17 octobre 1961 - Episode 2 : Ecrire l'histoire

As part of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of October 17, 1961, we present an interview with Emmanuel Blanchard (historian) and Mogniss H. Abdallah (journalist and filmmaker). Divided into three parts, which can be viewed independently or consecutively, this interview attempts to provide an overview of current knowledge about this event from a French perspective. Episode 2: The Writing of History The second part of the interview reveals how the history of October 17 has been, and continues to be, written: between "state lies," erasure, subterranean memory, and little-known scholarship, it wasn't until the 1990s and the work of Jean-Luc Einaudi that the history of October 17 truly began to be written and widely disseminated, thanks in particular to a significant body of cultural production (novels, films, plays, graphic novels, songs, etc.). The complex question of the number of deaths would long remain a central focus of research. This is discussed at length here, as is the interpretation of this event: what historians now show is that the violence of the repression on October 17th exceeded conventional policing techniques and must be considered in light of the colonial repression techniques used in the Empire. Directed by: Anne Volery Images: Joy Banerjee, Anne Volery