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"Latifa, a Woman in the Republic."
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"Latifa, a Woman in the Republic."
Everyone knows her face, such a picture of sadness and yet radiating gentleness.
Since the death of her son, Imad, the French paratrooper gunned down by the terrorist Merah in Toulouse in 2012, Latifa Ibn Ziaten has travelled the length and breadth of France, working relentlessly with secondary-school children, teachers, parents and young prisoners “so that there’ll never be another Mohamed Merah”.
Film producer Jarmila Buzkova spent 7 months following Latifa in her work. Her documentary, which has no voiceover, includes many moving scenes of Latifa interacting with her audiences: “Never raise your voice, always show respect, and look everyone straight in the eye,” She answers all their questions, her message is clear and direct, and she always finds the right words to address difficult issues. She excels in rising above her own sorrow as a fighting force for tolerance and a shining light against fanaticism.
In more intimate scenes, Latifa also talks about her childhood and her arrival in France, age 17, after leaving her native Morocco, about her fight for diversity when she worked as a cook in the school canteen, and about all the love and tireless effort she put into raising her five children.
After the tragedy of her son’s death, Latifa is determined to “stay standing”, just as Imad did when he faced his killer. So, day in, day out, her incredible struggle continues as she fights to keep his memory alive, to support French Republican values, and to reach into the heart of every human being, without exception.
The documentary won the Audience Award at the 30th International Festival of Audiovisual Programmes held in Biarritz in 2017.
Since the death of her son, Imad, the French paratrooper gunned down by the terrorist Merah in Toulouse in 2012, Latifa Ibn Ziaten has travelled the length and breadth of France, working relentlessly with secondary-school children, teachers, parents and young prisoners “so that there’ll never be another Mohamed Merah”.
Film producer Jarmila Buzkova spent 7 months following Latifa in her work. Her documentary, which has no voiceover, includes many moving scenes of Latifa interacting with her audiences: “Never raise your voice, always show respect, and look everyone straight in the eye,” She answers all their questions, her message is clear and direct, and she always finds the right words to address difficult issues. She excels in rising above her own sorrow as a fighting force for tolerance and a shining light against fanaticism.
In more intimate scenes, Latifa also talks about her childhood and her arrival in France, age 17, after leaving her native Morocco, about her fight for diversity when she worked as a cook in the school canteen, and about all the love and tireless effort she put into raising her five children.
After the tragedy of her son’s death, Latifa is determined to “stay standing”, just as Imad did when he faced his killer. So, day in, day out, her incredible struggle continues as she fights to keep his memory alive, to support French Republican values, and to reach into the heart of every human being, without exception.
The documentary won the Audience Award at the 30th International Festival of Audiovisual Programmes held in Biarritz in 2017.
Everyone knows her face, such a picture of sadness and yet radiating gentleness.
Since the death of her son, Imad, the French paratrooper gunned down by the terrorist Merah in Toulouse in 2012, Latifa Ibn Ziaten has travelled the length and breadth of France, working relentlessly with secondary-school children, teachers, parents and young prisoners “so that there’ll never be another Mohamed Merah”.
Film producer Jarmila Buzkova spent 7 months following Latifa in her work. Her documentary, which has no voiceover, includes many moving scenes of Latifa interacting with her audiences: “Never raise your voice, always show respect, and look everyone straight in the eye,” She answers all their questions, her message is clear and direct, and she always finds the right words to address difficult issues. She excels in rising above her own sorrow as a fighting force for tolerance and a shining light against fanaticism.
In more intimate scenes, Latifa also talks about her childhood and her arrival in France, age 17, after leaving her native Morocco, about her fight for diversity when she worked as a cook in the school canteen, and about all the love and tireless effort she put into raising her five children.
After the tragedy of her son’s death, Latifa is determined to “stay standing”, just as Imad did when he faced his killer. So, day in, day out, her incredible struggle continues as she fights to keep his memory alive, to support French Republican values, and to reach into the heart of every human being, without exception.
The documentary won the Audience Award at the 30th International Festival of Audiovisual Programmes held in Biarritz in 2017.
Since the death of her son, Imad, the French paratrooper gunned down by the terrorist Merah in Toulouse in 2012, Latifa Ibn Ziaten has travelled the length and breadth of France, working relentlessly with secondary-school children, teachers, parents and young prisoners “so that there’ll never be another Mohamed Merah”.
Film producer Jarmila Buzkova spent 7 months following Latifa in her work. Her documentary, which has no voiceover, includes many moving scenes of Latifa interacting with her audiences: “Never raise your voice, always show respect, and look everyone straight in the eye,” She answers all their questions, her message is clear and direct, and she always finds the right words to address difficult issues. She excels in rising above her own sorrow as a fighting force for tolerance and a shining light against fanaticism.
In more intimate scenes, Latifa also talks about her childhood and her arrival in France, age 17, after leaving her native Morocco, about her fight for diversity when she worked as a cook in the school canteen, and about all the love and tireless effort she put into raising her five children.
After the tragedy of her son’s death, Latifa is determined to “stay standing”, just as Imad did when he faced his killer. So, day in, day out, her incredible struggle continues as she fights to keep his memory alive, to support French Republican values, and to reach into the heart of every human being, without exception.
The documentary won the Audience Award at the 30th International Festival of Audiovisual Programmes held in Biarritz in 2017.