Autumn 2005: the death of two teenagers leads to France’s worse civil unrest in more than 40 years. We all remember the images of torched cars, riots and warlike scenes that were not only shot in Parisian suburbs, but throughout the country during that three week period. It seems that France will not have to wait another 40 years for its urban youth to show its anger once again, as riots started once again last Sunday night after yet again another accident that led to the death of two young men. This sadly reveals that relations between the police and young people haven’t improved since the 2005 riots. Young people feel like outcasts, and again on the edge of society. But it seems that mainstream media outlets want us to think that violence is the only vehicle they’ve found to express their rage.

Urban culture has a more creative way to show emotion. The film collective Kourtrajme (French slang word for court-metrage or short film, pronounced the other way around) is showing us that there’s more to anger than violence. The 135 member clique includes directors, actors, rappers, musicians, dancers and graffiti artists. Starting with VHS quality short movies in 1995, their films are provocative, no budget productions dealing with underground suburban culture. No authorization, no intervention needed, as Kourtrajme’s real territory is the Internet. Spreading their films through online networks, the collective is now running film festivals, shooting video clips for respected artists, and has acquired the movie industry’s respect. So when it comes to uprisings, the collective feels concerned and in touch with the real issues.

Ladj Ly, 26, an actor, director and Kourtrajme member, comes from the troubled suburb Clichy Montfermeil. For several years, he has organized and filmed many different cultural events in his neighborhood until worldwide media outlets started showing interest in his neighborhood after the 2005 riots. Ladj Ly did not stop filming during the upheaval, and he now boasts a 90 minute documentary with exclusive images that take you into the heart of the riots. ‘365 Jours a Clichy Montfermeil’ (365 days at Clichy Montfermeil) is an overwhelming testimony of the bitter reality facing the kids of the ‘hood, and it points out the government’s unwillingness to answer issues concerning immigration in France. This documentary will give you a genuine sense of what goes down in the French suburbs; a completely different picture from the sensationalistic images the media tends to provide. Learn more here.