Les films de la caravane

Contemporary artist Miquel Barceló creates his daring, organic works live on site, a process captured as he prepares an exhibition in Paris.

In Burkina Faso, young men look under the earth for gold – and a better future. As a result, 16-year-old Rasmané barely seems like a teenager any more. This mainly observational film follows him into the 100-metre abyss of small-scale mining.

Claire Simon goes to Lussas, in France’s Ardèche, home to a vibrant community of documentarians. She films the creation of Tënk, an online platform for auteur documentaries. The initiative is a labour of love for the passionate and optimistic people behind it, but the process is long and arduous, as cultural projects often are. The filmmaker followed them for months, capturing their doubts and dilemmas: how do you manage everyday conflicts? Be accepted by a rural population that you aren’t part of? By the general public? Reconcile private life and professional calling? Reassure the mayor? Secure funding without making ethical compromises? A fascinating, bittersweet and insightful behind-the-scenes film. (Apolline Caron-Ottavi)

In the sweltering heat of summer, in the heart of the Swiss mountains, thousands of young scouts gather to take part in a historic camp. A place of adventure, initiation, and small rebellions, it’s where, for a few days, everyone grows at their own pace

In Saint-Nazaire, heavy industry operates in the open air, where the Loire meets the Atlantic Ocean. The film brings together images of the estuary’s landscapes with the words of those who live and work in the area, portraying them as individuals caught in the contradictions of our time and of contemporary labor.

Seventeen-year-old Titenga leaves his traditional village in West Africa in search of a better life in the capital. He quickly falls into a life of misery. To survive, he befriends Ibrahim and the city's beggar children. They become “douanébis”, children who “tax” city dwellers to survive. Between rebellion and delinquency, Titenga loses touch with reality and becomes a gang leader. Believing he is following in the footsteps of his ancestor Pazo, a rebellious spirit from his village, he imagines himself the leader of a social revolt of the country's marginalized people.