ENGRAND ENSEMBLE, THE OTHER STORY OF THE GLORIOUS THIRTY YEARS
A documentary fiction directed by Sylvain Desmille
Sarcelles, La cité des 4000, Vénissieux, Les Minguettes, etc. : built in the 1950s in response to the housing crisis, the Grand Ensembles were a promise of a better life for the poorest. However, often relegated to urban peripheries, they were perceived from the 1970s onwards as a symbol of urban and social failure, destined for demolition. Led by the representative history of a family spanning three generations, this 52-minute film, composed entirely of archival footage, traces the history of an iconic Grand Ensemble, from its construction to its demolition, through a reinterpretation of television news, amateur films, photographs, and an impressive collection of postcards.
