Exhibition: Spirou sous l'Occupation
As part of the 2024 Francophonie Festival, come and discover an exhibition
that combines the art of comic books with the portrayal of the famous hero Spirou, in a dramatic
historical context, that of World War II.
The exhibition juxtaposes the storyline of the comic book with the history of World War II, through a dialogue between historical texts, Émile Bravo's sketches, and photographs of objects from the collections of the Center for the History of Resistance and Deportation (Lyon).
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FR Dans « L'Espoir Malgré Tout », aux Editions Dupuis, l'auteur de bande dessinée Émile Bravo retranscrit le quotidien de Spirou, adolescent bruxellois pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.
Le personnage attachant du jeune Spirou accompagne adultes et enfants dans la découverte de l'histoire de la Seconde Guerre mondiale à travers une approche sensible, sans occulter les complexités de l'époque.
L'exposition confronte le scénario de l'album avec l'histoire de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, à travers un dialogue entre textes historiques, croquis d'Émile Bravo et photos d'objets issus des collections du Centre d'Histoire de la Resistance and Deportation (Lyon).
Who is this famous character ?
Who is Spirou ?
FR
: A
travers son regard, d'abord naïf, puis de plus en plus sérieux au fur et à mesure des événements, le lecteur-visiteur se met dans la
peau d'un gamin qui doit tout comprendre par lui-même : le contexte géopolitique, la réalité de la haine anti-juive, les sursauts
identitaires qui déteignent sur les enfants du quartier, un climatde suspicion propice à la dénonciation, l'impuissance et la
faillite des institutions (politiques, juridiques, religieuses), etc. Un drame qui survient pour lui en plein apprentissage de l'âge
adulte, avec ses relations amicales et amoureuses partagées... Plus qu'un héros, Spirou est ici le témoin d'une période
terrible, un personnage simple et fort qui permet à chacun de s'identifier et de se demander :Qu'aurais-je fait à ce moment-là ?
EN : Through Spirou's perspective, initially naive and then becoming more serious as events unfold, the reader-visitor puts themselves in the shoes of a child who must understand everything on their own: the geopolitical context, the reality of anti-Jewish hatred, the surges of identity that affect the children in the neighborhood, a climate of suspicion conducive to denunciation, the powerlessness and failure of institutions (political, legal, religious), and more. This drama occurs for Spirou during his coming-of-age, with all the shared friendships and romantic relationships that come with it. More than a hero, Spirou is a witness to a terrible period, a simple yet powerful character that allows each person to identify themselves and wonder:
What would I have done in that moment?
THÈMES / TOPICS :
* Les personnages principaux de Spirou : The main characters of Spirou
* La Belgique vaincue Belgium's defeat
* Pénurie alimentaire et marché noir Food shortages and black market
* Le monde des enfants dans la guerre Children's world during the war
* L'occupation allemande et la guerre quotidienne German occupation and daily warfare
* STO (Service de Travail Obligatoire) Compulsory Labor Service (STO)
* Lois et rafles antisémites Anti-Semitic laws and roundups
* Propagande Propaganda
* Résistance Resistance
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Émile Bravo
Born in 1964 in Paris to a Catalan father who was a refugee from the Spanish Civil War and a Valencian mother he met
in France, Émile Bravo immediately strived to tell stories by scribbling on everything that was lying around. Much later, when he realizes
that it is a profession (called "comic book author"), he tries his luck and enters this unknown territory.
In 2006, Dupuis suggested that he create his Spirou in an author's collection, it would be Le journal d'un ingénu
(2008), initially thought of as a one-shot. This very personal adventure of Spirou talks about the origin of the character and
multiplies the rewards: Prix des libraires, Grand Prix RTL, Prix Diagonale, Prix Essentiel à Angoulême, Prix "Le
Peng" de la meilleure BD européenne.
Émile Bravo devoted himself for nine years to follow this story. Four volumes will make up this long epic of 330 pages entitled Hope
Despite Everything
(L'Espoir malgré tout) which tells the story of the young bellhop in Brussels under the Nazi Occupation. Very documented, the
reality of this work will give rise to an exhibition at the Shoah Memorial in Paris in 2023.
Organisée par
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Lieu sponsor
Learner's Story: Marvin To
Recently, we had the pleasure of speaking with Edmund, the proud father of our little learner, Marvin. He shared with us some positive feedback about our course and why he chose to enroll young Marvin in French classes at such a tender age. Curious to know what he had to say? Check out our interview!
Learner's Story: Angela
Meet Angela, our French language prodigy! She's been a part of our community for a while now and we've been lucky enough to witness her incredible progression in mastering the language. From watching her grow up with us to now publishing her own poetry book in French, she's truly a shining example of dedication and passion.
Qui est Spirou ? Who is Spirou ?
Revenons sur ce personnage très célèbre de la BD francophone !