The Village (series)
Back in the 1970s, the southern French village of Lussas bet its economic future on documentary film—launching an annual festival that would become renowned. Now, the village is making an even bigger gamble, going all-in with the construction of a state-of-the-art post-production and training center, and the launch of Tënk, a new streaming service dedicated to independent auteur documentary.
An observational documentary filmed over two years by Claire Simon, THE VILLAGE records the struggles of launching a startup, alongside the timeless rhythms of the village: pruning fruit trees, harvesting grapes, making wine. It is about hope and dreams, ancient crafts and new technologies—and the power of documentaries.
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The Village - Episode 1
Directed by Claire Simon • Documentary • 2019 • 53 minutes
Lussas, France. Population: 1,000. This idyllic town has long been home to the celebrated Lussas International Documentary Film Festival, organized by festival founder Jean-Marie Barbe and village mayor Jean-Paul Roux. The festival has a...
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The Village - Episode 2
Directed by Claire Simon • Documentary • 2019 • 52 minutes
An icy wind blows through Lussas as the Tënk team plan their first annual general meeting. The mayor is thrilled that the ‘documentary village’ is becoming a real economic force, but the streaming platform still needs to be built. When w...
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The Village - Episode 3
Directed by Claire Simon • Documentary • 2019 • 52 minutes
The Tënk team returns from Paris to learn that a local prefect has abruptly canceled a major subsidy earmarked for their construction project. Local politics take center stage as the mayor struggles to balance the concerns of his agricul...
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The Village - Episode 4
Directed by Claire Simon • Documentary • 2019 • 53 minutes
It’s summertime in Lussas, and the construction of the new documentary center is finally taking shape. The mayor announces the upcoming launch of the streaming platform at a town meeting, but some neighboring residents complain that they...
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The Village - Episode 5
Directed by Claire Simon • Documentary • 2019 • 56 minutes
There’s excitement in Lussas as the village prepares for the minister’s visit. All the plans have to be gone over carefully, from speeches to cocktail ingredients. Preparations are nearly upended by last-minute emergencies, but eventuall...
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The Village - Episode 6
Directed by Claire Simon • Documentary • 2019 • 53 minutes
After the summer festival, it’s time for the official Paris launch of Tënk. As Jean-Marie continues to pour energy into forging partnerships for the new streaming platform, the traditional grape harvest is underway in Lussas. Fall arrive...
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The Village - Episode 7
Directed by Claire Simon • Documentary • 2019 • 55 minutes
The Tënk annual general meeting showcases the progress made on the documentary center, but difficult questions emerge about the streaming service’s failure to hit subscription targets. Jean-Marie wants to move forward with plans to co-pr...
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The Village - Episode 8
Directed by Claire Simon • Documentary • 2019 • 56 minutes
Preparations are underway to move into the new documentary center, but the future of the streaming service is still in question as other platforms are threatening to muscle into the market. Jean-Marie suddenly falls ill on a trip to Pari...
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The Village - Episode 9
Directed by Claire Simon • Documentary • 2019 • 53 minutes
A new project coordinator, Eva, joins the Tënk team as they turn to the producers’ association to find private investors willing to finance the platform. With moving day approaching, the team visits the brand-new building and surveys the...
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The Village - Episode 10
Directed by Claire Simon • Documentary • 2019 • 54 minutes
It’s been a month since the Tënk team moved into the new building, and they are engaged in a lively debate: Should they accept a partnership with former president François Hollande’s foundation? Should Tënk be associated with a foundatio...
