23 MAY — 02 JUNE 2024

23 MAY — 02 JUNE 2024

Direct Action

Guillaume Cailleau, Ben Russell

Germany / France

2024, 216'

The title refers to a protest tactic that aims to achieve results by the most effective means. A portrait of an important community in France, which brings together activists, anarchists, farmers and people considered eco-terrorists by the French government. This community has already survived several onslaughts that would have wiped it out, and has even created a movement focused on climate change. The film delves into the heart of the people who make up the community.

Filmmaking processes are made up of chemical reactions with light that end up generating the image on celluloid. It is precisely from this abyss between what is filmed and what is seen that the great power of DIRECT ACTION by Guillaume Cailleau & Ben Russell manifests itself. Shot on S16mm, the filmmakers document, through an intimate and immersive process, part of the daily life of an important collective of activists who occupied a territory against airport expansion on the outskirts of Paris. The portrayal of the group’s direct actions extends to absolutely every aspect of their lives, from the preparation of bread to a long night on watch. By praising extended time in contrast to ultra-mechanistic life processes, Cailleau & Russell build through blatant simplicity a profound portrait of an activism that reflects on what one thinks and what one does. (Lucas Camargo de Barros)

Silvestre

SCREENINGS

May 23, Thursday, 19:15 (216')

Culturgest, Small Auditorium • C.309

May 26, Sunday, 19:15 (216')

Culturgest, Small Auditorium • C.312

INFO

PREMIERE TYPE

National

ORIGINAL TITLE

Direct Action

LANGUAGE

French / Arabic

PHOTOGRAPHY

Ben Russell

SOUND

Bruno Auzet

EDITING

Guillaume Cailleau, Ben Russell

PRODUCER

Guillaume Cailleau

PRODUCTION

Caskfilms, Volte Film

SALES

Shellac Films ([email protected])

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