Lozere, a scene of cinema
Lozère's landscapes are a magnet for filmmakers, to the point where some say that Lozère is a film set. Film and TV directors have exploited the sites, the light, the silence, in every era. Since the late 1990s, the département has welcomed film crews almost without exception. Everyone remembers La Grande Vadrouille, filmed largely in Mende and its airfield for the final scene, but also 37° 2 le matin, Le Bâtard de Dieu, La Belle Verte, not forgetting Michael Kohlhaas, the film by Arnaud des Pallières, in competition for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, filmed in part at the Boissets farm on the Causse de Sauveterre; or Saint-Jacques... La Mecque, by Coline Serreau. In early September 2013, Luc Besson and his team were also spotted in Saint-Chély-du-Tarn for the filming of Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman.
Marine Francen directed her latest feature, Le Semeur, in the superb natural setting of La Garde-Guérin. Rémi sans famille, for its part, chose the landscapes of Aubrac in 2018. Other films include Caroline Vigna's aptly-named Antoinette dans les Cévennes in 2020 and Les chemins de Pierre, shot in 2021, starring Oscar-winning actor Jean Dujardin.
On the documentary side, photographer and filmmaker Raymond Depardon will be delivering Profils paysans, la vie moderne, in three episodes. Released in 2001, the first part of his trilogy focuses on the disappearing rural world, with close-up footage of Marcel Privat, one of the last shepherds in Lozère.
Cinema cultivates social ties
Although Lozère doesn't have a multiplex cinema, and has real cinemas only in the larger towns, it's not short of screenings of all kinds, thanks in particular to the Cinéco association, which operates from the Cévennes to Mont Lozère. With an eclectic program featuring original and alternative documentaries, as well as recent and even very recent films, Cinéco travels from village to village with its projection equipment, adapting to each venue. The prices are attractive, with the possibility of subscription, and adapted to the relative comfort of the venues where the screenings take place. The great advantage is that twice a month, we can get together in a small group, without having to travel far, which is no mean feat in winter. Program on www.cineco.org.
In Saint-Chély-d'Apcher, Ciné-Théâtre offers films seven days a week, as well as ciné-débats and ciné-goûters on a more occasional basis. The venue, which attracts people from within a 30-kilometer radius of the town, also screens operas, ballets and plays in its small, modular space. Program on cinematheatre.wordpress.com.
A culture of proximity
Artistic creation in Lozère is widespread throughout the region. Although lacking in large-scale cultural structures, the département is nonetheless dynamic, with a singular pattern that, though scattered, brings music, dance and theater to life in every countryside, however remote. The École départementale de musique de Lozère plays a leading role in this respect. Founded in 1990, it boasts some 40 teachers and almost 800 students, who sing, play and rehearse in one of the eleven teaching units located in La Canourgue, Florac-Trois-Rivières, Gorges du Tarn Causses (Sainte-Enimie), Grandrieu, Langogne, Marvejols, Massegros Causses Gorges, Mende, Meyrueis, Pont de Montvert-Sud Mont Lozère and Villefort.
In addition to its music teaching activities, the organization is also active in schools, nursing homes and institutions for the disabled. It organizes workshops for the creation of computer-assisted music, and develops masterclasses, workshops, conferences, meetings..
The Académie internationale de musique et de danse de la Lozère also offers high-quality musical education in the département, through courses organized exclusively during the summer. The structure, which celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2022, has already welcomed over 15,000 students from all over the world. The students are mainly musicians and dancers, from beginners to the most experienced, who come to Lozère to prepare for national or international competitions. They are supervised by a team of renowned teachers, and are invited to perform in public in the department. The courses take place in Mende and La Canourgue, with boarding at the Lycée privé Notre-Dame in Mende or in accommodation chosen by the students themselves.
A living, breathing show!
Les Scènes croisées de Lozère is a nationally-recognized stage for the presentation and creation of performing arts in the Lozère département, and is also particularly active. As partners of the Conseil départemental and local cultural associations and services, they support artists and offer a particularly dense program of shows (theater, dance, circus, puppetry, street arts, etc.). The seasons, for example, include some 50 dates on different stages across the region: Meyrueis, Mende, Marvejols, Saint-Chély-d'Apcher, Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole, Bagnols-les-Bains... The Scènes Croisées de Lozère have developed on the model of touring and networking the département. Program on scenescroisees.fr.
