Director Isabelle Brocard was interested in the figure of Mary over the centuries. His two-part documentary, All about Maryis broadcast on Arte.tv until February 3, 2025 and on the air on January 5 at 4:50 p.m.
Two thousand years of history of artistic representations of this iconic figure and the roles attributed to him are proposed here. Because Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the most represented woman in the world and, to do so, she took on countless faces: daughter mother, goddess, queen of heaven, warrior… By turns political, muse or protector, this “Virgin blessed among all women” implicitly tells the story of the societies that venerate her. But does Mary still have something to tell us? What can we learn about our societies by exploring the representations of a young Jewish girl who became the most famous woman in humanity? What did we want him to say? These are some of the questions that director Isabelle Brocard addresses, relying, to answer them, on the insights of a wide range of specialists: art historians, museum curators, psychoanalysts, anthropologists… but also , naturally, theologians, or rather women theologians from the four monotheistic religions: Anne Soupa (Catholic theologian), Delphine Horvilleur (rabbi and philosopher), Sherin Kankahn (imam of the Mariam Mosque in Copenhagen) and Marion Müller-Collard (pastor, Protestant theologian, writer).
Through two episodes retracing nearly two thousand years of history, she questions the sibylline and protean face of the mother of Jesus, detailing the different roles she has assumed over the centuries to serve the Church, the nations or the patriarchy. We made Marie say what we wanted, explains the director, who examines this eminently plastic figure, a reflection of the people who worship her and a receptacle of the representations that each mobilizes according to contexts and needs. Before she becomes a muse of pop culture and a source of inspiration for contemporary artists who will give a free and unique voice to this hitherto silent icon.
Part 1: “This obscure object of desire”
This first part traces the evolution of the figure of Mary, from its first representations in primitive Christian art to its incarnation as a universal feminine symbol. The documentary focuses on how Mary became an icon, both an object of desire and a model of purity. Isabelle Brocard explores the ambiguity surrounding the Virgin, between the image of the ideal mother and the projection of masculine fantasies across the centuries. By exploring works of art and religious texts, the film highlights the progressive construction of this complex figure. Mary is both venerated as a saint, but her image is also invested by cultural ideals often at odds with her strict religious representation.
Part 2: “An icon under the influence? »
In the second part, the documentary looks at the way in which Mary continues to permeate contemporary culture, particularly outside the religious sphere. Isabelle Brocard shows how Marie evolved to become an iconic figure within pop culture, used in contemporary art, cinema, and even fashion. The Virgin, once a symbol of submission and piety, is reinterpreted by modern artists, feminists and intellectuals, who make it a symbol of strength, resistance and emancipation. The film also highlights the use of Marie in various contexts, such as advertising and social campaigns, where she embodies universal values of protection and comfort.
With All about MaryIsabelle Brocard certainly offers an in-depth and nuanced analysis of this religious figure, showing his cultural and spiritual influence.
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