As part of the “Passeurs d’images” project, 13 young people from the ANIS and ALEFPA – Le Manteau associations wrote, acted in, and participated in the production of a short fiction film and a documentary. Last Friday, a special screening brought together more than one hundred people in the sports hall of the Jean-Louis Vanterpool Stadium. A true cinematic atmosphere was guaranteed: popcorn, hot dogs, and pizzas were on the menu.
The program features “My Life, My Neighborhood,” a 25-minute documentary giving five young people a voice on camera in their respective neighborhoods, followed by a short action-comedy film, “SXM Bad Boyz – An Ordinary Day,” where two men become amateur detectives to find a kidnapped woman. Two different styles to showcase talents full of humor, resourcefulness, and sometimes poetry.
For both organizations, video is a way to engage young people. “We had already worked on a short video about suicide prevention. We saw how good it was for our young people,” explains Audrey Gil, director of ALEFPA – Le Manteau. Beyond well-being, the project allowed them to discover careers in filmmaking. A real boon for reigniting the interest of these young people, most of whom are “disengaged” (neither employed nor in education or training).
One of the hardest aspects was opening up in front of the cameras, but 20-year-old Lili has fond memories of it: “Every day was my favorite day!” Accompanied by psychologist Farah Viotty, the young people mainly “learned about themselves” and gained “self-assurance and confidence,” according to Jessica Badri, head of service at ALEFPA – Le Manteau.
From December 2025 to February 2026, these budding young filmmakers were guided by two professional directors: Christophe Champaré and Rony Pies. “On a personal level, it was a fantastic adventure,” says the latter. Christophe Champaré, originally from the island, discovered “a different perspective of Saint-Martin” thanks to the young people. “Tonight was just the warm-up; we have a lot more to come, so get ready,” said Rony Pies. Both are eager to do it again! _DR
The films will soon be available on the social media accounts of both associations.
Source: Faxinfo https://faxinfo.fr/en/culture-le-film-et-le-documentaire-de-13-jeunes-saint-martinois-projetes-sur-grand-ecran/
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