Political initiation in Seine-Saint-Denis

XXI. The Candidate: Field Survival Handbook

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How rare is candor in politics. How touchingly naïve is Alexandre, when he embarks on an express municipal campaign to seize the town hall of Pré-Saint-Gervais. Facing him stands the socialist candidate Laurent Baron, whose party has held the reins of the small town of Seine-Saint-Denis for more than a century. Due to an irregularity, his election is invalidated and a new ballot must be organized in 2021. Alexandre Beneteau, owner of a driving school completely inexperienced in politics, sees a breach there: why not set up a citizen list which would carry him how far to city hall?

So he goes for it, with nothing but his penchant for challenges, a bit of ego and a good dose of nostalgia. “He does not do this to play politics, he does it because he wants to find Le Pré-Saint-Gervais from before, our little village”, testifies his wife. Clinging to his boots, for a month and a half, documentarians Manon Prigent and Mathias Théry attend the political initiation of Alexandre.

The dramatic tension, perfectly maintained throughout the four 25-minute episodes, gives it the appearance of fiction. However, these are real questions that strike Alexandre, and very quickly the novice candidate is confronted with the same dilemmas as the great politicians: where to draw the red line, how far to go to win his ideals?

Manon Prigent and Mathias Théry sign a truly immersive documentary series whose rhythm of narration is perfectly mastered. And thanks to this first original work from its brand new “XXI” podcast, the eponymous quarterly magazine wins hands down its bet on reality.

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