It’s a project that has been mobilizing the photographer for over a year. Yann Arthus-Bertrand leaves the landscapes and wildlife for humans. He travels across France to portray the French. More than 18,000 photos have already been done, to integrate them into one or even several books. This weekend, residents of Lons-le-Saunier will be in front of the camera.
The project did not come out of the blue. Yann Arthus-Bertrand says he made portraits in the 90s for the magazine l’Express. He then focused on the career we know, with photography books and documentary films “La terre vue du ciel” or “Planète Océan”. Two years ago he decided to resume the portrait adventure, by meeting the demographer Hervé Lebrun and with his assistant Françoise. Making portraits for “putting a face to INSEE figures“, a photographic work and “almost scientific“, says Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
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“Photographing happy people”
While traveling through France, the photographer wants to capture “what it means to be French today“He asks people to come with family, friends, colleagues, to “photograph happy people“. But also be able to document the company of the present, “If people have work clothes, I ask them to come with them.“
“I want to do work that makes France”, explains Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Everyone leaves with their digital file to collect the photos. To participate, you had to register but there are sometimes withdrawals. The meeting is given at the former Aristide Briand school in Lons-le-Saunier.
