Synopsis
When journalists and international aid leave, what remains of a humanitarian crisis? What are the traces left by the uprooting of millions of humans? What do we remember from the journey of anonymous crowds? In Broken Waves, we follow the photographer Frédéric Séguin in a pilgrimage, during which he returns to the highlights of the Syrian refugee crisis, and tries to find the people he photographed between 2015 and 2017. In the fields, once muddy and full of tents, nature takes over once more. On the banks of Greek Islands, the waves have already forgotten the tragedies of yesterday. Yet the scars remain alive in those who have been uprooted.
A word from Tënk
I consider documentary cinema to be a precious space for coming into contact with others, a standard which Broken Waves fulfils to perfection. It starts as photographer Frédéric Séguin’s meets the Syrian refugees he immortalizes in his photographs, preserving his memory of who they were—a volatile trace of their existence. He then meets the filmmakers who follow his pilgrimage on the heels of these men, women and children who rediscover themselves through his portraits, as if meeting themselves for the first time in the space of a moment. There is a powerful theme of representation throughout the film: the importance of being seen and seeing ourselves to remember that we exist, that we are humans among all other humans. A magnificent film, both luminous and devastating. What can be said about its final scene, which transcends everything communicated by the film with a simple shot/countershot ? The only words I have are, “Ouch! My heart…”
Ariane Roy Poirier
Director of programming
Plein(s) Écran(s)
