Destiny of les Halles

"Destiny of les Halles" is a film about the most central district of Paris, formerly the site of the Central Market. It was destroyed in the early 70's, and painfully remodeled during the following decades. It is now considered widely as a complete failure, and a new architectural consultation was launched in 2004. The results show the same mix of political hesitations and architectural mediocrity which resulted in the current state of things.

Film, 52'

Frédéric Biamonti, born 1964

Films:

2009 | Arlette Farge, l'échappée belle  52', (Antoine Martin Prod/Bip TV), A portrait of Arlette Farge, historian, 18th century scholar, police archive specialist and former colleague of Michel Foucault.
Paris Hors les Murs 52', (Antoine Martin Prod/France 5/Planète), Urbanism and politics: what is to become of the "Greater Paris Project"?
2008 | Grandeur et brièveté de la Défense  52', (Antoine Martin Prod./France 3), A critical examination of Paris financial district. "Festival Film et Environnement, Paris 2009."
2007 | La Campagne du net 60', (Générale de Production, ARTE, France 3), A chronicle of the presidential campaign of 2007, from the exclusive perspective of the internet: a challenge to the traditional media.
2006 | Jean-Edern, le fou Hallier  52', (Générale de Production, France 5), A portrait of Jean-Edern Hallier, famous pamphleteer and would-be Mitterrand nemesis.
Nos enfants sont-ils tous des malades mentaux?  52', (Cie des Phares et Balises, France 2), How should one deal with children behaviour disorder? A comparison between the French and American systems and principles.
2005 | Le destin des Halles  52', (Antoine Martin.Prod./France 5/ France 3), The saddest patrimony battle in France: the destruction of the Paris central market, and the decades of urbanism mismanagement that followed... "25ème Festival International du Film sur l'Art (Montréal)" La carrière du Roi Jean  (Jean Lecanuet)  52', (Antoine Martin.Prod./France 3 /Public Sénat), A portrait of the centrist leader Jean Lecanuet, once de Gaulle challenger.
2004 | Watergate, les leçons d'un scandale  52', (Générale de Production/13ème Rue/Planète), An investigation of the political and institutional consequences of the Watergate scandal, from Nixon to Bush Jr.
Sun City, l'antichambre du paradis  60', (Agat Films/ France 2), Life and death in America's first retirement community, both serene and surreal.
2003 | Portrait du Fils en Cinéaste   52', (Film Oblige/ Regards sur le cinéma CNC/ APCVL), How to move from autobiographical documentaries to fiction ? The challenges of a film maker.
2002 | L'île Seguin, de Renault à Pinault   52', (Antoine Martin Productions/ France 5 / France 3), What is to become of Seguin island, former Renault factory site, once called "the workers'fortress"? French billionaire François Pinault wishes to build his private museum there...
2000/2001 | Huntsville, la Colonie Pénitentiaire   75', (Antoine Martin Productions/ France 2), Huntsville, Texas, a prison town and America's capital for capital punishment. An investigation into the Texan culture of law and order. "Grand prix du Documentaire au Festival de Pessac 2001"

Films as co-author:

1999 | Ces demoiselles de Gaulle. (France 2, directed by Dominique Torrès ), The stories and memories of the women who followed de Gaulle into his London exile.
1998 | Moi, Johann, muco. (France 2, directed by Dominique Torrès ), A portrait of Johan Heuschel, young and gifted writer who documented his struggle against cystic fibrosis.
1997 | L'amour n'a pas d'âge. (France 2, directed by Dominique Torrès), Love in old age : a collection of romantic stories , starring lovers aged 75 and above.
1996 | Un village sous le choc. (France 2, directed by Didier Lannoy ), One year after an outburst of violence, the southern village of Cuers is healing.

Academic work and teaching:

2010 | Ecole d'architecture de Paris-Malaquais.
Conference cycle on cinema and architecture, "Cities in the filmic mirror:  a documentary dynamic. From Dziga Vertov to my own works."
2009 | Shangai Normal University. Conference cycle on urban cultures. "Filming Paris : documentary traditions and challenges"
2005 | University of Oklahoma, Conference cycle on America under the eyes of Europe.
"Huntsville and Sun City : how can one document America from a French perspective? A question of cultural prejudices."
1995/97 | School of the Art Institute, Chicago, Department of film and video., Seminar on the history and aesthetics of editing.
1990/92 | Université Paris 8, Département des études cinématographiques, Introduction to film production.