"We must not lose this memory": a film documents the Toulon of yesteryear

He lives between Montreuil, in the Parisian suburbs, and the charming little village of Cotignac, in the hinterland. About ten years ago, while working as a filmmaker, Pierre Goupillon found himself short of work. But there was no question of moping around. Instead, he took advantage of this time he had been given to set up a project that had been on his mind for several years and was close to his heart: to create a structure that would link the past and the present through human testimonies. This is how the Passerelle de Mémoire association was born. Seven years later, now retired, Pierre Goupillon has become its president. And this Wednesday, he is preparing to present the film he made last year by compiling the testimonies of Toulon residents.

What is the purpose of this association?

Passerelle de Mémoire is a system for bringing together generations. I make films about it, but it could be something else. The idea is to tell the story of neighborhoods, cities, villages... and the urban and social changes they've gone through, to pass all that on to new generations, who were born with the internet and don't really know, or even know at all, the ways things used to be done before. Since it's portrayed by people who lived through that era, it speaks more. We've made about thirty films, including fifteen about villages in the Var region.

How do you choose them?

The basic principle is that the city is the driving force behind the project. Once the municipality agrees, we launch a call for testimonies and organize an initial meeting with the "seniors" who responded. Then we approach a school, a college, a youth center, and with them we conduct interviews and a trailer. It's a collective memory nourished by individual memory.

How did you come to set up your microphones and cameras in Toulon?

It was a project from two years ago, which was postponed. In Toulon, we decided to create three districts, on the rather broad theme of Toulon past and present: the Pont du Las, the Lower Town and the Mourillon.

You then started recording the testimonies...

68 Toulon residents responded to the call. Our principle is that there is no casting. Everyone who comes will be in the film. Usually, we stay on site for five days. But for a city like Toulon, we stayed for three weeks, in July 2024. It was the young people from the association "Des Enfants un quartier la vie" who asked the witnesses the questions in our caravan "Le Lab des Territoires."

How is the film constructed?

There's a thread that unfolds, it's like a novel with chapters. We worked with the municipal archives, and we mainly used photos and postcards from the time, and only the accounts of witnesses, there is no "voice-over". They spoke about their neighborhood as it was at the time, about a business that no longer exists, about the war... It's not about controversy, it's about a peaceful, emotional memory, where the memories are reminiscences, so they speak about it almost in the present tense.

What is the film then intended for?

We're not a production company, we're an association. Once we've cut everything, edited it, and finished the film, it's given to the city and every witness, and made freely available on our YouTube channel. Those who want to screen it can do so, but obviously it's forbidden to charge for admission.

Ideally, what, or who, would you like this work to be used for?

I would like us to work more with schools. Ultimately, the place where we live necessarily has a history, and this history is linked to the inhabitants. It's a bit like the soldiers of the 1914 war. There, we have witnesses of an era, capable of explaining, of telling. It's important not to lose this memory. And to raise awareness of transmission. This could be part of the school curriculum.

What are your next appointments?

We just finished a film about Pierrefeu, which will be screened on October 9, and another about Solliès-Toucas is currently being edited. Next week, we'll be in Nans-les-Pins and the week after in Salernes.

Screening of the documentary Toulon yesterday and today, a journey through old Toulon as told by its inhabitants , this Wednesday, September 17 at 5 p.m. at the Maison de la Méditerranée (Porquerolles room), rue Infernet. Open to all and free, but reservations are strongly recommended as the number of places is limited.