“Happy days”, what a beautiful title for a political program, especially when it comes true… And yet this program almost never existed. Firstly because it is the fruit of Resistance movements that are often divided on the ground. What did notable Freemasons, Catholics, people from Popular Front parties to whom certain Resistance members blamed the defeat, former members of the monarchical right, communists accused of having late joined the Resistance and Gaullists have in common? from the first hour?
Apart from the hatred of the invader, they only had in common a certain idea of the Resistance, a “spirit of the Resistance” according to Pierre Vallaud who will shed light on these ferments during a week dedicated to this subject, between conferences, film screenings and concerts. We owe Jean Moulin the merit of having brought together these 14 Resistance movements: first on the military level then on the program to be applied as soon as Paris was liberated.
Field Men Program
He did this through the founding of the National Council of Resistance, created in May 1943, a few weeks before his arrest. This program, which is not, according to Pierre Vallaud, “that of political theorists but of men in the field”, first plans to find a semblance of departmental administration and rules during the Liberation of the territory, especially for General de Gaulle who did not want to leave too much room for the communists.
Then the program provided for an immediate set of reforms: restoration of democracy, freedom of the press, nationalization of energy, transport, insurance, banks, social security, works councils, the end of sharecropping… And the most incredible thing was that this program was fully implemented and that we are still referring to it, 80 years later.
In each cycle of conferences, Pierre Vallaud encompasses the movement of ideas to show how each period of political change is accompanied by a cultural ferment: we think of Albert Camus but this year, the trend will be New Orleans jazz and two important figures, Claude Luter and Boris Vian. For totally happy days!
The program
Mardi 5. At the Galaxie cinema, at 6 p.m.: “The Bicycle Thief” by Vittorio De Sica. Released in 1948, in the rubble of fascism and a shattered economy, this film embodies human and social cinema. 8 p.m.: “The Army of Shadows” by Jean-Pierre Melville (remastered). Adapted from the novel by J. Kessel, the film depicts the clandestine life of a network. A remarkable cast, a moving Lino Ventura. (6 euros per session, 10 euros for both).
Wednesday 6. At the media library, 7 p.m.: conference by Michel Hoareau, guitarist and teacher at the Landes conservatory: the massive arrival of jazz, music synonymous with freedom, through the figure of Boris Vian.
Thursday 7. At the media library, 7 p.m.: concert with Eric Luter (son of Claude), trumpeter and singer, accompanied by Loïc Bonnaud (percussion), Chuchi Garcia (double bass), Guillaume Schmidt (saxophone) and Mich Hoareau.
Friday 8. At the media library, 7 p.m.: conference by Pierre Vallaud “Happy days, CNR program”, followed by a dinner upon registration at 05 58 51 34 04 (35 euros).
