Events
Tuesday, November 15th 2016
Pre Screening of the remastered 2017 version of “The Weapons of the Spirit”
Last night at the Permanent Mission of the United States to the United Nations, we had the honor to attend a pre-screening of the remastered 2017 version of “The Weapons of the Spirit,” the only documentary about the civil resistance and rescue of Jews by the Righteous of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France under the Vichy regime.
The event was hosted by Ambassadors Samantha Power of the United States and François Delattre of France to the UN. Also present were Pierre Sauvage, “The Weapons of the Spirit” documentarian and a Le Chambon survivor, as well as Renée Silver and Hanne & Max Liebmann, who survived the Holocaust in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon.
Ambassador Samantha Power and Ambassador Delattre were incredible speakers. Delattre expressed how this act of anti-semitism afflicts all mankind, regardless of religious affiliation. Power evoked the legacy of Le Chambon who welcomed and hid so many refugees, showing the direct correlation between the refugee crisis we are experiencing today.
Chambon is not a Jewish cause. It is not a French cause. It is a legacy that resonates with all humanitarians, all people, of all faiths.
We also have a videoclip of the speech of Eliane Wauquiez-Motte (see below), a statement by Mr. François Delattre, and a statement by Samantha Power.
Friday, July 8th 2016
Thursday, July 7th, le Chambon-sur-Lignon
For the inauguration of the exhibit “Destins d’enfance, Histoire de maisons d’enfants au Chambon-sur-Lignon et ailleurs» (Saving the children, The children’s homes of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon and elsewhere) Boris Cyrulnik came to deliver his thoughts on the trauma experienced by hidden and hunted children in danger of death. His brilliant mind combined with his clear words fascinated the audience. It was an exceptional evening that will not soon be forgotten.
Click here to discover all the news and events of the Lieu de Mémoire in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon in France.
Thursday, May 5th 2016
Albertine
Cultural Services of the French Embassy
972 Fifth Avenue & 79th St, New York, NY 10075
7PM-8:15PM Talk and book signing with Patrick Cabanel & Peter Grose
8:15PM-9PM Reception
View the livestream of the event below.
Credit: Martin Loper
Credit: Jean Lebreton
Wednesday, May 4th 2016
SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE FILM BY PIERRE SAUVAGE
The National Arts Club – Manhattan
6PM – 9PM
25th-anniversary edition of Weapons of the Spirit
The National Arts Club presented a special sneak preview of the upcoming reissue of Weapons of the Spirit, Pierre Sauvage’s highly acclaimed feature documentary about a unique haven of rescue during the Holocaust. It has been estimated that in and around the French village Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, some 5,000 Jews were sheltered—including the film’s director, who will introduce the film and discuss it afterwards.
The area of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon was a tiny Protestant farming community in the mountains of south-central France. Defying the Nazis and the French Vichy government, many of the peasants and villagers of this plateau provided a safe haven for whoever knocked on their door.
The film’s timeliness was underscored by the comments of cartoonist R. Crumb: “A very fine documentary about some people who […] just see their common plight as human beings.” A winner of the prestigious DuPont-Columbia Award in Broadcast Journalism, the film was produced by the Chambon Foundation, which seeks to explore and communicate such necessary lessons of hope intertwined with the Holocaust’s unavoidable lessons of despair.
On this special occasion, we were very honored to also welcome Le Chambon-sur-Lignon Mayor Éliane Wauquiez-Motte, other former child survivors of Le Chambon, and other visiting dignitaries connected to the story.