FRANCE.TV – ON DEMAND – DOCUMENTARY
Ten years after the terrorist attack on the premises of Charlie Hebdoin Paris, January 7, 2015, Riss, publication director and atheist, is still trying to understand. So he had the idea of discussing it with representatives of the three great monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – in a most ecumenical place: Jerusalem.
Read the meeting: Article reserved for our subscribers Riss, ten years to keep “Charlie” alive
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He makes this choice alone. At the same time author, director, designer (he illustrates historical sequences in animated form), interviewer and narrator, he brings back an essential documentary, to be seen and rewatched to assimilate all of its density and appreciate its humor.
On the screenplay side, his film mixes codes. From the road movie, Riss has thus preserved the arrival by car in Jerusalem or the passage of the checkpoint to go to Hebron, in Palestine; of the investigation, it has the precision of the facts, the dates, the sources – the chronology on the significant stages of the life of Charlie Hebdo alone justifies watching the film. From the travel diary, he has the wanderings, paper and pencils in hand, and the chapter in six parts, which structures the meetings.
Some valves
In front of him, choice interlocutors: the imam and doctor Mustafa Abu Sway, at the Al-Aqsa mosque; the young London rabbi Dov Ber Cohen; Greek Orthodox Brother Issa Thaljieh; Father Peter DuBrul, professor at Bethlehem University; Noam Arnon, spokesperson for the Hebron settlers… In return, Riss does not provoke. But his very strong French accent makes you smile and he cannot curb a few jokes – like when he is presented with two sites, each of which claims to have hosted the Last Supper: “Jesus had to eat twice that day. »
Mustafa Abu Sway also knows how to demonstrate lightness within firmness. When Riss asks him, in the chapter “Tolerance”, what he thinks of the conversion of the faithful, the imam responds: “Religion is not a football club. You don't go from Real Madrid to FC Barcelona like that. » “Blasphemy”, “Doubt”, “Freedom”, “Living without God” will follow… In the “Humor” section, Riss asks: “Why does Jesus never laugh? » If everyone assures that their religion is not opposed to laughter, a large majority condemns “shocking humor”.
“In his Martian Chronicles [1954 en France]Ray Bradbury predicted a futuristic society which would have banned humor and irony in the name of respecting the sensitivities of each other, religious or identity”recalls the voice-over. Does this mean that audacity is a thing of the past? In front of the Western Wall, Riss writes on a paper: ” Read Charlie Hebdo every Wednesday. » He rolls it up, approaches the wall and slides it into a crack between the stones. Then he turns on his heel, visibly satisfied with his nice joke.
So be they. In search of faithdocumentary by Riss (Fr., 2024, 90 min). Available on demand on France.tv.
