Living with the dead
by Julie Bruchert
SYNOPSIS
In Martinique, the dead are everywhere there is life.
People speak of the dead every day—by pouring a drop of rum on the ground, in obituaries on the radio, in various magical and religious practices…
Carnival, an unmissable event, ends with a day of mourning and the funeral of Vaval, the mascot.
All Saints’ Day celebrates the deceased in a unifying festival that lasts two days.
There is also the traditional wake, highly ritualized, almost theatrical. A moment of unity around the deceased, a vital catharsis for those left behind. But as everywhere, the rites are fading…
I set out to explore these traditions and the people who bring death to life in Martinique.
THE DIRECTOR
Originally from Alsace, Julie Bruchert has been living in Martinique for several years, having fallen in love with the island. She has been working in production and on-set management for audiovisual shoots for fifteen years.
In 2017, she directed her first documentary, *Antoine*, an intimate portrait of Antoine Deltour, the whistleblower behind the Luxleaks scandal. A 36-minute feature was broadcast on Arte Reportage, and a 66-minute feature-length version was shown at festivals and on local channels.
Trained in documentary filmmaking at the Ateliers Varan, her work is characterized by her exploration of social issues and her in-depth engagement with her subjects.
