In a column sent to our colleagues in “Le Monde”, this Sunday, April 28, around thirty descendants of the “Kieffer commandos” denounce “Normandy Memory”, a “commercial and ridiculous” show project.
They don’t mince their words. Around thirty descendants of “Kieffer commandos” decided to speak in a column signed by our colleagues from Le Monde.
Together, they raise their voice against the project “Normandy Memory”A big immersive show of the Landings and the Battle of Normandy which is to take place in Colombelles, in Calvados. A few weeks from ceremonies of the 80ethey maintain their total opposition to this project:
We, children and descendants of the French soldiers of the 1st battalion of marine commandos (BFMC) who landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944 under the orders of Commander Philippe Kieffer, would like to renew our firm opposition to the supposedly memorial show project supported by the president of the Normandy region, by the president of the urban community of Caen-la-Mer and by the mayor of Colombelles.
Descendants of the “Kieffer commandos”Extract from the column published in Le Monde
Announced four years ago, this project initially named “D-day land”, Next “Tribute to the heroes” and from now on “Normandy Memory was initially to be located in Carentan-les-Marais, in Manche. But the project had to face strong opposition, particularly on historical and ecological aspects.
The project leaders therefore chose to turn to the former SMN located in Colombelles, in Calvados.
The signatories continue to say “No” and denounce a staging of history: “What we know about it today further strengthens our position: a 45-minute show, with extras, a thousand spectators loaded, several times a day, on a mobile platform parading in front of sets, some twenty-five scenes of less than 2 minutes each…, everything points to a memory business machine for tour operators.”
The project is supported by the Normandy region, by the urban community of Caen-la-Mer and by the mayor of Colombelles: “We give no credit to the speech that the leaders of this project and the elected officials who support it can make on the alleged educational and immersive virtues of this show of which they have already praised the ‘wow effect’. How can we believe to the interest of a show which is aimed in the same way at children, young people and adults, whether they are French or foreign, whether they have any knowledge of this determining episode of the Second World War or are they familiar with it? They add :
Such a show to be “consumed” by such a diversity of audiences can only be simplistic and will inevitably emphasize sensations and the spectacular, more than history and reflection. Many specialist historians have already commented on this point. We also denounced the very idea of installing this project near the D-Day beaches.
Descendants of the “Kieffer commandos”Extract from the column published in Le Monde
Through this column signed in Le Monde, the descendants of “Kieffer commandos” hope that the project leaders will backtrack: “Current events cruelly remind us that wars are first and foremost tragedies. We call once again for a burst of dignity and the definitive abandonment of this project.”