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Children's multiple perspectives see innocence in a chaotic world - French documentary "To Me Now"

Sep 8, 2023

Apart from the romance in the movie, how would children growing up in Paris view the society they live in? "Women with Cameras: Works of Female Cinematographers" organized by the Hong Kong Arts Center, the documentary "To Me Now" was screened. The director walked out of the romantic Paris of his imagination and handed over the camera to the "dangerous restricted area" in Paris. Students who live in middle schools present different stories of Paris to the audience through their lenses.

( Original article published in Functional Words·Intangible )

Text | Wang Hanliang

When you think of movies shot in Paris, which one comes to mind? Is it "Breathless", "Amélie", "Sunset in Paris", or "Midnight in Paris"? Whether it is Jean-Loup Gouda or Lively Allen, under the lens of the master, Paris is always full of romantic and confusing love and encounters. However, apart from the romance in the movie, how would children growing up in Paris view the society they live in? "Women with Cameras: Works of Female Cinematographers" organized by the Hong Kong Arts Center, the documentary "To Me Now" was screened. The director walked out of the romantic Paris of his imagination and handed over the camera to the "dangerous restricted area" in Paris. Students who live in middle schools present different stories of Paris to the audience through their lenses.

Dangerous restricted areas in Paris

"To Me Now" was created collectively by director Eric Baudelaire and 21 students from secondary schools in Seine-Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, over a four-year period. The province of Seine-Saint-Denis is also known as the "93rd District". According to the French National Bureau of Statistics, the "93rd District" is the poorest area in France. Due to its high crime rate, chaotic public security, prevalent drug trafficking and other problems, Considered a "danger zone" in Paris. In November 2015, a series of terrorist attacks occurred locally. Suicide bomb attacks planned by the Islamic State killed 127 people, making it the most serious terrorist attack in France since World War II. Since then, "Area 93" has been considered a hotbed of extremists and described by the media as a "forbidden zone" full of dangers.

Living in this environment that is stigmatized by the media and scandalized by the public, how do children deal with themselves and how do they understand this complex society? Eric Baudelaire, the director of "To Me Now", visited middle schools in the district and recorded their growth stories with his camera. What is special about the film is that the director does not simply describe the community or the people in it from an outsider's perspective. Instead, the camcorders were given to 21 middle school students in the district, who filmed their daily lives and decided on their own the content and direction of the film. The director used this experimental approach in order to go beyond the labels and imaginations of the media and the public and allow students to record it personally. For the first time in their lives, the students had the opportunity to take pictures of the world from their own perspective. Even if it’s just moments of getting along with neighbors, scenes of playing with classmates, traveling back to hometown with relatives, or crying because of the memory of the deceased grandfather, or dancing and laughing with friends. Everything seems to be an ordinary growth process, but it is also placed in the movie by the director. It seems to be ordinary daily life, but there seems to be some gap compared to other people's impressions and fears of this place.

See the chaotic world through a child’s eyes

The terrorist attacks that occurred in 2015 became a trauma in the hearts of French people. Politicians took the opportunity to sensationalize the incident and make people fear people of different skin colors and ethnicities. "To Me Now" records how students living in the district discussed politics, racism, Islamophobia and other issues after the terrorist attacks. Their seemingly innocent words contain many profound experiences and reflections. Many of these students come from working-class and immigrant families. After the terrorist attacks, they found that other people looked at them differently, even if they were just walking with their fathers on the street, simply because their fathers had thick beards. , has attracted the attention of others, and people have become full of hostility and fear.

There is an interesting discussion in the film between white student Gabriel-David and black student Guy-Yanis talking about Le Pen, the leader of the far-right party who is running for the French presidency. They described her as a "racist" and just wanted to bring different people together. People of different skin colors and races are driven out of France, and we cannot see that people of different skin colors also have a kind side. They also debated the issue of "ethnicity". Guy-Yanis' parents had immigrated to France from Cote d'Ivoire before he was born. Does his dark skin mean that he is not a pure French? "You are 100% French, just like French cheese!" Gabriel-David said.

The students lived in the slums of Paris and took camcorders to film fragments of their lives everywhere. In one scene, the student was in his father's car and filmed a large group of homeless people living on the side of the road outside the car window. Her father described this scene as "the misery of Parisians" and explained to her that some of these homeless people were immigrants without French citizenship and could not settle in France and could only hope to find work in the UK. When the children saw this scene, they couldn't help but ask, "Why are they driven away?" In this society, why can't people always coexist harmoniously and equally? Why are there always conflicts between human beings, because differences in race, belief, and class make people hostile to each other? They even discussed philosophical issues. "It's a good thing we're all different, otherwise there wouldn't be problems and stories."

The distance between "93 arrondissement" and the Eiffel Tower

At the end of the film, students hold a video camera and interview Guy-Yanis, "Do you think you can become the president of France?" He replies, "If I said I could, I would be lying." As from "Area 93" As a black student, in the eyes of many people, it has become a symbol of crime, chaos and violence, but even so, with a positive and optimistic personality, he still hopes to stand up one day and let people know about the people from "District 93" Not so. There is always a gap between people's prejudices and reality.

Just like in the movie, the child zoomed in on the Eiffel Tower with the camera, as if it was a symbol and pride of the French. After zooming out, the audience discovered that there was a long distance between where they were and the Eiffel Tower. The place where they lived was hidden in the corner of Paris, surrounded by inconspicuous civilian buildings. But even in the dark, what they saw was the same beautiful scene.

Even though "To Me Now" is a combination of clips shot by the director and students, and may seem abrupt or lengthy in some places, there is no doubt that the shooting techniques of this documentary provide students in "District 93" with a rare experience. opportunity to tell your story. And the audience can also see from the children's perspective, from the clips they shot, how they grew up in the so-called "sinful place" of Paris, how they explored and understood this torn world, and maintained their integrity in it. With innocence, kindness and hope.