Feminist, activist, filmmaker and editor Madeleine Beauséjour (1946-1994) is a figure who has remained relatively unknown, even though she was at the heart of 20th century political and social struggle. Amongst her various (often clandestine) political activities, Beauséjour fought tirelessly for the rights of immigrant families in France and was a founder of Révolution Afrique (1969), a political collective engaged in training the revolutionary advance guard in African countries. She also held links with numerous international movements including the Black Panthers, who financed her film project in Senegal at the end of the 1960s. Beauséjour set up a training school for activists from immigrant hostels in Seine St Denis and filmed their struggles for many years, but the film she had planned was never finished and the miles of film stock she accumulated have now disappeared. Although she worked extensively as an editor, she only directed one film, a short, Koman i lé la sours (1987), a new restoration of which is presented within this programme. A native of Reunion Island, Beauséjour campaigned for the production of films in Creole and had a feature film project set on Réunion, Johnny et Ombline, which was never made. She committed suicide in 1994. 

We have conceived of this screening as an evocation of Beauséjour’s career and her many rebellious lives. We have carried out our research in an attempt to get closer to her and to learn more about this hidden female figure; an absentee from our histories of cinema. We hope it might serve as a restitution and provide an opportunity to imagine together what her cinema might have been. 

With thanks to the Cinémathèque de Toulouse, Talitha, Raphaël Grisey, Gilles de Staal, Richard Copans, Tangui Perron, Selven Naidu, Wally Fall, Laurent Pantaléon and all the other people who have shared traces with us. 

(Annabelle Aventurin and Léa Morin) 

Programme: 

Etrange, Étrangers (Excerpt) (Marcel Trillat et Frédéric Variot / 1970 / France / 1’ / Digital / French spoken, English subtitles) 
Obsèque des maliens d’Aubervilliers (Journal Télévisé / 1970 / France / 1’ / Digital / sound) 
Journées portes ouvertes à Drancy (Révo Afrique (Madeleine Beauséjour, Claude Reznik, Jean Denis Bonan, and collaborators), 1972 / France / 18’ / Digital / French spoken, English subtitles) 
Hommage (Jean-Marie Teno / 2000 / France / 13’ / Digital / French Spoken, English subtitles) 
Koman i lé la sours (Madeleine Beauséjour / 1987 / La Réunion/ 26’ / Digital / French spoken, English subtitles) 

With an introduction by Annabelle Aventurin and Léa Morin