A german youth
Directed by Jean-Gabriel Périot, 2015
SYNOPSIS
A German Youth tells the history of the Rote Armee Fraktion (or Red Army Faction, a German revolutionary terrorist group from the 1970s founded notably by Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof) as well as the images generated by this story. The film is entirely produced by editing preexisting visual and sound archives and aims to question viewers on the significance of this revolutionary movement during its time, as well as its resonance for today’s society.
Technical Crew
Technical Details
Written and Directed by
Jean-Gabriel PERIOT
Photography
Jean-Gabril PERIOT
Editing
Jean-Gabril PERIOT
Sound
Etienne CURCHOD
Laure ARTO
Score
Alan MUMENTHALER
Xavier THIBAULT
Fiction - France - 2015
92' - HD - Black & White - Colour - 1.85:1 - 5.1
Version
German/French version with French subtitles
German/French version with English subtitles
Production
Nicolas BREVIERE – Local Films
David EPINEY et Eugenia MUMENTHALER - ALINA FILM
Meike MARTENS - BLINKER FILMPRODUKTION
Distribution
UFO Distribution
International Sales
Films Boutique
Partners
RBB
Arte
Radio Télévision Suisse - Unité des Films Documentaires
CNC
EURIMAGES
Indéfinis 3
Office fédéral de la Culture – DFI
Cinéform
Loterie Romande
Festivals
Nominated for the 2016 César for Best Documentary
Bratislava International Film Festival - Best Documentary Award
Lima independiente film festival - Best First Film Award
Cinéma du Réel - SCAM International Jury Award
Visions du réel - Most Innovative Swiss Film Award
Yerevan golden apricot film festival - Special Jury Prize
BAFICI - Special Jury Mention
Valdivia int film festival - Audience Award
L'Alternativa Barcelone - Press Award
DocAviv - Special Jury Mention
Guanajuato international film festival - Special Jury Mention
Les rendez-vous de l'histoire (Blois) - Special Mention
Berlin international film festival - opening film in the panorama section
Semaine du cinéma français en Saxe-Anhalt
Dok fest / Munich
Cinéma du réel / Paris
Festival international du film de la Rochelle
États généraux du film documentaire / Lussas
L'étrange festival / Paris
Festival du cinéma / Douarnenez
Rencontres cinéma / Gindou
Kino vision / Marseille
Les rendez- vous vous de l'histoire / Blois
Ânûû-rû âboro festival international du cinéma des peuples / Nouvelle Calédonie
Festival international du film grolandais / Toulouse
Vision du réel / Nyon
Festival fu film français / Bienne
Festival international du film / Milan
Indielisboa / Lisbon
San Sebastian international film festival
Transilvanian International film festival / Cluj- Napoca
Golden apricot international film festival / Yerevan
Dokufest / Priznen
Sarajevo film festival
Moscow international film festival
DocAviv / Tel Aviv
Guanajuato international film festival
BAFICI / Buenos Aires
Lima festival de cine independiente
San Francisco film festival
The open Singapore international festival of arts
Melbourne international film festival
IndieLisboa Film Festival
Press materials
TRAILER
Jean-Gabriel Périot
Jean-Gabriel Périot, born April 23, 1974 in Bellac, is a French film director and editor, renowned for his innovative use of archive footage. Trained in traditional audiovisual techniques, he discovered his passion for found footage while working at the Centre Georges Pompidou, where he explored the narrative potential of archives. This style, which has left its mark on his work, can be seen in films such as Une jeunesse allemande and “Retour à Reims (Fragments)”, both nominated for a César award for best documentary. Périot questions history, memory and social violence, constructing an uncompromisingly political cinema. Using archive footage, he confronts viewers with raw realities, while letting the images speak for themselves. Influenced by the militant cinema of the 1920s-1930s and 1968, he favors a cinema of reflection and confrontation, where the viewer becomes the actor in his or her own interpretation. His films tackle themes as varied as police violence, labor and collective memory, with a unique visual style that questions our relationship with images and history.