Le film de Bazin

In 1958, in the months before his death, the acclaimed film critic André Bazin began working on a short film about the Romanesque churches of the Saintonge, a film he would never finish. What remained were notes, scouting photographs and a script, in which he said, ​“the focus of the film, its centre of gravity and balance must be current,” and that it was about ​“explaining the incomparable charm of these churches in the daily life of the Saintonge today.” In this film dedicated to Bazin’s project, Pierre Hébert heeds these instructions, at the same time taking into account the changes that have occurred in the meantime: the fate of several of these churches, which have become tourist attractions, and life in the Saintonge. He combines real images and photos with drawings and lively conversations in a meditation on the passing of time, on a film that was never completed, on Bazin’s death, on restoration and the future of ruins and on modern-day life that continues in resonance with the old stones.