More than fifty associations, traders, companies and citizens gathered together, around forty meetings over a month and a half… The figures give an idea of the scale of the event.
From November 21, 2024 to January 12, 2025, Douarnenez (Finistère) will vibrate to the rhythm of the celebrations of the centenary of the victorious strike of Douarneniste cannery workers, a major social movement which lasted 46 consecutive days.
A “bustling” program
Screenings, shows, exhibitions, readings, conferences, quizzes… In recent months, each structure that makes up the collective, called “Pemp real a vo” (1), has freely thought about and developed the animations of its wish. Hence this program “in the image of the collective” : “diverse, sparkling, bubbling and around common values”.
“Our objective was to bring to life this intangible common good of Douarnenez, a good which brings people together, which says something about the history of the city, we indicate within Pemp real a vo. This desire germinated in the spring of 2023, at a time when divisions between “neo-Douarnenistes” and “pure Douarnenistes” were taking hold in the city, where caricatured stories were erasing what makes Douarnenez strong: making something common -beyond differences, as the sardine boats did a century ago to obtain salary advances. »
Moments of communion
Kick-off of the festivities on November 21 with the Sabine Corre show The red strikeat the V and B bar, in Pouldavid. But the big inaugural highlight will indeed be the “singing crowd”. This large ephemeral choir will bring together nearly 600 people on November 23, at 1:30 p.m., at the port of Rosmeur. Together, they will sing a repertoire of work and struggle songs. A grand ball will follow, then a fest-noz with a stage at Place des Halles and another at the village hall.
Another time of communion where everyone will be invited to give their voice: a shared banquet in each district of the city, on January 12, before a big karaoke of struggle songs.
“In-depth” conferences
Apart from festive events, a cycle of weekly conferences will be offered “background” at the Port-muséum auditorium, on the strike, its protagonists and its consequences. For example, Jean-Michel Le Boulanger will speak about Daniel Le Flanchec on November 29, the historian Fanny Bugnon, about Joséphine Pencalet, on December 20, or even the unions, about work in the canneries today, January 11.
For movie buffs, there will be a host of screenings. Including a preview, The sardine strikeby Nina Montagné, November 22, at the La Balise cinema. This will be followed by the 1989 short film The red factoryby Marie Hélia, who tells the story of the fish canneries in Douarnenez through the women who worked there between 1905 and 1989.
Note that this vast project received the support of the City. A financial contribution was notably paid.
Complete program downloadable from the City website or from the Facebook page of the Pemp real a vo collective.
(1) “Five reals it will be”, slogan of the strike
