The street belongs to them | Humanity

The title slams like a post-MeToo western. Yet there is no gun, no manhunt in Feminist response, a documentary in the form of a diary of feminist collectives of splicers who attack patriarchy. “Sexism is everywhere, so are we,” they write on the walls. For weeks, Marie Perennes and Simon Depardon followed them. Their direct cinema, without commentary and listening to the activists, testifies to an urgency and maintains the hope of a new era where gender-based violence would be eradicated. To do this, they decided to follow ten collectives active in large cities (Paris, Marseille, Lyon), medium-sized cities (Montpellier, Le Havre, Brest, Amiens, Compiègne) and small ones (Gignac and Montbrison) in order to grasp the complexity and richness of the movement. « The documentary has a real civic responsibility to show reality and people in action, especially a young generation that is ultimately not very well represented on screen »explains Marie Perennes.

Their language refers to a radicalism reminiscent of the black emancipation movements of the struggle for civil rights. “The movement of the collectives comes from an American political thought. But we also think of May 68. It was therefore very interesting to document this word, heir to French history and an intersectional thought with this non-mixing, this idea of ​​meeting between the people concerned., says Simon Depardon. And as in many struggles, the use or not of violence is debated. “In all emancipation movements, one part advocates non-violence and another violence. The two can go together”defends Camille, a Parisian gluer. “In telling the story of the struggles, we often voluntarily ellipsis on the violent part. As if the social achievements, the human rights had been acquired by simple negotiation. It’s wrong. This discourse around non-violence actually serves an established order. The initial violence is patriarchal. It is important to say in feminism: you have the right to defend yourself. He does It is not a question of flourishing in violence but of considering it as a weapon at our disposal in the face of aggression. Self-defense is an equal-to-equal response in the field of gender-based violence. » A point of view confirmed by Simon Depardon: “There are 100 to 130 annual feminicides, the equivalent of one Bataclan per year. » But it is far from being unanimous among the gluers.

Showing the plurality of the movement is also one of the strong points of the documentary. “These people from different social backgrounds and levels of education end up weaving a collective narrative, a story of contemporary feminism 2.0”, emphasizes Simon Depardon. In this desire to explore the entire territory, unique issues arise. Like that of anonymity. « When you stick in a village of 3,000 inhabitants like Montbrison, you don’t have the same relationship as in a megalopolis like Paris »insists Marie Perrenès.

An active and collective militancy in a joyful sorority

And you also have to adapt your speech. “We really wanted to convey simple messages like ‘we believe you, you’re not alone’. We know the problems of our territory which, inevitably, are not the same as in Paris « , admits Alexia, gluer in Montbrison. And yet, from these differences emerge convergences, like this desire for an active and collective militancy in a joyful sisterhood. Wrestling is hard but exhilarating, sometimes dangerous but fun. Because there is also humor in feminist response, such as this staggering confrontation between the 1,500 demonstrators of Paris Queer Antifa and the dozen opponents of abortion. The new world looks up to the old. It is time to move on. Indeed, this appropriation of public space has changed the situation by highlighting the systemic nature of violence and by revealing names behind the painful statistics, as explained by Valentine, Amiens organizer of a walk in memory of two victims of feminicides. “I name Manon and Claire to remind you that these are women and close people. We are in reality. »

With this film, Marie Perrenès and Simon Depardon offer incarnations to this struggle. Like Élise and her moving testimony about an old toxic relationship. “I freed my speech and I was able to understand that I had been a victim. Maybe by seeing the film, other people will understand that they can free theirs”, confides the gluer from Brest. Saying and getting people to say to gain confidence and freedom. « We appropriate the street because it is not by asking nicely that we will be given it »continues the Breton woman before continuing: “The idea is to impose oneself, to no longer be afraid and to say “fuck the patriarchy”! »