Aubervilliers

In the suburbs of Paris, on the banks of the St. Denis canal, families live in pitiful conditions. Polluted air and water determine the social climate of this district, where the chemical plant of Saint-Gobain seems to be the only employer. Houses lacking all comfort and running water offer little domestic happiness. The images of the old people in their ramshackle hovels are shocking. In spite of promises by the city council and the mayor, nothing changes. The comment and songs that Jacques Prevert wrote for the film have childhood as a central subject, for children are the first victims: "Little children of Aubervilliers, you dive head first in the dirty waters of misery...".
Eli Lotar made Aubervilliers at the end of the war. It was one of the first socially aware documentaries broaching these issues. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)