The clandestine photographer under the Occupation Raoul Minot, and the cinematic legacy of Sophie Fillières to her children

In Tout Public on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, journalist Philippe Broussard presents his series of articles which revealed the identity of the resistance fighter Raoul Minot, Sophie Fillières’ children return to the film that their mother did not have time to finalize.

Philippe Broussard is the author of a series of articles published this summer in the newspaper The Worldwhich retrace the story of mysterious photographs taken in Paris during the Occupation between 1940 and 1942. These photographs were found by chance in a flea market. Initial research allowed the photographer, Raoul Minot, to be identified, who died at the Liberation. A four-year investigation that the journalist recounts.

“There is a difference between these photos and the archives we already had: their amateur and clandestine nature, since at the time taking photos was formally forbidden by the Nazi regime, not to mention the fact that they were embellished with mocking comments about German soldiers. In total, 700 photos were collected and are full of incredible richness to retrace another history of Paris under the Occupation during the Second World War.“

“In the background, we have a captive city, a silent city. We have Paris as we have rarely seen it.”

Philippe Broussard

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This weekend, the author of this quasi-police journalistic series published a breakthrough in the investigation, since a photograph of Raoul Minot himself was found. Arnaud Papillon, historian at the National Office of War Combatants and Victims, looks back on the moment when Philippe Broussard called him to give a face to the photographer who had long remained anonymous. “I believe that now, with hindsight, we can better appreciate the historical and memorial importance of this set of photographs.”shares the historian.

Despite the many advances and the work carried out to reconstruct the identity of this resistance fighter who might never have been known to History, many mysteries still remain.

My life my facea wacky and melancholic film, could not be finalized by its director Sophie Fillières, who died just after filming, in July 2023. Knowing that she was doomed, she entrusted her editor and her children, Agathe and Adam Bonitzer, with the editing and post-production work.

The choice of the film’s subject can be troubling, since the director stages on screen a double of herself, going through a midlife crisis, and who questions herself about death, her desires, and herself. But be careful not to see this as a testament or an autobiography. Her daughter Agathe Bonitzer rather describes it as “self-portrait”the writing of the screenplay having begun before she discovered she was ill.

“What is surprising is that in the theaters, during the previews, we heard people laughing and blowing their noses in the same scene or for the same line.”

Agathe Bonitzer

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This ability to arouse multiple and contradictory emotions, the film also owes it to Agnès Jaoui, who plays the heroine. After a whole career where the two actresses and directors crossed paths, rubbed shoulders, but never met, this film will have allowed them “[de se rencontrer] on a mental, spiritual, moral level, says Adam Bonitzer. I think the film is also the result of this meeting.”he adds.

This film marks the completion of his work, of which it is also possible to find a retrospective at the Cinémathèque, which will begin at the same time as the theatrical release of My life my faceWednesday, September 18, 2024.