Photography essay "Comme On Peut", co-produced with Sylvain Demange.
The purpose of this project is to document the lasting memory of a 1915' First World War battle and its current impact on the population of a French village, 100 years after the battle took place.
In 1915, 50.000 soldiers, French and German, died within a few months on a very tiny hill in successive attempts to take control of a overlooking hill which was heavily defended by the German forces. This battle is also famous as some of the most prominent writers of the time fought on that place (Ernst Jünger, Maurice Genevoix), while others were killed or disappeared (Alain Fournier, Louis Pergaud).
The project is based on interviews and on-site archeology work together with memory actors in charge of protecting the memory of those who died and fought on the place. The work also documents landscapes and battlefield remaining artifacts.
The production of the project took place between 2011 and 2017. It was then selected as part of the national events organized to commemorate the centenary of the First World War in France. An exhibition took place in France’s Verdun Memorial in 2017. A photography book was edited to support the exhibition.