"A woman victim of rape finds herself talking to her attacker, 33 years later. This woman is me, Maiana. This meeting is made possible by restorative justice, which entered French law in 2014. I am the first in France to have this direct meeting. I come away with new questions. My quest has only just begun.
Give a chance to people directly affected by an offense or crime, to express themselves and have an active participation in their "reparation"; also have an impact on the recidivism rate: these are the promises of restorative justice.
I test in my flesh this philosophy from Canada. I go to meet former Quebec participants, aggressors or victims, mediators as well, to shed light on my experience from their own perspective. With great generosity, they open up to me and give me the tools to better decide if I should meet again."
International Women's Day: Testimony on restorative justice
Zoom, 10 March 2023 at 4-5 pm CET. A conversation with Maiana Bidegain, film director and protagonist of the documentary "Rencontre avec mon aggresseur" (meeting with my abuser).
Register to receive the Vimeo & Zoom links.
8 March celebrates the International Women's Day. To celebrate the role of women as innovators in our communities and the ability of women to courageously recover after unpleasant experiences, this year we invite you to watch the documentary "Rencontre avec mon aggresseur" and engage in a conversation with film director and protagonist Maiana Bidegain.
The Vimeo and Zoom links will be sent only to registered participants on 1 March. Register now (for free).
"Rencontre avec mon aggresseur"
A film written by Maiana Bidegain, directed by Maiana Bidegain and Sébastien Koegler, produced by 416 Prod (Mélissa Theuriau)
Biography of Maiana Bidegain
Born in France, Maiana started her filmmaking career after graduating from a masters in Media arts and production at UTS in Sydney (Australia). She started working as an editor for Australian tv, while developing her first feature documentary, "Secrets of the Struggle", which later screened in more than 30 film festivals around the world, winning 3 awards as best documentary in Biarritz and Pessac History film festival (France) and the audience award in the Latino film festival in Sydney (Australia). She went back to France where she continued working on documentaries for French TV. "Meeting with my agressor" is her most intimate piece, where she felt compelled to share her thoughts on her own restorative process.
Filmography
2023: "The rebellion of the pencils", documentary web-series produced by Regard production multimedia. Currently in post production.
2019: "Meeting with my aggressor. Restorative justice pathways" 70', for France 5, produced by 416, Melissa Theuriau.
2013:"Sous les bulles, l'autre visage du monde de la Bande dessinée", 60', produced by Médiakréa.
2008-2009: "Les petits univers de Safy Nebbou", "Les petits univers de Thierry Gloris", "Les petits univers de Thierry Malandain", 26' for France 3, produced by Marafilms, "Secrets of the Struggle", 52' and 90', produced by La Smac.
International Women's Day
8 March celebrates the International Women's Day marking the achievements of the women’s rights movement. In 2023, the campaign focuses on equal opportunities (#EmbraceEquity). "Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities. Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome."
Practicalities
This event is free of charge but registration is required.
The documentary "Rencontre avec mon aggresseur" is 70' long. Subtitles are available in French, English and Spanish.
Registered participants will receive a password-protected link to Vimeo on 1 March: the film can be viewed at any time of the day, from your own device, between 2-10 March 2023.
The conversation with the film director and protagonist Maiana Bidegain will take place on Zoom on 10 March at 4-5 pm CET. It will be held in English.
Click on the "subscribe" button above to register and receive both links!
Zoom troubles?
If you wish to download the Zoom application on your computer or mobile phone click here.
To avoid any unexpected technical difficulties you may run this Zoom test in advance.