Alain Ries, Jean-Pierre Helas
1994 - 52 min - Betacam SP - Couleur - France
First, we only saw a literary interest, in 1991 when we discovered Alain Fournier's grave. The woods of Meuse, where the writer had disappeared at the very beginning of World War I, gave him back to his admirers, the readers of "Grand Meaulnes". The final point of his biography was lacking. The archeologist had finally found him, one could now close "the book of his life" and put him between two exact dates in the list of the famous writers of the century.
But in the same grave we also found twenty other companions of misfortune. It was worth bearing witness of it. We found the family of a victim. So it is vivid voice and a carnal one to Pierre Imbert, one of these luckless persons... We couldn’t deceive these young dead of World War I again to keep alive the memory of sacrifices and the memory of a slaughter.
Author-Director : Alain Ries, Jean-Pierre Helas
Delegate Producer : Expressions 55
Contribution : Conseil général de la Meuse, Région Lorraine, Secrétariat d'État aux Anciens Combattants et Victimes de guerre, CNC, Vidéoscop (Université de Nancy II), France 3 Lorraine-Champagne-Ardennes, DRAC Lorraine, Historial de la Grande Guerre de Péronne-Somme, Conservation départementale des musées de la Meuse