Movies by Gilles Perret

Gilles Perret is a French filmmaker whose documentaries offer a compelling, on-the-ground perspective on social and political issues in contemporary France. With an uncompromising eye and a commitment to giving voice to the working class and marginalized, Perret's films capture the human experiences and grassroots movements that are often overlooked in mainstream media. Perret's distinctive approach blends immersive, vérité-style camerawork with a deep empathy for his subjects. Whether chronicling the history and ongoing struggles of France's labor unions (On est la CGT! 130 ans après) or profiling the charismatic left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon (Mélenchon, la campagne d'un insoumis), his films eschew dry, detached reportage in favor of an intimate, you-are-there intimacy. Perret's camera becomes a lens through which we can viscerally connect with the hopes, fears, and collective power of ordinary citizens fighting for a more just society. The director's filmography is marked by a consistent thematic focus on themes of social justice, labor rights, and grassroots resistance. From the working-class utopia of A Place in the Sun to the bittersweet tale of aging dairy farmers in Bertrand's Farm, Perret's films offer a refreshingly unvarnished counterpoint to the gloss of mainstream French cinema. His work has earned critical acclaim, with several titles, including The Takeover and Those Who Care, receiving prestigious awards on the festival circuit. As an essential chronicler of contemporary France's political and social upheavals, Gilles Perret stands out as a vital, necessary voice in documentary filmmaking today.