Photo : @droits reservés
Documentary Month: Screening and meeting about the film "Zou"
The library is participating in the Documentary Month and invites Claire Glorieux to talk about her film "Zou".
Bibliothèque Louise Michel (Paris 20th)
About
Claire Glorieux, visual artist, provides a visual setting for Ahmad Shah's story. Through her paper cutouts, she illustrates the meeting between two men, one Afghan and one French. The former was only supposed to stay 2 days with the other; eventually, 2 years went by. A story full of humanity about exile and friendship.
"Zou" recounts the journey of a man with one leg less who moves forward more intensely than an able-bodied man. The amputated leg, a phantom limb that he can still move in his head, is the pivot of this story. At once a trace of the war that caused him to lose most of his family members and forced him to flee his country, and at the same time a drag on his exodus that made his walking more painful and laborious than any of his traveling companions, it is also the support point for his integration into a new territory.
Screening duration: 56 min. The screening will be followed by a meeting with the director, Claire Glorieux.
Our take on this event
Forget traditional documentaries and discover a visually striking story where paper cutouts bring a profound tale of exile and friendship to life. This screening offers a rare look at resilience, complete with an intimate Q&A session with the filmmaker to explore the art behind the film.
The Mois du doc event lands at the Bibliothèque Louise Michel on Friday, November 13, 2026, for a special screening of the film Zou. This 56-minute documentary explores the life of Ahmad Shah through the unique paper-cut animation of artist Claire Glorieux, detailing a profound friendship between an Afghan man and a Frenchman. Designed for audiences aged 13 and up, the screening is entirely free of charge and fully accessible to wheelchair users. Join us for this poignant reflection on exile, resilience, and the human spirit, followed by an exclusive discussion with the filmmaker herself.
As part of the Mois du doc, the Bibliothèque Louise Michel in the 20th arrondissement hosts a screening of the documentary Zou on Friday, November 13, 2026. Running from 19:00 to 20:30, the event presents a 56-minute film that captures the journey of Ahmad Shah, whose life is visually interpreted through the intricate paper-cut art of creator Claire Glorieux. The story chronicles the unexpected bond formed between an Afghan man and his French host, an arrangement that evolved from a planned two-day stay into a two-year journey.
The film delves into the physical and emotional challenges faced by the protagonist, whose missing leg serves as a powerful metaphor for the scars of war and the complexities of his displacement. This phantom limb acts as a pivot, representing both the trauma of his past and the persistence required to establish a new life in a foreign land.
The screening will conclude with a Q&A session with director Claire Glorieux. Admission is free, and the venue is fully accessible to wheelchair users. This event is open to participants aged 13 and older.
29°C
Weather forecast
Clear sky
max +10 °Cmin +04 °C
