Place de la République

Malle's simplest and riskiest idea: set a camera up in the Place de la République in Paris and stop the people going past. The crew stayed in the same square for a little over two weeks. Nobody was cast and nobody was prepared; Malle walked up to people and asked whether they would talk. Most refused, and the film keeps the refusals in. The people who see the camera and change direction, raise a hand, get angry, are part of it. Those who do talk speak about work, rent, marriage, loneliness and migration. Nobody stands for anything; nobody is an example. The real subject is not Paris but the act of filming: what it means to point a camera at a stranger, and how quickly a person begins performing in front of one. Who it is for: viewers interested in direct cinema, street interviews and the ethics of documentary. Who it is not for: anyone looking for structure. There is no story, no progression and no conclusion; there is a square and there are people.