A 27-year-old journalist from Ille-et-Vilaine wins the Albert Londres prize

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Breton Germain Baslé received the highest distinction for French-speaking journalists. It's about the price Albert London.

Wednesday December 4, 2024, 27 year old reporter was awarded the prize in the audiovisual category for his report Philippines, the little gold diggers produced with Antoine Védeilhé.

This is a 36-minute documentary broadcast on Arte.

An edifying documentary filmed in the Philippines

For the native of Corps-Nuds (Ille-et-Vilaine), south of Rennes, the prize recognizes long-term work with his colleague Antoine Védeilhé.

“It’s a lot of emotion and it was unexpected. We didn't expect it. We had people in front of us that we admire,” explains Germain on the phone from India, a country where he works for the France 2 New Delhi bureau.

Philippines, the little gold diggers is an edifying documentary which tells the daily life of two child gold miners, forced to dive into water and mud holes.

Before going there, the work of the two journalists lasted several months. “It was Antoine who found the subject and it was he who constructed it. We had to find the fixer and how we were going to do it on site. »

The report was also complicated to set up. “We had to find the family who agreed to talk and have their children filmed as they put them in the coals. The difficulty lay there, because we were not on dangerous ground,” says Germain.

Nevertheless, the journalist remembers a delicate day.

She was the last one there. This is the first sequence that opens the documentary. She is strong. You had to move through mud up to your hips. It was exhausting because we were cold and it was raining. We shot it in one day.

Moreover, Germain still remains stunned by an “out of the ordinary” scene where a child disappears into a mud hole. “You have to see it to believe it, because I think these are images that have never been seen before. »

Finally, Germain does not forget to include a thank you also to Art reporting. “It’s an incredible box for that. We were able to produce a fairly long report with a freedom of form which allowed us to take the time. We were very supported by the channel. »

From Corps-Nuds to New Delhi

At 27, Germain adds a very good line to his CV with this Albert Londres prize. Native of Corps-Nudsthe Bretillian did his schooling in Janzé and spent a lot of time Vitré and Argentré-du-Plessis.

Then, he attended high school in Rennes. “It was here that I discovered the newspapers at the CDI and in particular reports in The World. I remember photo subjects like those of Jean-Philippe Rémy in Iraq for example. I said to myself: “I really want to experience history on the ground and be the one who witnesses it. » »

The vocation becomes clearer for those who have no journalists in their family. He then returns to the Catholic Institute of Rennes for a history degree with a political science course.

“There was a journalism option. I was able to write my first articles and do internships like Polka magazine. » With a degree in his pocket and determined to travel and discover the world around him, Germain then took off in South America.

“I left by bike and did the Andes Mountains.» One of the largest mountain ranges in the world. For seven months, he reported on the phone and kept a blog. “I was followed by 400 high school students,” the reporter recalls.

This large playground allows him to cut his teeth.

I realized that I loved filming and meeting people. It was really cool.

On his return to France, he chose the La Chance prep school, for diversity in the media. She helps scholarship students prepare for journalism school competitions.

Germain then integrates the IPJ in Paris. “There was a two-year rotation in the journalist image reporter service (JRI) of France Télévisions. I had great years reporting for France 2 et France 3. »

Passionate about the field abroad, he then bounced back to France TV office in New Delhi, India . “Here, I can make a few more feature films like the one for Arte Reportage », confides Germain.

“The playground is crazy”

Established for three years in the most populous country on the planet, Germain is having a blast in Asia. “What drives me are meeting people who have extraordinary stories. I have time to think carefully about the subject and I can give importance to the image. It's fun when you're on camera. »

For the reporter, the continent's playing field is “crazy and infinite. We go from translucent seas to the peaks of the Himalayas.” Just that.

I had the chance to go to Bhutan. It is a fascinating country and not easy to access. It is a carbon-neutral green kingdom, but prone to global warming.

Recently, Germain also went to Burma for more delicate news, the civil war which has undermined the country for several months. “It was a special experience, because there is the intensity of a country at war.We share something very strong with the people we meet. »

Less risky, but just as exciting, Germain is currently working on an animal documentary. “I am a specialist on a reserve who is interested in Asian elephants and their feelings. It’s super interesting! », says Germain.

He will continue to make this enthusiasm which characterizes him a strength. “I'm going to continue to focus on Asia because there's so much going on. There is such authenticity in the populations. It’s incredible to film,” concludes the award winner Albert London 2024.

Philippines: the little gold diggersis a documentary to be found here.

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