and solutions rooted in plural realities. The objective is to give the public tools, whether conceptual, technical, or citizens, to allow everyone to move forward in their own way towards ecological transition.
How did you establish your programming?
This year, with the theme “Can ecology break the screen?”, we wanted to present a wide variety of content and formats, ranging from confidential documentaries to more high-profile films, released in cinemas such as I am Greta, by Nathan Grossman or Bigger than us, by Flore Vasseur. We also wanted to initiate a reflection on ecology through a media prism, with the documentary Media Crash journalists Valentine Oberti and Luc Hermann.
The program also includes two films that have never been shown before: Oasis of Peace Utopias and Utopias ZAD Everywhere by Henri Poulain, one of the creators of the show DataGueule.
another utopia @Data_Gueule to discover on the big screen of Gare aux Docs: @PoulainOriginal takes you to Oasis de Paix, a village where another story is being written: that of sharing, listening and living together.
Free registrations https://t.co/QpRJyk0MYr pic.twitter.com/SmoejcV4Vy– The REcyclerie (@LaRe_cyclerie) August 12, 2022
Finally, we have established our programming also according to the time of sunset, which marks the start of the screenings. As the nights get longer as August progresses, the shortest films (50 minutes) are scheduled the first week, and the longer documentaries (around 1h20) the week of after. It was also a way for us to anchor the festival in reality.
Gare aux Docs, committed documentary film festival. From August 16 to 27, 2022. Free on registration. La REcyclerie, 83 boulevard Ornano 75018 Paris. Full festival schedule here.