Vision d'Histoire Film Festival

ℹ️ Festival discontinued. The Vision d'Histoire Film Festival no longer seems to be held under this name: its last publicly documented edition was the 7th, in October 2022. Since 2024, the Mémorial de Verdun has launched a successor festival at Cinéma Caroussel titled « Passeurs d'Histoire », dedicated to all forms of historical transmission (cinema, but also comic books, podcasts, video games, virtual reality, novels…). This page preserves the memory of the Vision d'Histoire festival.

Cinema in the Service of History in Verdun

The Vision d'Histoire Film Festival was created in 2016 in Verdun, a place of memory par excellence, to explore the link between cinema and History. Organized by the Meuse Department in collaboration with Cinéma Caroussel, this annual festival offered a demanding yet accessible program that explored major historical events through the seventh art.

A Thematic Program

Each edition of the festival was built around a unifying theme that guided the selection of films. The 7th edition (October 2022) had "The Exercise of Power" as its theme, inviting viewers to reflect on the mechanisms of political power through the history of cinema.

Films in Competition

The festival presented a selection of about twenty films in competition (twenty-one films during the 2022 edition), mixing historical fictions, documentaries, short films, and heritage works. The films were screened over five days at Cinéma Caroussel, offering the public a complete immersion in historical cinema.

Prestigious Guests

Vision d'Histoire welcomed cinema personalities for premieres, masterclasses, and public meetings. The 7th edition notably hosted director Costa-Gavras as guest of honor, testifying to the festival's ambition and influence.

Young Audience Program

The festival also offered a program dedicated to young audiences, with school screenings and films adapted for younger viewers, contributing to visual and historical education through cinema.

Cinéma Caroussel, the festival's setting

Cinéma Caroussel, located at 4 rue du 61e Régiment d'Artillerie in Verdun, was the main venue for the festival. This Verdun cinema, committed to art house programming, offered optimal screening conditions for the selected works. It now hosts the Passeurs d'Histoire festival.

Verdun, City of Memory and Cinema

The festival's roots in Verdun were not insignificant. The city, marked by the Battle of 1916, is a universal symbol of the memory of conflicts. By hosting a festival dedicated to historical cinema, Verdun extended its memorial mission while opening up to broader reflections on contemporary History. This vocation continues today with the Passeurs d'Histoire festival, supported by the Mémorial de Verdun.