Event – The 15th Conference of the mountain cinema starts this Monday in Grenoble. This year, no less than 25 films will be presented to the public, including the documentary made by Yoann Perié « Les sommets de la dignité ». A moving film that recounts the meeting between young sixth-form students from Grenoble and four persons in precarious situations, including Jafar who has died since. All this with a backdrop of snowy summits.
Jafar, a snowboarder, lived 35 years on the streets and was often on drugs. Despite this chaotic life he never stopped loving the mountains. This key character of Yoann Perié’s movie passed away last week in his small 7‑square-metres flat. He participated in this cinematographic adventure, along with Mohamed, Viktor and Abdel, who like him are in precarious situations. An adventure which started a little more than a year ago, when the association « Point d’eau » joined the program « Jeunes en montagne » (Young people in the mountain) created by the Maison de la montagne in Grenoble. « The idea was to gather people in difficult situations and sixth form students together in a different environment », explains Candice Mengué, resource teacher who works for the Point d’eau. Grenoble’s association, which was created in 1995 in the neighbourhood « l’Ile verte », offers indeed a day centre for people in precarious situations and frequently organizes hikes in various mountains around Grenoble. « Jafar has a real screen presence » In June 2012, things took shape with a two days trip organized in the massif of the Ecrins. Objective : the climbing to the Promontoire, a mountain hut situated at 3090 metres altitude. About twenty students from the college Argouges in Grenoble and six persons from the association, including Jafar, took part in the project. A walk in the mountain that obviously required some preparation. « We organized several hikes in the massifs nearby with the help of the Maison de la montagne, as well as a via ferrata, so as to adapt our bodies as best possible » says Candice Mengué. So many good times shared and a great final epic at the Promontoire that were transposed to the screen with sincerity. « From the very beginning I wanted to film this project in order to give value to each person we welcomed. This makes the experience real and authentic », explains the resource teacher. Indeed, throughout the chaotic life course of the main characters, this film offers a new focus on people living in precarious situations, such as Jafar. « He is one of the most moving characters of this documentary », says Pascal Dagno, head of the volunteers at the Point d’eau. A vision shared by Didier Minelli, the organiser of the Conference on mountain cinema. This latter even adds « Jafar has an extraordinary screen presence ». A personality whose vision of life should touch the audience. A tribute will be paid to his memory with the film screening at the Summum, this Monday, 18th November. Mailys MedjadjTranslation by Sandra Bailly, Translator / Desktop Publishing specialist
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