In Reims, in the Châtillons district, the past is told by those who lived it. With the association Le Son des Choses, the inhabitants, armed with a microphone, become the historians of this complex in full renovation built 60 years ago. The target. the goal? Keep the memories of life and pass them on to future generations.
A few kilometers from the city center of Reims, like a control station, a 17-storey HLM tower dominates the Châtillons district. The tower of the Argonauts, in reference to the navigational heroes of Greek mythology, has become a historical monument and even has its own Wikipedia page. It must be said that it has seen many generations of inhabitants since its construction in 1969.
It is at his feet that the association The sound of things settled. Its founder Julien Rocipon, a documentary-maker by training, as well as his two colleagues Elodie Kucharskiet and Frida Mbangossoum work to collect the words, memories and experiences of the inhabitants of the neighborhood through training, discussion groups and vox pop. “History is transmitted to us by educated people, who are archivists … And we wanted it to be delivered to us by those who lived it. We train people to collect words because it is very important to keep this memory alive.”Says Julien Rocipon.
Since the end of the confinement, the district of Châtillons has benefited from an urban renewal program (ANRU). Several residential towers have already been destroyed and will give way to new infrastructure. The program promises the construction of new residences, a health building and a new community center. But these works raise many questions among the inhabitants and traders of Châtillons.
Accompanied by Elodie, socio-cultural facilitator, and in charge of collecting memories of the neighborhood, Frida, a young operator of civic services within the association, goes to meet them and collect opinions and feelings on these important changes. “For me it is essential to collect the word of the inhabitants, it is simply the transmission of orality. What I like is being able to anchor the history and anchor the memory of this neighborhood“. Voice is not the only means of memory transmission within the association. Residents can also bring photographs, newspaper clippings or posters to Elodie, who is in charge of storage.
Telling the story of a neighborhood also means creating a bond. When she arrived in Châtillons, Rachel Parizel accidentally pushed the door of Le Son des Choses, it was 2017. She who struggled so much to express herself, was able to find, thanks to the various activities proposed and carried out within the structure, an unexpected means of expression. It was she who proposed to the association to create a discussion group entitled “What am I doing here?“.
Every Thursday, this mother of two meets with the other residents of the estate, registers and talks freely about their neighborhood, but also about their daily life and other topics related to current affairs. “Everyone knows me in the neighborhood and they know what I do within the association. Some tell me their problems or concerns about the jobs … OK, I’m not the good god, but I tell them I can record them and see what can be done. It is often said that the neighborhood Châtillons is a warm neighborhood, that is, not very busy, but it’s quite the opposite “, Rachel concludes. The sound of things, or the intelligent and formative remedy, to combat the din of existence, to translate it into words, transmit it, exalt it.
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