Vive La France!

Vive la France is a story about harvesting the consequences of 30 years of the French nuclear programme in French Polynesia in the South Pacific. Between 1966 and 1996, France exploded a total of 193 nuclear bombs in the area. According to several researchers, 2–3 metric tons of plutonium is stored under the island of Moruroa, putting the island at risk of collapse.

Through the everyday life of Kua and Teariki and their extended family in four generations, the film draws a very urgent and highly moving story in which the place you love and belong to turns into your worst nightmare. Through their small world, the historical and political power relationships in the area begin to open up along with the vulnerability of man and nature.

Script and directing: Helgi Felixson / Titti Johnson
Cinematography: Helgi Felixson
Editing: Titti Johnson
Consult for editing, dramaturge: Lena Runge
Sound design: Tormod Ringnes (Norway)
Music: Timo Hietala (Finland)
Production: Felix Film, Sweden
Co-production: Sonja Lindén, Avanton Productions, Finland
Co-production: Mechanix Film AS, Norway / Iris Film EHF, Iceland
Duration: 52′ / 82′
Completion year: 2014

 

Movie homepage and trailer:

http://www.vivelafrancefilm.com

 

Awards 

Pariscience – International Science Film Festival, Ranska, 2014
 Special Mention

9th Edition of the Ânûû-rû Âboro Film Festival, Uusi-Kaledonia, 2015
Compétition Pacifique / Bernheim Library award for the best Pacific full
length film

Festivals and screenings

Göteborg International Film Festival, Sweden, 24.1.-3.2.2014
Tempo Documentary Festival, Stockholm, Sweden, 4.-9.3.2014
Nordic Docs Dokumentarfilmfestivalen i Fredrikstad, Norway, 8.-11.5.2014
Reykjavik International Film Festival, Iceland, 25.9.-5.10.2014
Pariscience – International Science Film Festival, France, 2.-7.10.2014
The Chicago International Film Festival, USA, 9.-23.10.2014
Human Right Film Festival: Inconvenient Films, Lithuania, 22.-30.10.2014
Planet in Focus Film Festival, Toronto, Canada, 6.-9.11.2014
12th FIFO International Film Festival, Tahiti, 31.1.-8.2.2015
One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Czech Republic, 2.-11.3.2015
Festival de L’Oiseau et de la Nature, France, 25.4.-3.5.2015
9th Edition of the Ânûû-rû Âboro Film Festival, New Caledonia, 16.-24.10.2015