We did it!! We have reached our target goal for the KISSKISSBANKBANK campaign page! FAHAVALO'S community has gone above and beyond in this journey. It's not only a win for the Madagascar 1947: Fahavalo film - it's a win for our community, and most importantly the movement the film stands for. What does this mean for the film now? Because we have successfully raised the first step of the money, we will now be able to get the rights for the archives which will allow us to screen the film for the next 10 years.

We are still working towards raising donations for the film. The second step of the donations will allow the film to have English subtitles as well as a mastered Digital Cinema Package. Let's keep the momentum going. Please visit our CONTRIBUTE tab on the website FAHAVALO-FILM.COM >

Watch the FAHAVALO, Madagascar 1947 official movie trailer here:

They were called fahavalo, “enemies”, as they rebelled against French colonial authorities in 1947, only armed with spears and talismans. The film is a journey across Madagascar in search of the last witnesses of a long forgotten rebellion.

About The Film

Fahavalo, Madagascar 1947, is a feature length documentary written and directed by Marie-Clémence Andriamonta-Paes. The film tells the story of the 1947 uprising in Madagascar.
This journey through the past is brought to life by the witnesses today where the events took place, along the railways, through the forest, from the Highlands to the East coast of Madagascar.

Interweaving archives with these rare and heartfelt testimonies, the film unfolds an unknown story of resistance. Only those who were present at the time recount the events through reports, radio recordings, and especially oral testimonies. Exclusive photographies from the Madagascar National Archives and never seen before footage from the 40’s give life to these stories.

After WWII, 9800 Malagasy soldiers travelled back to their island on the ship Ile-de-France. Upon reaching their homeland, they had no choice but to return to their “indigenous” status. As independence of Madagascar was absolutely not on the French agenda, they soon organized a rebellion, harshly repressed by the colonial authorities. The police reports mention that beside their spears and machetes the poorly armed insurgents used magic, during the 18 months uprising.

Meet the director: Marie-Clémence Paes

Marie-Clémence Paes is both Malagasy and French. She writes and produces award winning documentaries with her husband Cesar Paes, a Brazilian DOP and director. Their films offer intimate journeys across the globe that highlight a better cross cultural understanding. Her film FAHAVALO, Madagascar 1947 was bought with the curiosity to understand the mystery from the untold story of the 1947 Madagascar uprising rooted from her ancestors. She made the documentary to unravel the history. The oral testimonies are what will keep the story real and alive for the future generations.

Kely sisa dia ho vita ity sarimihetsika « FAHAVALO, MADAGASCAR 1947 » ity. Naka sary ireo vavolombelona izahay, nandavorary ny fanatontosàna mba ho afaka havoaka sy hojerena ao Madagasikara, ao Frantsa sy any amin’ireo karazana Donia (Festivals) isanisany manerana an’izao tontolo izao izy io. Ilaina vidiana anefa ny zo ahazoana mampiasa ireo tahirin-tsarimihetsika fahiny ao anatiny. Fananan’ny British Pathé any Londres na an’ny INA na an’ny Cinémémoires ao Frantsa ireo. Tsy fanananay ireo tahiry ireo ka mila aloa vola mba ho afaka aseho mandritra ny folo taona ho avy ny sarimihetsika « FAHAVALO, MADAGASCAR 1947 ». Misaotra anao mialoha @ fanampiana .

Meet the team:

Cesar Paes: Director of Photography

Cesar Paes is a Brazilian documentary filmmaker born in Rio de Janeiro. Paes co-founded Laterit Productions in Paris, which is where he currently resides now with his wife, Marie-Clémence Paes. As DOP, he has worked with Raoul Peck, Sandra Kogut, JH Meunier, Camille Mauduech...

Régis Gizavo: Composer

Self-taught accordionist, from Tulear, south of Madagascar. RFI Award in 1990, he accompanied many artists from all around the world, including Cesaria Evora, Lenin, Mano Solo, I Muvrini… He passed away during a concert in Corsica on July 17, 2017. He had only recorded first drafts for the music of the film.

Tiago Paes: 1st Assistant Director and Set Photographer

Gabriel Paes: Editor

Paes brothers, were both born in Paris Area, on the left Tiago, 25 1st Assistant director and set photographer, currently studying photography at St Luc art School in Belgium. On the right side Gabriel, 28, committed in the editing of the film together with Paul Pirritano, and took in charge all the restauration and editing of 16 mm footage.

Photo taken in Laterit Productions, Paris. The production crew .
Standing behind : Marie Clémence and Cesar Paes
Far left : Agnès Contensou,
She has also worked on "Ady Gasy" by Lova Nantenaina and was main editor on previous Paes films since "Awara Soup", such as "An Opera from the Indian Ocean" , "Mahaleo" co directed by Paes and Rajaonarivelo, "Saudade do Futuro". Producer and post-production manager of the film "Fahavalo".

On the right, Viviane Dahan associate producer from Les Films du Bosco, and production manager of the film FAHAVALO. She has previously produced among other films. Pierre-Oscar Lévy "le premier convoi", Sylvaine Dampierre "D'un jardin à l'autre", Marcel Hanoun "Jeanne Aujourd'hui".

Editor: Paul Pirritano

Paul Pirritano is 30 years old. He is one of the editors of FAHAVALO. Pirritano already has a great experience in editing documentary shot in foreign language. He worked with Karim Dridi in Arabic ("Quatuor Galillée"), in Russian with Anne Laure Bonnel 's "Donbass" , his insight into the editing process of FAHAVALO was most valuable precisely thanks to his distance from the topic and the Malagasy culture.

About Laterit Production:

In 1988, Marie and Cesar founded Laterit productions, an independent production company based in Paris, also committed in distribution and publishing. Their films allow poetry to speak out, and arouse this very emotion which awakens awareness and joyfully nurtures us. Marie-Clémence and Cesar Paes make committed and serious statements, but doing so, they put us into a half-awoken dream where it is not essential to grasp at things at once, since the presence of the people, the colour, the rhythm and the relevance of their discourse will remain within us, since the traces left by their films are working underground and, suddenly, question us with a healthy disturbing shivering. The approach chosen by the Paes is based on respect for the subject, and the time they take to get closer, to listen, can fundamentally be found in their restitution of reality. Since their films mainly focus on oral literature, cinema stands as the only suitable support to rightly transmit the words of the story tellers, allowing the free flow of their imagination, of our imagination. Under the Paes eyes no trace of exoticism can be found, they train our own eyes, encouraging us to move out towards the other one and move inside within oneself. They simply make us a little more sensitive, more open, a little less cartesian. (Martine Armand for Fribourg International Film festival)

Their films such as Angano…Angano…Tales from Madagascar, Songs and Tears of Nature, and Awara Soup have won top awards at Cinema du Réel, and been screened by dozens of broadcasters.

Why Make this film

I want to tell story that has been kept from the world. The rebellion is not MUCH spoken of. You do not learn about it AT SCHOOL or is it ever brought in conversations. It has been a taboo topic in which Malagasy and French people can not address. If it’s not brought to the surface, no one will know or remember it has ever happened. The rebellion will be lost in the earth along with all the people that have struggled while fighting for freedom. (I want to honor and transmit the memory of those who fought for freedom)

Why Me:

My mother accidentally told me how she had to take her father food in prison because of the aftermath of the rebellion. I asked her why she had never shared this before. She said she did not want to talk about. I was curious after that and kept searching for something. I did not know what it was - I was searching for something that has happened but was never spoken of. I never knew my grandfather, as he died in 1948. I went into the French Archives and met many historians who work on that period. I didn’t find anything precise/specific about my grandfather except for the prison he stayed in was known to be a place where prisoners died of diseases in huge quantity. My grand father died from a disease he had caught in prison, but I only discovered that fact by accident, in 2010. That’s why I kept on working on this project all these years, to help our history come alive, to help other grandchildren to know more about an invisible time period that no one was allowed to see.

Capturing the witnesses on film is a different experience then reading about it or hearing about it. You can look into their eyes that have a never ending depth. It is more than spoken words, with film you are able to capture something that is not tangible, you are able to evoke emotion.

It is more than a story. It is an experience. It is about the witnesses. It is about letting them speak and having us listen. We can not undo the rebellion. What we can do it iskeep the stories and experiences alive.

This film is about our common history. It is about the Malagasy peoples experience that has been left in the shadow. I wanted them to tell me their stories. I made this film to have the world listen to them.

FAHAVALO PRESS:

Tue Steen Muller review of Marie-Clémence Andriamonta Paes’s film Fahavalo

"It is no secret that there is a film crew, who asks and respects and are curious on be- half of the viewer. Oral history at its best…
the Film as a Film is excellen

Tue Steen Muller review of Marie-Clémence Andriamonta Paes’s film Fahavalo

17th march 2018 FAHAVALO review

Article By l'Humanité

Marie-Clémence Paes discusses her film Madagascar 1947: Fahavalo

l'Humanité Article HERE