Memories from Gehenna

Jenkoe Thomas / France / 2015 / International Premiere / 56 min.

synopsis

Grande-Synthe is a suburb of the French port town of Dunkerque. In 2002, its residents were shocked by a racially motivated murder committed by a longtime resident looking to release his inner frustrations through ethnic violence. More than 10 years after the tragic events, the filmmakers have come to record how this place has changed. Their various stops in this agglomeration retrace the murderer’s journey as he drove around town looking for his future victim. Recited excerpts from his interrogation mix with current reflections by local residents and a piano soundtrack to give the film a sense of desolation.

DETAIL:
“When I was 16, I wanted to die too. I also wanted to shoot myself because a girl dumped me. But my dog would have been alone. I’m sure people will say it’s my fault. It’s always like that.”

biography

Thomas Jenkoe studied literature and film at the Sorbonne in Paris. His first filmmaking experience was working on the documentary Passwonder (2008). His films make use of unconventional filmmaking techniques – A Passion (2010) was shot on a mobile phone. He also interacts with the public through multimedia installations (DO 1 MOVE Y0U - D1S0RDER & De profundis ad stellam, 2011).

more about film

director:	Jenkoe Thomas
producer:	Guillaume Massart, Jenkoe Thomas, Mehdi Benallal
photography:	Jenkoe Thomas
editing:	Guillaume Massart
music:	Morton Feldman
sound:	Pierre Bompy