L'Île et elles

In 2001, the Cinémathèque de Bretagne was entrusted with eighteen amateur films made from the 1950s onwards by Maryèle Morice and Madeleine Camard. The two women filmed their outings with friends or family, paying particular attention to everyday life, Breton traditions and the region’s natural landscapes. Several of these films take place on Île-aux-Moines, in the Gulf of Morbihan, where Maryèle lived. Seventy years after the footage was originally shot, we return to the island to show these images to its inhabitants, hoping to discover details that might tell us more about the lives and filmmaking practices of these two women. At the same time, we film this unique ecosystem ourselves. Memories and comments from island residents of all ages intertwine, creating a dialogue between past and present. This dialogue is further extended through the alternation between our contemporary digital footage and the women’s original colour 8mm films.