The film exudes community, as much in its elaboration as in the context it explores: the youth from Joliette street getting ready to celebrate 14 July. How did the relation with the neighbourhood unfold throughout the creation process?
Our relation is brotherhood. Ever since we were babies, it has been that way. We always got along, and now that we have grown up, it is even better, there is a connection. In the neighbourhood, with Polygone étoilé¹, and we are not the first ones to make a film. Our older brothers made films, and so do our younger brothers. Some of us have made several films already: when we were little, we would bring out very eccentric imaginations, we would sell Kinder Bueno, we would dress up. Now we don’t have the same thoughts, the same mentality, the same voice, the same size, but the camera is still rolling.
The form of filming is very free and resonates with the carefree and festive spirit of the youth. Could you explain the ideas and principles which guided the shoot?
The principle guiding the film was positivity. We did not start with an idea, but Matti and Nicola would bring their camera to film. Afterwards, the atmosphere between us and the presence of the camera gave us this result: we did not want to show weed smokers, as children would watch the movie, and it is a bad image, it is not good, and it kills, and it makes you lose money. We did not necessarily have an easy life, there are ups and downs, but for this film we wanted to show a happy moment. 14 July, it’s a national holiday, and we wanted the Joliette kids to enjoy it, it’s our way to celebrate.
The film ends with a sequence where the footage shot becomes an integral part of a concert, and the film transforms into an actual party. How did this end sequence come about?
It happened naturally. We were in the Polygone étoilé’s cinema. We were watching the scenes we had shot to end the film, to see if it was well made, if we could hear the sound well. And in the end, we liked it. Mamadou took the microphone, we got up and danced in front of the images.
1. The Polygone étoilé is a space for cinematographic production and diffusion in the Joliette neighborhood of Marseille. From the moment it was created, the sharing of cinema and its tools between residents and creators was established as the reason for its presence in the neighborhood, and filmmakers have led cinematographic workshops for 20 years.
