Marguerite de Bourgoing - Villa Albertine

Cinema

New Orleans

“My interest in the United States is connected to my fascination with the African American community, which, by overturning numerous aesthetic codes, revolutionized in the 20th century the way people dance, dress, and communicate. Within this community, New Orleans holds a unique place.”

Who?

I am a French filmmaker based in California for fifteen years, with a background in philosophy, art history, and communication. Bilingual in English, I see myself as a messenger between my country of residence and my country of birth. Having sharpened my arrows, I traverse lands in search of cultural trends, seeking to understand their origins, with the goal of substantially enriching the community.

My primary inspiration comes from photojournalism, guided by my mentor, the photographer Marc Riboud. My secondary inspiration stems from cinéma vérité, from the time I frequented the French Cinematheque and the Musée de l’Homme at Trocadéro. Following professional experience in television in London and extensive filming of capoeira in Salvador de Bahia, I took flight in Los Angeles, where I reconnected with my adolescent cultural passions by documenting the rap scene of the 2010s. There, I produced films exploring the connections between technology and Hip-Hop, a work I continue while exploring new territories.

Marguerite de Bourgoing created LA Stereo TV, producing 200+ videos exploring the Los Angeles Hip-Hop scene. Her directorial debut “The World is Yours,” aired on France Télévision in 2014, delving into the impact of rap and the internet. She continued to explore music, technology, and society with documentaries ”IT’S YOURS” and “HIP-HOP & INTERNET” produced for broadcaster ARTE. In 2023, she created, wrote and produced “Hip-Hop & the Metaverse” for PBS’s Digital Voices, winning a 74th Golden Mike Award and nominations for an LA Press Award and a Los Angeles Emmy. She holds Masters from the Sorbonne Paris IV, Oxford University and USC.

What?

“My Poor Heart” is a biographical film project about the life of Edmond Dédé, a Creole Romantic musician from New Orleans who spent thirty years in Bordeaux in the 19th century as a composer and conductor. I came across him while editing a piece on the history of Afro-American music and was intrigued by his French-sounding name, and even more surprised to discover his deep connections with France, where he composed the majority of his work. Forgotten by his adopted country, his memory has been preserved in the United States, notably in his hometown, where he was long a source of pride. Through his story, I want to explore themes of exile, the music industry, and otherness in 19th-century France.

My stay in New Orleans will allow me to delve into Edmond Dédé’s origins, particularly his Haitian background, and to familiarize myself with the Creole intellectual elite of color, of which he was a prominent figure. To this end, I will examine the role of Francophonie in Louisiana in the 19th century and attempt to understand the extent of racial segregation that developed there, the struggle for civil rights, and how this contributed to the birth of jazz. I will meet with historians in New Orleans, experts on Francophonie, and musicians. I will visit various archives, conduct research, and immerse myself in this vibrant culture.

Where?

My interest in the United States is linked to my fascination with the African American community, which, by overturning numerous aesthetic codes, revolutionized in the 20th century the way people dance, dress, and communicate. Within this community, New Orleans holds a unique place. Known as the birthplace of jazz, it has produced a musical wealth, from Louis Armstrong to Lil Wayne, from the second line to the carnival, making it the leading musical city in the United States. It remains connected to its past while producing new talents. The people I wish to meet will be able to shed light on what makes this city, whose joie de vivre and resilience are well-established, so spiritual.

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