Henri DE LATOUR

L'asile du droit Documentary, Society | betaSP | color | 54'30'' | France | 2007 © Forum des images In 2006, nearly 40.000 people were presented in the form of victims of persecutions in their countries and asked for protection in France. On their arrival they were directed to the OFPRA, the French Refugees Protection Office who ruled on the validity of their requests. 92% were rejected. The applicants for asylum rejected by the OFPRA can to be re-examined calling upon the Commission for the Refugees Resources. It is the highest French jurisdiction; made up of magistrates coming from the civil organization assisted by a representative of Office of the High Commission for the Refugees and another from the OFPRA. This year the Commission for the Resource of the Refugees cancelled 4081 decisions, that is to say 14% of the claims deposited. The film puts before us and very often upsetting pictures of five applicants, assisted by their lawyers and interpreters, with the Commission and waiting for the results to be posted. In front of this large white wall their destiny is played out. Born in Austria of a French ambassador and a mother from the Cevennes, both from old conservative families, at the age of twenty Henri de la Tour rebells against good manners and preconceived notions. He made his first films in Africa, from 1985 to 1992. In 1985 he created ADL with his partner, Anne Marie Luccioni, with whom he produced numerous documentaries on social issues and on the creatures who live in their adopted region, Languedoc- Roussillon. He made a series of four films on the subject of Justice: "Word from the Gospel" in 2003, "Justice of the Peace" in 2002, "Examined" in 2000, and "Asylum Law" in 2007. In 2001 he created the Lassalle en Cévennes Documentary Film Festival-- origin of his family-- where he was elected mayor in the last election.