Several years ago, when he was still a teenager, Valentin Chanéac liked to question his grandmother from Sainte-Eulalie (in Ardèche) about life in the past. And each time, the young man was marked by the shift in his grandmother’s tone. “She said things that were exceptional to me, but so banal to her. As if nothing had happened, we had to go out, in the middle of the garden, and even in the middle of winter, to go to the toilet! These kinds of anecdotes from a generation still in this world made me want to collect others,” explains Valentin Chanéac.
A graduate in 3D image, the Ardéchois returns to his land after his studies. He meets the companion of a friend who works in the production of documentary films. He then leaves everything and launches into his project, Padgels, a documentary in four episodes, each representing a season of the year.
Since September, the young director has been scouring the village halls and small cinemas of Ardèche to present the first part: Mountains. He will be in Haute-Loire on January 12, at the invitation of the Laussonne festival committee. He will then go to Saint-Front on January 26.
“Mountains deals more with the city-country cliché, with life on the plateau, with a few leaps into the past and many anecdotes of the arrival of comfort in homes”
Around 30 people testified in this documentary which lasts more than 7 and a half hours in total. The following episodes are more intimate and go beyond the borders of Ardèche. “These are subjects that concern all the inhabitants of this type of territory, such as loss of autonomy, departure to nursing homes or end of life. »
“The same lifestyles”
The videographer plans to release a part every six months, each one rich in numerous testimonies, interspersed with landscapes captured with a drone. “We are going to go back through the seasons, from winter to spring. »
The Ardéchois grew up and lives not far from Haute-Loire, 20 minutes from Les Estables. “I have a lot of friends there. » It was then important for him to present Padgels to the Altiligerians. “The lifestyles are the same between the two territories, as is the climate. » After a stop in Laussonne and Saint-Front, Valentin Chanéac hopes to be able to show his documentary in other communes of Haute-Loire. The call is made.
Nathan Marliac
