Johanna Tinzl in CollàBearation with Philippe S3 BelGenion
HD-Video, 2013
9 min 27 sec
THIS IS THE PEOPLE
HD-Video, 2013
9 min 27 sec
The
video displays a speech written for the people of Marchienne-au-Pont,
a neighbourhood of the city of Charleroi in Wallonia/Belgium/Europe.
It has been developped in close cooperation with Philippe S3
BelGenion who performs the speech. He is also the husband of a local
politician.
Marchienne hosted some of the most spectacular industries of the Charleroi region in Wallonia/Belgium. Due to cheap living possibilities it was a hotspot for migration when the city needed working power. With the turning down of work, ethnic and social prejudices started to dominate the urban life. Those who were not able to move away are confronted with tristesse.
In Wallonia, Charleroi is euphemistically called the »capital city of social affairs« with it’s epicentre: The neighbourhood of Marchienne. In this crisis context, where to focus hopes and future perspectives? The most appropriate initiatives often emerge from citizens' engagement in direct action. Together with institutions financed by the city, the federal state or Europe. These structures have seemingly set up a new economy, fully subsidized.
Marchienne hosted some of the most spectacular industries of the Charleroi region in Wallonia/Belgium. Due to cheap living possibilities it was a hotspot for migration when the city needed working power. With the turning down of work, ethnic and social prejudices started to dominate the urban life. Those who were not able to move away are confronted with tristesse.
In Wallonia, Charleroi is euphemistically called the »capital city of social affairs« with it’s epicentre: The neighbourhood of Marchienne. In this crisis context, where to focus hopes and future perspectives? The most appropriate initiatives often emerge from citizens' engagement in direct action. Together with institutions financed by the city, the federal state or Europe. These structures have seemingly set up a new economy, fully subsidized.
»Before
there were several crises.
They would come, they would go.
Now there is the crisis.
Crisis is permanent.
We live in a state of crisis.
This is the state in which we were born.
Our condition of life in Marchienne-Etat.
In Marchienne-Etat we have all become crises experts.
We crise. You crise. I crise. I crise!
30 years of stillstand.
I wait. I wait.
30 years of community welfare projects.
We wait. We wait.
I wear the uniform of social misery and you, out there,
wear the uniform of the free markets of neoliberalism...«
They would come, they would go.
Now there is the crisis.
Crisis is permanent.
We live in a state of crisis.
This is the state in which we were born.
Our condition of life in Marchienne-Etat.
In Marchienne-Etat we have all become crises experts.
We crise. You crise. I crise. I crise!
30 years of stillstand.
I wait. I wait.
30 years of community welfare projects.
We wait. We wait.
I wear the uniform of social misery and you, out there,
wear the uniform of the free markets of neoliberalism...«
(excerpt
from the speech)
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