Interview of Mathieu Potte-Bonneville et Cathy Bouvard, for the Cinémathèque Idéale des Banlieues du Monde
This project, carried out in partnership with the Ateliers Médicis in Clichy-Montfermeil and the Centre Pompidou, aims to archive and tell the stories of suburban areas through films and works created by those who live there.
Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund:
Can you explain the main objective of the "New Cinema Writings" grant launched by what we call the CIBM, the Cinémathèque Idéale des Banlieues du Monde?
Mathieu Potte-Bonneville:
"Yes, this grant is extremely important to us because the Cinémathèque Idéale des Banlieues du Monde is both a platform that allows people to discover works proposed by artists, researchers, etc., aiming to change the way we see suburban areas. But it also has a component dedicated to supporting young artists and filmmakers from working-class neighborhoods so they can make their perspectives, voices, and narratives visible. These narratives are unique, and they need help to be developed, made visible, and built properly, which requires time and care."
Cathy Bouvard:
"Yes, I would add—though in different words from what Mathieu just said—that the project of the Cinémathèque Idéale des Banlieues du Monde is about passing on knowledge and memory. It has a heritage aspect: it involves showcasing past works but also ensuring their transmission and reappropriation by younger generations. The past and the future go hand in hand in this project, and supporting young creators is truly the other side of this archival work."
Mathieu Potte-Bonneville:
"The 'New Cinema Writings' grant helps support this aspect of novelty and renewal. These young filmmakers explore not only narrative cinema but also visual arts, experimental cinema, and social media. All these different forms of images shape the language of the present. Supporting these new forms of writing means allowing artists to blend these various image formats and create new narratives."
Cathy Bouvard:
"And there's also the idea of de-hierarchizing images. Everyone engages with images, and this younger generation has a more uninhibited approach to making images and constructing stories. That is something we want to highlight and help build."
Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund:
How does this project contribute to diversifying narratives and perspectives in French cinema?
Mathieu Potte-Bonneville:
"Peripheral cinema has nourished French cinema for a long time, but we don’t always realize it. French cinema has been shaped by the movement between centers and peripheries. Jean-Luc Godard once said that the margin holds the page together. Peripheral areas are like the margins of a book: if you remove them, the pages fall apart. So, it’s not new that suburban cinema is central to French cinema. It is crucial for new generations to step in to prevent cinema from becoming stagnant. This also helps fight against stereotypes."
Cathy Bouvard:
"Bringing out the stories of people living in peripheral areas is extremely important. Very often, the suburbs have been filmed by filmmakers from the city center. Today, it is essential to let those who inhabit these areas take the floor and tell their own stories."
Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund:
Do you think that these definitions of center and margin are shifting and need to be redefined?
Cathy Bouvard:
"Yes, as a provocation, I would say that Paris has no borders, and therefore, the periphery does not exist. The ‘other’ is always perceived as peripheral, and that’s the idea we need to rethink. We need to decenter ourselves and invent new centralities. This would help shift dynamics."
Mathieu Potte-Bonneville:
"The periphery is not just geographical; it is also social. It’s a feeling of being pushed to the margins. Changing this perception is essential."
Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund:
What criteria are used to select the young artists and filmmakers who receive this grant?
Cathy Bouvard:
"The criteria include careful scouting, but also the idea of forming a group with diverse backgrounds. For example, we have a self-taught young filmmaker mentored by Mohamed Bourissa, as well as Josépha Enjam, a visual artist who has not yet made films but comes from a working-class neighborhood and is beginning to gain recognition."
Mathieu Potte-Bonneville:
"Supporting creation is also a collective effort. Creation should not be seen as an individual pursuit but as a conversation between different imaginations. And it’s this collective work that we emphasize."
Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund:
How has the support from the Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund been essential to this project?
Mathieu Potte-Bonneville:
"This support has been crucial in completing our support system. A key piece was missing to help artists transition to filmmaking. This support strengthens the guidance process and helps bring projects to fruition."
Cathy Bouvard:
"The Fund’s support has added an essential dimension: the realization and visibility of projects. Long-term support is key to fostering emerging creations."
Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund:
Why did the Centre Pompidou take an interest in the Cinémathèque Idéale des Banlieues project?
Mathieu Potte-Bonneville:
"Since its creation, the Centre Pompidou has been a place for cinema. It is also a center that decentralizes itself. Suburban cinema is an essential part of French cinema, and as an institution, the Centre Pompidou must also contribute to the emergence of this culture."