REVOIR PARIS/PARIS MEMORIES

France, 2022, 105 minutes, Colour.

Virginie Efira, Benoit Magimel, Gregoire Colin, Maya Sansa, Amadou Mbow, Sofia Lesaffre.

Directed by Alice Winocour.

The title rather suggests nostalgia, visits to Paris, recollections… There is some truth in this but not in the way that we might have expected.

Writer-director, Alice Winocour, was affected by the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015, her brother being one of the victims. This film is her tribute to those who died, those who are injured physically and psychologically and emotionally,, an expression horror at the terrorist attacks and their violence, and an exploration of the consequences of these traumatic experiences, especially in blurred memories, attempts to reconstruct the past, to deal with some feelings of guilt for surviving, but also a search, a quest, to find people who had helped others to survive.

The central character here is Mia, played by the French actress, Virginie Efira, who has been so prominent in many French films for the last decade. She plays a woman who was at the targeted restaurant, writing, aware of some of the other guests, especially Thomas (Benoit Magimal) with a group celebrating a birthday. But, then the attack, some memories of taking refuge in the toilet, others helping her, surviving in the rubble.

In the aftermath, Mia is disturbed, becomes more alienated from her partner, Vincent (Gregoire Colin), unable to relate to people, disturbs about her memories and her lack of memory.

She begins a quest to search for the truth, returning to the restaurant now repaired and functioning again, meeting a woman who is coordinating gatherings of the survivors, enabling them to talk, to ask questions, to remember – and a startling incident where one of the survivors, an older woman, suddenly bursts into an attack on Mia, accusing her of locking the toilet door and preventing others to hide in safety. (And, rather movingly, the woman calming down and apologising for her anxiety and falsely accusing Mia.). Mia also encounters Thomas who has been injured. Again, talking, support, reminiscing, trying to fill in the details of what actually happened.

But there is also the important theme of the people working at the restaurant, in the kitchen, many of them from Africa, many of them illegal immigrants, not necessarily known by name but rather by face, fleeing after the terrorist attack, even to other countries. But Mia is determined to find the man working in the kitchen who she realises protected her, saved her.

It is emotionally satisfying to share this journey and quest with Mia, the support she found in the group, especially a young girl whom she befriends, Thomas, various members of the restaurant staff that she asked to help to identify her protector and, ultimately, reuniting with him.

The terrorist attacks made headlines throughout the world. However, we need stories like this one to be aware of the consequences of the attacks, the pain of the aftermath, the need for healing.

1. The title, memories, revisiting memories, recovering memories?
2. Paris, 2015, the terrorist attacks, violence, consequences?
3. The city of Paris, familiar settings, homes and apartments, gatherings? The restaurant, the attack, the violence, subsequent restoration and meetings?
4. Memories, strong, clouded, the brain, deleting memories, blurred, the psychological needs for dealing with the violent memories?
5. The focus of the story on Mia, her family background, her work, ordinary life, relationship with Vincent? Her being at the restaurant? The visualising of the attack, the experience, her behaviour, at the table, writing, going to the toilet? The kitchen? The blur?
6. The dramatic impact of the accusations by the woman who accused her of locking herself in and preventing others to come to safety? The audience shock? Mia’s shock? The later apology?
7. Thomas, the party at the restaurant, Mia noticing him? His place in her memories? Meeting him, the hospital, his injuries? Sharing with him, discussions?
8. The group of survivors, the group, the coordinator, the gathering at the restaurant, the discussions, revelations?
9. Mia and her quest, to track down the man who helped her in the kitchen, saved her? The various inquiries, going to the restaurant, the staff, knowledge, not knowledge, the fact that he had left France? The difficulties with illegal workers? His return, the encounter with Mia, her thanks?
10. The range of survivors, the coordinator of the meetings, the young girl, her experiences, support? The kitchen staff?
11. The process of memories, facing the truth, experiencing the hurt, the experience of alienation from friends and partners, the solving of the blur, coming to some kind of healing?