Archives - Program 2020

In the face of police brutality in France, the silence and denial of political leaders fuel resentment and hostility towards the police force. How can this vicious circle be broken?

In 2019 and 2020, policing in France has resulted in a heavy toll: more than 100 people have been seriously injured, with dozens maimed, and several deaths during arrests in public spaces. Most of these "blunders" go unpunished. The police service protects itself as those in power look the other way. The division of responsibilities for maintaining order between defensive and offensive units such as the BAC (Anti-Crime Brigade), which was deployed in the suburbs during the riots of 2005 and 2007 is singled out by the police. Groups campaigning against police violence, often victims' families, such as the Truth and Justice Committee for Adama, aim to put an end to this impunity. How, in a State governed by the rule of law, can we acknowledge that the police may be fallible and how can we judge their faults and misconduct?
356 Days in Clichy-Montfermeil is the debut short film by Ladj Ly (Les Misérables). Directed between 2005 and 2006, it relates the daily life of the inhabitants of the city following the death of Zyed and Bouna, killed while being chased by the police. 

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