Conceived as a kind of road trip, Guillaume Rivière’s series New Zealand, now being exhibited for the first time, was originally commissioned by the magazine Ulysse before it folded. Ultimately, the series was published on Le Monde’s website. This journey across New Zealand left its mark on Rivière, who returned with this superb documentary. We discover a country shaped by the telluric activity of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Its geography is unique and of mythological proportions, its coasts exposed to the power of the Pacific, the bitter winds , lush flora, and mountains and valleys forged by the god Maui.
Dotting these sunburnt landscapes are aquacultural and agricultural farms, and outdoors sports are everywhere. Rivière offers viewers a peaceful vision of the environmental issues, even as the threat of a brushfire or an earthquake—like the one that devastated Christchurch, which Rivière witnessed—reminds us of the implacable force of nature.
The kiwis seem to have struck a fragile balance between environmental development and protection. The same goes for New Zealand culture, with its two main languages that are always interacting, but only through a sustained and constant effort.
FESTIVAL
Pluie d’images 2015
New Zealand de Guillaume Rivière
Through February 27th 2015
L’Alizé
90 rue Commandant Challe
29490 Guipavas
02 98 84 87 14
