Nearly everyone who has grown up in the last four decades has experienced the evolution of the music video. But what is more impressive is having a chance to see a former music video director make the leap to full length feature or documentary films.
On Saturday night the documentary film “Swagger” will be screened in town for one showing only and will include a UICA-led Q&A with director Olivier Babinet.
Director Babinet’s film follows 11 kids from the Parisian neighborhood of Aulnay-sous-Bois and takes place in the streets, projects, and schools where these students wander.
The result with any other director could have been a depressing look at the realities facing these kids as this neighborhood was the scene of riots in 2005. But under Babinet’s skilled hand, this documentary, which he researched for two years before committing to even making it, lifts up the audience as we are treated to a delightfully hopeful series of stories during a time of great unrest.
For anyone who has ever wondered how hope can flourish in a place with so much negative happening on a daily basis, “Swagger” is just the ticket to shed insights into the minds of these students who are seeking to overcome the odds and create a better tomorrow.
The film is 84 minutes long and is a part of the Young French Cinema program brought to UICA via support from UniFrance and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the U.S. Check out the trailer to the film
here.
UICA members are $4 / public $8.