An exceptional report is not to be missed on France 2’s flagship current affairs programme tonight. “Shadow Travellers” is the fruit of a long-term project started in 2003 with Kingsley, a prospective migrant from Cameroon to the Niger. In the 12 years since, there isn’t a single stage in the voyages of hope and despair undertaken by “migrants” in search of a new land that Olivier Jobard has missed. Their route to survival is marked out by the names of towns bypassed, borders crossed – generally completely illegally and often at risk of their lives – leading to Sangatte, Lampedusa, the Greek islands of Kos and Lesbos or Bodrum in Turkey.
Olivier Jobard and Claire Billet vehemently defend their proximity to the prospective migrants facing, in their words “Exile, exit”.
As professional cameramen they are the pride of their profession. Their priority has always been to humanise as much as possible the tales of the men and women, fathers and mothers, who, emboldened by having nothing left to lose, embark their children aboard a succession of Noah’s Arks at the mercy of ill winds and misfortune at sea – as well as the greedy violence of people smugglers and those who profit mercilessly from the trade. Olivier says “Objectivity is impossible, but I try to tell the story of each person’s experience as closely as possible” *. Their aim is not to arouse sympathy. Claire Billet is also clear in stating their process:”We make observations, but we have no suggestions for solutions”.
To better share with us the anxiety of departure for the migrants who set out to sea on appalling wrecks, Olivier joined Slah on board at Zarzis in Tunisia and followed him till his return 6 months later, after disappointment and disillusionment in France. His Afghan brother Ali (13 years old) believed in a “Dream of a Rain of Perfume” sprayed daily over Paris. His disappointment is only one cruel deception amongst so many others suffered, sleeping rough under the bridges of the Canal St Martin. Through the whole experience, Olivier Jobard is always careful to avoid any cliché in his characterisation.
In the aftermath of the emotional response to the tragic death of little Aylan last week in Bodrum (Turkey), “Envoyé special” travels with Claire and Olivier back to the origins of these influxes of refugees to Europe. So that all “Shadow Travellers” can find the light of newly alerted and rediscovered humanity.
– Alain Mingam
Translated by Patricia Hutchison
[email protected]
BOOK
Kotchok, Sur la route avec les migrants
by Claire Billet et Olivier Jobard
Published on September 2nd, 201
1 x 220 mm
252 pages
Price : 22,00 €
ISBN : 2-221-18771-7
http://www.laffont.fr/site/kotchok_&100&9782221187715.html
http://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-magazine/france-2/envoye-special
