All in Larzac (Tous au Larzac) By Christian Rouaud

Larzac… In the collective mindset, the place is now often associated with one of its most famous spokespersons, the moustachioed José Bové, a former farmer currently holding the position of Member of the European Parliament. It’s hence with no surprise that we find the ecological activist interviewed in this two-hour-long, visually beautiful documentary which recounts in full detail, using archives and interviews, how local farmers united for months and years to protest against the decision to extend a military camp over their lands.

One of the interests of the film lies in the voices of these unknown and then-unorganised farmers who, at one point, decided to take action against a decision considered as unfair. That was the premise of their civil disobedience. Step by step, the documentary explains the construction of a collective protest, the weaknesses, strengths and strategies of both parties. Throughout its archives, the curious viewer will return to the seventies, with its hippy-style utopians, its political figures and its first social movements following the May 68 era. Finally, this must-see documentary, whose weakness is that it sometimes goes on too long, highlights the consequences of political alternation - with the arrival of François Mitterrand in power - for the farmer’s struggle.

By Pierre-Anthony Canovas