The Flag

Identity. A value around which French society tries to unite, but at the same time excludes those with different skin colour or religion. Director Joseph Paris filmed dozens of hours of interviews and collected a large amount of material from the French media. From the fragments of these he has compiled a visual essay on the decline of civil liberties in France. He has documented the government’s repression of Arab, Muslim, and Black families and their portrayal in the media. The meanings of liberty, equality, and fraternity have changed. In deconstructing political and journalistic discourse, Paris is assisted by human rights advocate Yasser Louati. He has publicly explained that Muslims condemn Islamist attacks just as mainstream French society does.