Olivier Zuchuat

Switzerland – 2 Films in Collection

Biography

Olivier Zuchuat
After studying theoretical physics and literature he became a teaching assistant at the Université de Lausanne (Switzerland). He directed several theatrical productions of works by Bertolt Brecht and Heiner Müller before turning exclusively to documentary cinema. Since 2005, he has been teaching film studies at the Université de Paris-Est Marne la Vallée. He works and lives between Lausanne and Paris.
Previous films: Mah Bamba (57 min., 2002, co-directed by Corinne Maury). Djourou, a rope round your neck (64 min., 2005).

Movies by Olivier Zuchuat in Collection

Comme des lions de pierre à l'entrée de la nuit (2012)

Between 1947 and 1951, the Greek government interned around 80,000 soldiers and civilians (men, women and children) for ‘communist activity.’ They were forced to go through ‘re-education programmes’ in order that they might get back ‘on the right track’ guided by the ideology of the extreme right-wing nationalist King Paul.
Numerous prisoners, including the famous poet Yannis Ritsos wrote texts there ‘poetry’ that they buried inside bottles and managed to bring home from the camp. These texts fuel images of this barbaric laboratory which was set up specifically in order to facilitate the ‘mental reprogramming’ of members of the communist resistance.

Au loin des villages (2009)

En avril 2006, 13 000 personnes de l’ethnie Dajo se réfugient dans la plaine de Gouroukoun, à l’Est du Tchad. Tous sont des survivants de la guerre du Darfour. Ils y construisent un camp, s’y enferment et s’y inventent une survie.
L'auteur s’est enfermé à son tour dans cette prison sans mur. Des images patientes racontent l’interminable temps de l’attente. Une vie au ralenti qui s’égrène, comme suspendue dans le dénuement. Des réfugiés prennent longuement la parole, des enfants dessinent des batailles, des petites filles (...)