The removal of filmmaker René Vautier’s name from a municipal cinema in Ille, in southern France, prompted a show of solidarity across the film sector. More than a hundred cinemas around the country symbolically gave their halls Vautier’s name for one day, supporting the cinema in Ille and objecting to the decision to erase his name from its facade.
The venue had been named after Vautier since it opened in 2005. Mayor Steve Furtel decided to rename it “La Bobine illibérienne,” a reference to the town’s residents. Furtel has no official political party affiliation, but the prefecture classifies him as far right.
The decision drew criticism from film organizations and unions. Vautier, who lived from 1928 to 2015, was known for films and views opposing colonialism and exploitation, as well as for his political commitment during the Algerian War. Around 14 associations and unions launched a national solidarity campaign, stating in a joint declaration that “culture is a political choice.”
Participants included the Society of Film Directors (SRF), the Association of Independent Cinema for its Distribution (Acid), and the French Association of Art and Experimental Cinemas (AFCAE). In Nonihe, in the Finistère department, white sheets bearing the words “René Vautier Cinema” covered the facade of the Loc’h Club. Local media shared images of the symbolic gesture.
The campaign coincided with the reopening of the Ille cinema on October 2, following its transfer to municipal management and changes to the way it was run. The municipality ended its partnership with Cinémaginaire, the long-standing association that had managed the venue, and replaced it with a service provider. The name change was the most prominent of the changes.
At a municipal council meeting on September 22, Furtel said that if he had to remove the names of streets, places or people who had supported the National Liberation Front in the future, he would do so. His remarks directly referred to his position on symbols associated with the Algerian revolution. Film organizations said the renaming was more than a change to a cultural venue’s name: it affected Vautier’s image and artistic and political legacy, as well as the cinema’s identity. They described it as an attempt to erase his work and struggles.
David Obadia, the AFCAE’s general delegate, said cinemas were responding from across the country, from Île-de-France to Marseille. By the end of October 2, around a hundred venues had joined the action. The precise number was difficult to establish because not every cinema informed the organizers, while municipal venues sometimes needed approval from local authorities.
The campaign brought renewed attention to the memory of the Algerian War and the place in French cultural life of figures associated with colonial history and opposition to it. Although most participating venues displayed Vautier’s name for only one day, their facades again highlighted a filmmaker who spent decades using cinema to question colonialism, war and political memory.
Vautier’s work addressed colonialism, capitalism and the Algerian War. Among his best-known films is “Avoir vingt ans dans les Aurès,” which depicts the experience of a group of French soldiers during the Algerian war of liberation. His support for the National Liberation Front was also a defining part of his public stance, and appeared to be a factor in the Ille mayor’s decision.