Festivals - FCAD 2024: Discover the films in the Uncle Sam's Docs category

By Mulder, 22 august 2024

On the occasion of the 50th edition of the Deauville American Film Festival, the Les Docs de l'Oncle Sam section highlights six powerful documentary films, exploring poignant stories and often little-known realities. This selection testifies to the diversity of American voices and narratives, tackling themes ranging from historical memory to contemporary struggles.

Daniela Völker's L'ombre du commandant (The Shadow of the Commander) opens this selection with a moving confrontation between Hans Jürgen Höss, descendant of a war criminal, and Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, an Auschwitz camp survivor. The film, distributed by Warner Bros France, will be previewed before its theatrical release on November 6, 2024.

Les disparues, directed by Sabrina Van Tassel, explores the tragedy of Native American women being murdered at an alarming rate in the United States. This documentary highlights one family's desperate search for a missing sister, and denounces the lack of action in the face of these crimes.

My Way by Thierry Teston and Lisa Azuelos plunges us into the little-known history of one of the world's most iconic songs, revealing its French origins and its path to becoming a global anthem.

In Sharon Stone: l'instinct de survie, Nathalie Labarthe reveals the duality of actress Sharon Stone, a Hollywood icon whose sex-symbol image contrasts with her commitment to fighting patriarchy in the film industry.

Super/man: The Christopher Reeve story directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui traces the incredible life of Christopher Reeve, from his iconic role as Superman to his inspiring fight for the rights of disabled people after his accident.

Finally, Jean-Baptiste Thoret's Les gens du néon (The Neon people) offers a poignant look at the lives of the homeless living in the tunnels of Las Vegas, exposing a bleak but humane reality.

All six films will be screened in the presence of their crews, offering a unique opportunity to talk with the directors and actors behind these captivating stories. Don't miss these documentaries at the Deauville Festival, where cinema reflects the many facets of American society.

The Shadow of the Commander

Written and directed by Daniela Völker
Produced by Daniela Völker & Gloria Abramoff
Starring Hans Jürgen Höss, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, Kai Höss, Maya Lasker-Wallfisch
Music by Gabriel Chwojnik
Director of photography: Rob Goldie & Piotr Trela
Editing by Claire Guillon
Production companies :
Distributed by Warner Bros France (Ftance)
Release date: November 6, 2024 (France)
Running time: 103 minutes
Synopsis: While Hans Jürgen Höss enjoyed a peaceful childhood in his family home on the outskirts of Auschwitz, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, a Jewish prisoner, struggled to survive in the camp. At the heart of this film is the historic moment - eight decades later - when Hans and Anita come face to face. It's the first time the war criminal's descendant has met a survivor in such an intimate setting, Anita's London salon. Accompanied by their children, Kai Höss and Maya Lasker-Wallfisch, they explore together their heavy and very different family legacies.

The Missing
Written and directed by : Sabrina Van Tassel
Produced by: Sabrina Van Tassel
Music by : Christophe La Pinta, Antone George
Director of photography: Christophe Astruc, Cyril Thomas
Edited by: Damien Bois, Hélène Lanfranchi, Mathieu Vatin, Louis Comar
Running time: 101 minutes
Synopsis: Mary Ellen Johnson-Davis disappeared over two years ago from the Tulalip Indian Reservation near Seattle. With the investigation at a standstill, her sisters and other members of the tribe set out to find her. Their quest will reveal a sad reality: Native American women are being murdered at an alarming rate. Most of the crimes remain unsolved and are committed by non-natives.

My Way
Written and directed by Thierry Teston, Lisa Azuelos
Produced by Patrick André
With Paul Anka, Jacques Revaux, Clara Luciani, Ben Harper, Sydney Sweeney, Gabriel Yared, Les Sparks
Music by Riopy
Director of photography: Julien Jaunet, Guillaume Tunzini, Florent Henry, Vanessa Colombel, Christian Ams & Arnas Pilguviscius
Edited by : Baptiste Druot
Running time: 83 minutes
Synopsis: “My Way” is much more than a song; it's an anthem that has become a part of us and a lasting part of musical history. It's also one of the most covered songs in the world, from Sid Vicious to Tom Jones, from Nina Simone to Pavarotti. Yet many people are unaware that it was conceived in France, by the pool of Claude François' mansion on a summer afternoon in 1967, and that a succession of chance meetings and sleepless nights guided her across the Atlantic to the man who would make her a legend.

Sharon Stone: the instinct to survive
Written and directed by Nathalie Labarthe
Produced by : Agnès & Christie Molia
Written by Nathalie Labarthe
Starring Sharon Stone
Music by Les Garçons - Stanley David de Lossy & Corentin Simonis
Director of photography :
Edited by Marie Luquet-Courbon
Production companies: Agnès et Christie Molia
Distributed by ARTE (France)
Running time: 52 minutes
Synopsis: Sharon Stone's cult-leg-crossing in Basic Instinct has cemented her place in the collective unconscious as the ultimate sex symbol, at the risk of being trapped in this sensual image. But behind the smile of this almost too-beautiful, too-intelligent star lies the ambivalence of a woman who, while she has long played the studio game, has never hesitated to speak out against the Hollywood patriarchy.

Super/man: The Christopher Reeve story
Directed by Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui
Produced by Robert Ford, Lizzie Gillett, Ian Bonhôte
Written by Peter Ettedgui
Starring Christopher Reeve
Music by Ilan Eshkeri
Director of photography: Brett Wiley
Edited by Otto Burnham
Production companies: Words + Pictures, Passion Pictures, Misfits Entertainment
Distributed by DC Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO, CNN Films, Max, Fathom Events
Release date: January 19, 2024 (Sundance), September 21, 2024 (United States), October 9, 2024 (France)
Running time: 104 minutes
Synopsis: Christopher Reeve's story is one of spectacular rise from unknown actor to cinema icon. His performance as Clark Kent/Superman left a lasting impression and became a benchmark in the world of superhero movies. Reeve played the Man of Steel in four Superman films and many other roles, demonstrating the full extent of his talent. In 1995, a horse-riding accident left him almost completely paralyzed. Now a quadriplegic, Reeve became a leader and activist determined to find a cure for spinal cord injury. He was also a fervent advocate for the rights and care of disabled people, while pursuing his film career, both in front of and behind the camera, and remaining devoted to his family.

The Neon people
Written and directed by Jean-Baptiste Thoret
Produced by Alexandre Perrier & Joseph RouschopWith Brandi McKusick, Jerry Garcia, Scott Malon, Wade X, Preston Nolan, Mary Robinson, Terrence Ray, Preston Nolan
Music by Jean-Baptiste Thoret
Director of photography: Colin Lévêque
Edited by Sébastien de Sainte-Croix
Running time: 124 minutes
Synopsis: Beneath the famous Las Vegas Strip, thousands of homeless people live in a vast network of dark, unsanitary tunnels. This documentary focuses on a handful of them, describing their living conditions. But also their hopes.

(Source : press release)