Marie-Lise Lafon

An American Pastoral

Elizabethtown is a picturesque little town in rural Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. But behind the supposed US-American small-town idyll lies a deep political divide, which is particularly evident at the meetings of the local school board. It all began with a dispute over a ban on books in school libraries. But in reality it is about something much more fundamental: the question of the continued existence of secular democracy. In the conservative district, the local movement of right-wing extremist Christians now holds three seats on the school board and is gradually pushing the moderate Republicans to the sidelines. Five seats are at stake in the 2023 elections. With just two more seats, the right-wing extremists would have a majority on the board and could push through a new, theocratic program for the public schools in Elizabethtown. The documentary shows the commitment of some courageous citizens to democratic, censorship-free education.

India: Spreading Hate

Since the rise to power of Hindu nationalists in 2014, India has been gradually moving away from democracy towards a regime where ethnic identity prevails. This transition is driven by Hindutva, a Hindu supremacist ideology embodied by Narendra Modi. For the past 10 years, Prime Minister Modi has relentlessly pursued his fascist policy based on Hindu supremacy. This ideology of hatred towards other religions in the country, particularly Islam, has also spread globally. Those who follow this belief want India to be only for Hindus, treating people of other religions, like Muslims or Sikhs as second-class citizens. Attacks against Christians have surged by 400% since Modi's election, accompanied by discriminatory laws targeting Muslims and widespread lynching incidents. Hindutva's influence permeates all levels of Indian society. This documentary thus unveils a darker side of India, far from its portrayal as the world's largest democracy and Gandhi's dream of peace among communities.

Les Scandales de « La Religieuse »

Released in 1796 posthumously, The Nun, a novel that Diderot did not dream of publishing during his lifetime, as he knew it to be revolutionary, caused the same explosion in the 19th century France as in that of the 1960s, when Jacques Rivette decided to adapt it, with Anna Karina in the title role. “This film is banned and it will remain so!” said the General de Gaulle. Exploration of an indictment of incredible modernity which, through the tragedy of the young Suzanne, locked up in the convent against her will, denounces the inequity of a society denying women all moral, political and sexual freedom.