Has the craze for thrillers, romantic comedies, science fiction or very dark thrillers lived on? Without going that far, Gwennaël Bolomey, founder and manager of Let’s Doc!, a project of the Ciné-Doc Association, notes that documentary cinema attracts more and more people: “Creation is richer than ever, scope by passionate filmmakers. We organize screenings throughout the month of November throughout Switzerland, in cinemas and the cinematheque, of course.”
“But also in places as improbable as a prison, a small library or a café,” adds the manager. In total, more than 140 locations will host more than 300 sessions. Some of these improvised rooms can hardly accommodate more than 30 spectators, which contributes to the conviviality. The program can be consulted on www.letsdoc.ch»
An example, “No Other Land”: a film made by a collective bringing together Palestinians and Israelis who followed the dramatic evolution of a West Bank village for five years. The film was crowned “best documentary” this year at the Berlinale. It ends after the massacres of October 7, 2023 which gave rise to the war still ravaging the Middle East today. It also demonstrates the existence of bridges between the two peoples, a message of hope.
For its part, “Forbidden to Dogs and Italians” retraces the saga of the migrants from the boot of the sixties and demonstrates that a documentary can also be made into an animated film. The dream of “La Merica” and its trees on which dollars grow often turns into a nightmare for this family from Piedmont, close to the director Alain Ughetto. Their journey, like that of hundreds of thousands of Italians, will ultimately pass through Provence, Belgium or Switzerland during a period when xenophobia is in full swing.
As for the film “A Story of Your Own” by Amandine Gay, it traces the destiny of adopted children, now aged between 25 and 52. Their life stories, presented only in voice-overs and family albums, speak of the common identity shared by the protagonists from Brazil, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, South Korea and Australia.
“Let’s Doc!,” says Gwennaël Bolomey, “also allows meetings between filmmakers and their audience. But it is obvious that our ambitious project would not have seen the light of day without our partners. In this context, the help of Loterie Romande, which has supported us since the beginning, is most precious. I would even say that without LoRo we would not have been able to exist and we thank it.
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