Claire Simon’s latest feature-length film retraces the history of Tënk in Lussas, a small village nestled in Ardèche, in the southeast of France, with a population of only 1,100 residents that welcomes a vibrant documentary community. The filmmaker follows the development of the platform and its first years of existence, exploring the many questions and dilemmas involved in this grand adventure… which now continues in Québec!

Far from a simple chronology of events, the film depicts the complexity and fragility of the environment in which the project took root, a fascinating rural microcosm where two spheres of activity share space: agricultural workers (feeding the body) and “imagination” workers (feeding the mind). Without necessarily intersecting, these two essential sectors are shown in all their relevance, beauty and resilience when faced with challenges—whether economic, relational, or meteorological in nature.

A film that hews close to life, The Grocer’s Son, the Mayor, the Village and the World encourages us to dream, open ourselves up to new possibilities, and believe in the power to reinvent the world, wherever we may find ourselves.

Jason Burnham
Tënk's programming assistant

BONUS
An interview with Claire Simon and Jean-Marie Barbe (in French):

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