«Et les mistrals gagnants», a lesson in happiness

Cinema Wednesdays - Jonas Follonier

A film about the present moment, happiness, childhood, humanity and illness. And the winning mistrals is all of the above. Anne-Dauphine Julliand's documentary has all the qualities of a good documentary, and takes a look not at the serious illnesses affecting children, but at the children affected by serious illnesses. Children who breathe joie de vivre. It's a masterpiece, highlighting children who are seriously ill but happy.

This is precisely what but which the film questions. Centered on five sick children aged between six and nine, the film doesn't focus on them. It is they who carry the film. Ambre, Camille, Charles, Imad and Tugdual simply teach the viewer a deeply moving lesson. A lesson in life. Happiness is within everyone's reach, and it doesn't consist in the maximum sum of pleasures: it's a faith in existence, with all that it entails.

«If something goes wrong, it's not serious, that's life,» says one of the children. So simple, so true. These kinds of maxims deserve our full attention, because for once they're not the fruit of an emotional strategy engineered by a director in search of self-righteousness and, above all, money. The film simply captures the reflections of each of the protagonists and follows them through their daily lives. A happy daily life, between games and hospital wards, that they have fun presenting to us.

Skin disease, bone marrow disease, kidney disease - who cares? They are first and foremost children, and human beings in general. It's not pity, privileges or special attention they're asking for, but normal, human-to-human consideration. After all, we're all born with imperfections, some physical, some mental, some heavier than others. The important thing is to see what connects us as human beings, and to climb the path to happiness. «I think there's nothing to stop us from being happy.» Aristotle is not far off. Don't they say that the truth comes from the mouths of babes?

Anne-Dauphine Julliand's film is eminently philosophical. She herself has lost a child, so she could have fallen into the philosophical trap. pathos; but it's nothing of the sort. The documentary is characterized by its humility and intelligence. It's also a masterful director. The landscapes, the rhythm, the lighting, the camera at the children's level - everything is well put together, sparing us the tedium that a documentary on sick children would usually provide.

But if there's one thing that's a success, it's the title. And the winning mistrals. Renaud, in his famous song, is not talking about a sick child. He's talking about a child, that's all. A child who is his own, and destined to embody the universal child. What better choice of title could Renaud have made to emphasize his praise of the child as such, and his refusal to categorize the sick?

Childhood, magical, ephemeral, that golden age sublimated in Mistral wins,France's favorite song.

«Sitting on a bench with you for five minutes
And look at people while there's some
To tell you about the good times that are dead or will come again
As I clasp your little fingers in my hand
Then feed them to stupid pigeons
Kicking ’em for fake
And hear your laughter cracking the walls
Who above all knows how to heal my wounds
Tell you a little bit about how I was a kid
Les bonbecs fabuleux
That we stole from the merchant, car-in-bags and mintos
Caramels à un franc
And the winning mistrals

To walk in the rain with you for five minutes
And look at life while it lasts
Telling you all about the Earth with your eyes
Tell you a little bit about your mother
And jumping in puddles to make her moan
To ruin our shoes and have fun
And hear your laugh like the sea
Stop, go back
Telling you all about old-fashioned carambars and bohemian cocoas
And the real roudoudous that cut off our lips
And fucked our teeth
And the winning mistrals

Sitting on a bench with you for five minutes
And watch the sun go down
Tell you about a good time that's dead and I don't care
Telling you that we're not the bad guys
If I'm crazy, it's only in your eyes
Because they have the advantage of being two
And hear your laugh soar so high
Let the bird calls fly away
To tell you at last that you have to love life
And love him even if
Time is a killer and takes with it
Children's laughter
And the winning mistrals
And the winning mistrals».»

Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com