Summer 1944. In France, DDay marked the end of dark times. Aspiring to a better future, the French rolled up their sleeves and set out about rebuilding the country. But in postwar France, hopes and reality would yet collide.

In the aftermath of WWII, a new social order emerged in France with the establishment of a welfare state. These days were the ones of economic growth, the babyboom, industrial modernization, social security and the Americanization of lifestyles… But the balance was precarious, and new social, economic and political conflicts soon resurrected a murky past thought to be over.

From the Liberation of Paris to the Évian Accords signing Algeria’s independence, via major social crisis of 1947, Abbé Pierre’s appeal against poverty, the rise of modern comfort or the OAS attacks, this documentary paints a vast picture of a country torn between unity and division. Featuring scenes from the people’s daily lives thanks to unique, colorized archives, it accurately traces France’s collective memory.

Documentary: France: The Postwar Recovery EP1: Emerging from War
Directed by: Mickaël Gamrasni
Production: Nilaya Productions

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