On Thursday, November 7, the new documentary by director Laurent Giraudineau was presented in preview, tracing the story of the “Petits gravels de Saint-Pierre”, these children exploited for the cod industry.
The history itself of Petits gravels is known in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. These children aged 8 to 18 were recruited in the ports of Brittany, Normandy or even the Basque Country to come and dry the cod caught by the shipping companies and landed on the archipelago. This drying took place on stony grounds open to the wind, the “gravels” which would give the name “Small gravels”.
But few people perhaps know what the daily life was like for these children uprooted to escape French poverty and to no longer be a financial burden on their family. With working conditions described by some as “child trafficking of the twentieth century”, like what has been called the West Indian slave trade. Moreover, in History, there has also been triangular trade between the archipelago, the French West Indies and France. Cod, spices, molasses, rum and other manufactured products were then exchanged.
By following the writer Alexis Gloaguen on the trail of his ancestor Petit gravel, in a sort of genealogical and almost police investigation, the viewer will discover this daily life of working children. All illustrated by period photographs, but also a reconstruction animated by a well-known comic strip artist.
At the end of the performance, the large audience expressed their emotion in discovering or rediscovering this forgotten or sometimes hidden daily life.
Also read: On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Marité, tribute to the P'tits Graviers
On November 28, the documentary will be presented in preview in Brittany this time by our colleagues from France 3 Bretagne, co-producers with SPM la 1re with the help of the Territorial Collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. The television broadcast is scheduled for next February on our channel.
The report by Leïla Derouet and Aldric Lahiton:
©saintpierreetmiquelon
France
