Oakland: The Black Panther Party’s legacy endures more than ever
Synopsis: The Black Panther Party, an African American revolutionary party, was founded in 1966 in Oakland, California, by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seal. Meet Fredrika Newton, Huey's widow, who still carries the legacy of the Party. She is now the President of the Huey P. Newton Foundation, on a quest to erect a monument to the Black Panthers and, eventually, a Black Panther museum. News story for TV5 Monde. June 2020.
Under the threatening California Sun: a story of Joan Didion
Synopsis: For nearly five decades, Joan Didion has been one of California’s most compelling literary voices. Her coverage of zeitgeist moments, from ’60s “be-ins” to the election of Ronald Reagan, helped usher in an era of journalism where reporting read as engagingly as a novel. She’s penned books on Miami and El Salvador, covered national politics and now resides in New York City, yet California remains her work’s true north. 13 min documentary for Arte, "Invitation Au Voyage". January 2021.
California: gray whales in danger
Synopsis: Gray whales are starving, washing up dead in startling numbers along SF coast. Scientists believe the trouble started under the Arctic ice pack. The tiny crustaceans that the gray whales eat rely on algae that grows on the underside of the ice. When that algae dies, it sinks to the seafloor, where the mud-dwelling critters feast. The less ice there is, the less algae and, consequently, fewer crustaceans. Which means less whale food. News story for Arte Journal. July 2019.
Lords of Water – Trailer
Synopsis: They call it ’blue gold.’ Around the world, demand for water is exploding. By 2050, at least one in four will live in a country suffering from water shortages - creating ideal conditions for a new market... Banks, investment funds and hedge funds are all rushing to invest billions of euros in anything related to water. A real monopoly of water has begun. The financialization of water is a battle taking place on many fronts: ideological, political, environmental, and of course, economic. The fate of nearly 10 billion inhabitants around the world depends on its outcome. A 90 minutes film by Jérôme Fritel, produced by Magneto Presse. Aired on Arte in December 2019.
Coming out in San Francisco: the story of Harvey Milk
Synopsis: Harvey Milk was an outspoken human rights activist and one of the first openly gay U.S. politicians elected to public office in San Francisco; even after his assassination in 1978, he continues to inspire disenfranchised people around the world. 7 min documentary for Arte, "Invitation Au Voyage". September 2019.
Back to the origins of Burning Man
Synopsis: Did you know Burning Man could trace its roots to Baker Beach? In 1986, a wooden figure burnt on Baker beach during the Summer Solstice. A curious crowd gathered to watch it burn. The rest is history... 7 minutes documentary for Arte, "Invitation Au Voyage". Juin 2019.
San Francisco Special
Synopsis: San Francisco is the mecca of innovation. Google, Facebook, Airbnb... Tech giants are inventing the world's future. But what is the other side of the coin? The cost of living, the rent explosion, homelessness, excesses in the social media industry... Has the Silicon Valley reached the limits of its promises? A 53 minutes long Special program, directed by Véronique Amstutz, produced by Patrick Fischer and Pierre Gobet, for Swiss first public TV channel RTS. March 2019.
A secret mineshaft on Berkeley Campus
Synopsis: The Berkeley campus is filled with secrets... One of them is hidden on the north side of campus, locked behind a metal-grated door but visible if you know where to look. The door leads to the Lawson Adit, a mine blasted into the Berkeley hills — directly across the Hayward fault — more than 100 years ago by students. A 7 minutes documentary for Arte, "Invitation Au Voyage". January 2019.
In Chicago, the liberating fever of jazz
Synopsis: In 1915, African-American musicians from New Orleans came to Chicago. They brought something with them: jazz! 13 minutes documentary for Arte, "Invitation Au Voyage". January 2019.
When Al Capone was ruling over Chicago
Synopsis: Gang warfare ruled the streets of Chicago during the late 1920s, as chief gangster Al Capone and his Chicago Outfit gang sought to consolidate control by eliminating their rivals, Italians from the North Side Gang, in the illegal trades of bootlegging, gambling and prostitution.