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THE ARRIVALS
LES ARRIVANTS
France, 2009
111 minutes
directed by: Claudine Bories and Patrice Chagnard
They come every day from Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Congo, Eritrea.
The whole families come, with or without luggage, with or without passports; they arrive with charter
flights, by buses, by ships. Among them there are pregnant women, young couples, old people. They arrive
both with fear and hope. The waves of nations that seem as a menace to flood the unusual new Babylon,
converge in the middle of Paris, in the organisation that helps them to orientate and survive. And right
there, at the “gates of heaven”, for many of them, the two “angels” stand – Caroline and Colette.
With the two of them the story of the clash of cultures, customs and needs starts. This brings many of
them to tears and despair, and some others to bliss and happiness. But this is also the story of “angels”
who do not have anyone to complain to. Absurd, dramatic, funny, tragic, encouraging. The exciting study
from the exceptional French documentary filmmakers who reveal with a big understanding for the delicate
nuances the undreamt sights of contemporary Europe.
SELECTOR'S WORD: “It could be anywhere in Europe – human beings who come to a new country
in order to get a better life! The social workers, who meet them and have conversations with them, do what
they can according to the rules that have been set up. It is an emotional drama with comical moments that
masterly conveys the language and cultural misunderstandings through close-up based cinematography.“
http://www.film-documentaire.fr/Arrivants.html
Claudine Bories
Began her career in theatre. Took part in the movement of the decentralisation of
theatre in France. In 1968, she directed her first documentary. Between 1990 and 2002, she helped run
a creative centre dedicated to documentary cinema in Seine Saint Denis, and started the Documentary
Cinema Meetings. She was a president of ADDOC, a group that brings together French documentarists.
Selected filmography
JULIETTE FROM THE MEN'S SIDE (Juliette du côté des hommes), 1981
IMAGINARY PORTRAIT OF GABRIEL BORIJES (Portrait imaginaire de Gabriel Bories), 1984
SIR AGAINST MADAM (Monsieur contre Madame), 1999
WOMEN OF TWELVE FRONTIERS (Les femmes des douze frontières), 2003
AND OUR DREAMS (Et nos rêves), 2007
THE ARRIVALS (Les arrivants), 2009
Patrice Chagnard
At the age of 17, he ran the Grenoble Film Club, the biggest club in France in terms of
members. Studied Philosophy at the Sorbonne. Worked as an editor in chief at the magazines about
television and directed documentaries for TV. In 1969, he became a hippie and travelled in Afghanistan,
Pakistian and India. Became interested in the plights of the farmers in Brazil, Africa and Bangladesh.
Since 1977, he’s dedicated himself to directing documentaries. He was president at Addoc, a group that
brings together French documentarists.
Selected filmography
A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE TREE, ABOUT THE RIVER AND ABOUT THE CRY OF PEOPLE
(Quelque chose de l’Arbre, du Fleuve et du Cri du Peuple), 1980
SWAMI-JI, AN INNER VOYAGE (Swami-ji, un voyage intérieur), 1983
CONVOY (Le Convoi), 1995
IMPRESSION, MUSEUM OF ALGIERS (Impression, Musée d’Alger), 2003
IN THE RED TRUCK (Dans un camion rouge), 2005
AND OUR DREAMS (Et nos rêves), 2007
THE ARRIVALS (Les arrivants), 2009
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