Ultra violent video clip set in the Parisian suburbs

Julien — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:03:01 +0200

A video clip released by the French electro group Justice has caused controversy in the country for its aesthetic depiction of street violence. Attacking women, beating up old ladies and glassing bar-owners is all part of the glamorous storyline. If they were looking for attention – they got it.

The video clip for "Stress" was directed by Romain Gavras, son of the famous director with the same name. Artistically speaking there’s no dispute – it’s a success. The brutal and realistic atmosphere of the clip however leaves the viewer feeling perturbed. Do these images offer a candid view of the troubled Parisian suburbs, or merely add fuel to an already raging fire in the name of selling albums? The group’s record label, Ed Bangers Records, says that the artists, who are not products of the suburbs themselves and certainly not socially sympathetic, don’t want to explain their reasons behind the choice and claim to have no “communication strategy”. So we showed the clip to young people from the suburbs themselves. Here are their reactions.

Riot photos circulate from phone-to-phone, but not online

Julien — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:49:58 +0100

By Team Observers

The confrontations in the troubled suburbs north of Paris seem to have come to an end. Photos of the rioting are being sent from phone to phone by Bluetooth or MMS - as they were during the 2005 riots. But this time, the images are harder to find online. Participants are more cautious with the material after realising it could lead to their identification by the police. Here are some photos and a short video taken on Monday night, that were sent to us by MMS today.

Post your questions to our contacts in the area: surveillant Sarcelles, Pierre, Anissa.