Career

Sociologist, philosopher and filmmaker, student of Jean Rouch and Jean Baudrillard.

My study revolves around those who are deprived of voice or who are silenced by the oath of secrecy. Studying sociology, philosophy, history, history of Art and cinema, I gathered tools to better comprehend the grounds of reality. I chose image as a medium to give back to these people their right place, some listening and some consideration. And so I made more than 20 documentaries on the history and the culture of deaf people, and on mistreatment.

Academic background

  • First Degree in sociology, option cinema with Jean Rouch, 1977
  • Master’s Degree in sociology, C3 sociology of culture, tutor Jean Baudrillard, C4 social psychology, Paris X/Nanterre, 1978
  • Postgraduate Degree following my Master aesthetic philosophy, Paris X/Nanterre with Gilbert Lascault and Pierre Kaufmann, 1979
  • PHD in aesthetic philosophy, « For a fantastic architecture » supervisor Thèse Anne Cauquelin, jury Pierre Kaufmann, Gilbert Lascault, Paris X/Nanterre, mars 1982

Documentary works

I am not a documentarian who skips from one theme to another. I often dedicate two films to my research topics in order to give myself time to verify my sources, to better understand my field study and to find interlocutors that allow me to deepen my research. In a context where there is a strong need for thorough documentary works on the issue of deaf people, my films are used for education or roundtables in universities in the USA and Canada, in particular at Laval University in Quebec and at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

History and culture of deaf people:

10 documentary films and 2 documentary-fiction films :

  • La mécanique du silence, 2012, a 164 numerical pages DVD-Rom in collaboration with Bénédicte Labaume, deaf teacher, for the learning of the French Sign Language (LSF). Ministery of Education, CNDP et CNRS Images.
    Bonus Culture sourde et LSF, interview with Yves Delaporte, anthropologist of the CNRS.
  • La mécanique du silence, 2010, 30 min, documentary-fiction, coproduced by Télévision Suisse Romande (TSR), with the City of Paris and the Fondation Orange
  • The deaf childhood, 2009, 64min, with the help of the National Center for Cinematography (CNC), the City of Paris and the Fondation de France
  • Une enfance sourde, 2008, 34 min, coproduced by TSR,  « Signes », with the help of Fondation de France, City of Paris.
  • Filles de parents sourds, 2009, interview with Christiane Fournier, fondatrice du corps des interprètes LSF et de la formation à l’ESIT (école supérieure internationale de traductologie).
  • Deaf witnesses, silent witnesses, 2000, 54 min, co-directed by Stéphane Gatti, with the help of the CNC, of the Secrétariat d’état aux anciens combattants, et l’aide à la création du Val de Marne. Préachat chaîne Histoire.
    Participants : Bernard Mottez, sociologue du CNRS, Claire Ambroselli et Yves Ternon, historiens de la médecine.
  • Koji Inoue, photographe au-delà des signes, 1999, 60 min, lauréate Villa Kujoyama, with the help of the Ministery of Foreign affairs, Kyoto Seika University.
  • La langue des signes n’est plus interdite, 1998, 54 min, with the help of the Ministery of Foreign affairs et l’aide à la création du Val de Marne.
  • Look at me, I lok at you, Koji Inoue a deaf photographer, 1996, 19 min, coproduced by Groupe de Recherches et d’Etudes Cinématographiques, Maison Européenne de la photographie, with the help of the CNRS Audiovisuel, Fondation de France.
  • Témoins sourds, témoins muets, 1993, 60 min en coréalisation avec Stéphane Gatti, with the help of the Conseil Général de Seine Saint Denis.
    Participant : Armand Gatti, writer and director.
  • Deaf to the image, 1995, 70 mn german version, 54 min french version, coproduced by Bayerischer Rundfunkt, Deutsche Welle TV, Centre Georges Pompidou, with the help of the Ministery of Research, Ministery of Education, Ministery of Social affairs, CNRS audiovisuel.
    Participant : Emmanuelle Laborit, Molière of best actress in 1992.
  • Les mains du sourd, 1989, 45 min co-directed by Jean-Louis Laher, coproduced by CNRS Audiovisuel.
    Participant : Bernard Mottez, sociologist at the CNRS.
  • Le droit de regard, 1988, 60 min, coproduced by Entraide Universitaire, National Institue of young deaf people in Paris.

Mistreatment :

6 documentary films and 1 fiction film :

  • Longtemps après, 2007/2012 work in progress
  • Tu dis que tu m’aimes, 2011, 54 min, résidence d’écriture Moulin d’Andé/Centre des Ecritures Cinématographiques, aide à la création du Val de Marne.
  • La face sombre de l’humanité, 2006, 56 min, coproduced by CNRS Images.
    Participant : Françoise Sironi, psychotherapist, senior lecturer at University Paris 8.
  • Les secrets de ma mère, 2004, 45 min, with the help of the CNC, Ministery of Justice, avec le conseil de Serge Tisseron, psychiatre et psychanalyste.
  • Les blessures de l’âme, 2002, 52 min, with the help of the CNC, Ministery of Justice, Ministery of Social Affairs, Fondation de France.
    Participants : Marie-France Hirigoyen, psychiatrist and Véronique Nahoum-Grappe, anthropologist.
  • L’histoire de Franck et David, 1998, 75 min, with the help of the CNC, Ministery of Education, Ministery of Social Affairs, Fondation de France, French Ligue for Mental Health.
    Participants : Bernard Lempert, philosopher and thérapist, Philippe Gutton, psychiatrist, psychanalyst, teacher of psychopathology at University Paris 7.
  • De la pédagogie noire, 1994, 26 min, coproduced by ZDF/Arte, with the help of the Fondation de France, Ministery of Social Affairs.
    Participants : Emmanuelle Piet, doctor in charge of  prevention and Stanislaw Tomkiewicz, psychiatrist, psychanalyst, director at the INSERM.
  • Une seule vie, un seul corps, 1993, 52 min, with the help of the Ministery of Social Affairs, freetoll number « Allo enfance maltraitée », Fondation de France.
    Participants : Emmanuelle Piet, doctor in charge of  prevention and Stanislaw Tomkiewicz, psychiatrist, psychanalyst, director at the INSERM.

Handicap :

  • La beauté qu’ils n’ont pas, 1991, 11 min. Awarded by the CNC.
  • Les murs ont des oreilles, 1990, coproduced by CNRS Audiovisuel.

Note : Find all the technical details and videos in the FILMS page

Courses and interventions

Debates after screenings

Centre Georges Pompidou, Maison Européenne de la photographie, Instituts français de Berlin et Tokyo, Kyoto Seika University, Université Permanente de la ville de Paris, Cité des sciences et de l’Industrie de La Villette, Cinémathèque de Toulouse, City of Paris, Ministère de la santé, Institut National des jeunes sourds de Paris, Metz et Rome, Médiathèques (Massy, Bagnolet, Alès, Champigny sur Marne…), Hôpitaux, IRTS, Lycées, Collèges…

Lectures during seminars

  • « Seminar on violences » at the IRTS of Montrouge every year between 2003 to 2010 and sometimes in Neuilly sur Marne, under the direction of Jean-Luc Pautet and then Eric Denoyelle (lecture on sexual abuse of children for the degree courses for Educators, social workers or activity leaders, at 2nd and 3rd year level).
  • Seminar on the documentary image at the CFPJ, DESS television and radio journalism in 2008 (course on the production of a historical documentary).
  • Seminar on « The images and their faces » at U Paris 10 / Nanterre University in 2004 under the direction of Serge Tisseron (lecture on my career as a documentarian for postgraduate students in psychology)
  • Seminar on the architecture of fantasy at U Paris 4 in 1982-1983 under the direction of professor and architect Jacques Tortrat (lecture on the aesthetics of fantasy and its relation to architecture).

Publications

Collective works

  • « La faute et la punition » under the direction of Michel Taleghani, sociologue
  • « Exclusions et art-thérapie » under the direction of Jean-Luc Sudres, psychologue clinicien
  • « Exclusions et art-thérapie vol. 2» under the direction of Jean-Luc Sudres

Articles

  • « Traverses », Revue du Centre de Création Industrielle, Centre Georges Pompidou
  • Revue « Art et Thérapie »
  • Revue « Cultures en mouvement »
  • Revue « Maux d’Exil »
  • Revue « Le triangle »
  • Revue « Les cahiers de la Salamandre »
  • Revue « Humanisme »

Acts of Colloquiums

  • « Better to hear that than to be deaf » casebook of the discussions, the introduction and analysis of the exhibition of the photo-novel of the same name and of the screenings of « The hands of the deaf ».
  • « Handicaps Creators » linked to the research program  » Ethics of creating » led by Sylvie Dallet, university professor at Versailles

Note : Find the complete list of written works on the PUBLICATIONS page

Créations

  • Conception and co-authoring of «Les incorrigibles» a photo-novel of 25 canvases (Marais noir Gallery in Paris, R.IP Arles, F.I.A.G in Paris), 1983, and « Better to hear that than to be deaf » a photo-novel of 49 canvases (Fnac, Galleries Paris, and in France and Belgium, french Institute in Berlin and Budapest, chosen in 1993 by EUCREA (european commission) as the best artistic creation with handicapped people), 1991, both with Jeanne Soral.
  • Autor of 3 Tv or full-length films for Quo Vadis Communication productions: « The sense of orientation » 1990, Athénaïse « Black room/stay a little longer » 1999, la résidence du Moulin d’Andé « You say you love me » 2003, and 1 play in sign language « Bad memory » staged with the Institute of young deafs of Bourg en Bresse en 1995.