Direction : Thomas Marie and Benoit Pergent
Synopsis
In Réunion, a new generation of musicians is reinterpreting traditional maloya – inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity – and telling a contemporary story, drawing inspiration from their island’s plural identity. The documentary meets four of these Réunion artists: Saodaj’, Labelle, Ka Loune, and Maya Kamaty. It is a musical journey to discover the roots and heritage of Réunion. By drawing from tradition and mixing it with modern influences, they invent new sounds for maloya and express the societal changes and revolutions happening in Réunion.
Duration: 16 minutes
Year: 2023
Feature-lenghth documentary
Country and Languages
France – Reunion
Reunionese Creole and French French and English subtitles
Production
A Contrario Production
Why so serious
France tv
Location
Débarcadère of Saint-Paul
Screening
April 18, 6:30pm
After earning a PhD in film aesthetics, Benoit Pergent embarked on a documentary exploration of societies through their music, aiming to better understand the connections between music, territories, and the human stories that shape them. His projects include Music On The Road (Arte, Radio Nova, 2016-2019), Flanbo Maloya (France TV, 2022), How Streaming Took Over Music (Arte, 2023), as well as Les Filles du Vent (in development) and Himene Ananahi (in development).
He is also the co-founder of the production company Why So Serious Productions, where he co-created the music channel Soundscape, dedicated to showcasing music in its native cultural landscapes.
After studying audiovisual production with a focus on cinematography and editing in Rouen, Thomas Marie started working as a camera assistant before deciding to dedicate himself to post-production, particularly editing. He began by editing television magazines and entertainment shows but quickly shifted towards the documentary world. Now, in addition to his work as a chief editor, he also directs his own documentary films.
The FIFOI aims to highlight the cinematic diversity of our regions.
Opening Ceremony
April 5th, Stella Matutina, 6:30pm
Feature-length documentary competition : 1st part
April 6th, Ciné Cambaie, 2pm
Feature-length documentary competition : 2nd part
April 7, Ciné Cambaie, 6:30pm
Short film competition
April 8th, Ciné Cambaie 6:30pm
Awards and closing ceremony
April 9th, Stella Matutina, 6:30pm
The Film Market
April 6th to 9th, Hôtel Le Récif