The Battle of the Century

By following a handful of French leaders, shown in action but also in private, the film captures the emergence of a new generation of activists who, in their pragmatic, open and combative way, are reinventing citizen engagement. Working as part of a network, the activists of La base don't hesitate to cross the Channel to take lessons in non-violence from their British cousins, or to join forces with the «Gilets jaunes» to bring together social and environmental struggles. Punctuated by powerful moments, such as the blockade of La Défense, symbol of the «polluter's republic», in front of ulcerated or approving executives, this limpid narrative, permeated by a sense of urgency, brings to life from the inside a year and a half of unprecedented mobilization, a courageous struggle that will earn its «leaders» arrests, gassings and legal proceedings. This documentary is part handbook on contemporary activism, part civic epic, part novel of initiation, as the adventure moves through different phases: from enthusiasm to disillusionment, as the peaceful movement is overwhelmed by the black blocs, before finding a new lease of life.