Too Early/Too Late

This two-part film draws a parallel between France and Egypt through a reflection on peasant struggles and the social dynamics specific to each country. Over images of the French countryside, a text by Friedrich Engels evokes the misery of the peasants on the eve of the 1789 Revolution. For the Egyptian segment, a text by historian Mahmoud Hussein traces the class struggle from Bonaparte's expedition to the era of Sadat. The work adopts a contemplative rhythm, relying almost exclusively on circular panoramas and static shots, accompanied by a voice-over commentary. The first sequence, twenty-seven minutes long, offers a journey through rural France - from Brittany to the Meuse, across the Jura and the Massif Central - marked by forgetfulness and decay. The second, lasting seventy-three minutes, explores a vibrant, everyday Egypt - from Alexandria and Damietta to Luxor, via the region of Asyut. At once a topographical survey and a historical meditation, the film juxtaposes two spaces and two temporalities to question the persistence of domination and peasant struggle, from France in 1789 to contemporary Egypt.