Kintsugi

21'51"

Category: Student Documentary

Director: CAMILLE VAN BAY

Synopsis

Contrary to what the title might suggest, this story doesn’t take place in Japan, but in the south of France — in Aubagne, less than two kilometers from the city center, inside a former Zeppelin factory. It is within this vast industrial space that the ressourcerie “Le Dirigeable” operates. But what exactly is a ressourcerie? It’s a place where local residents can drop off objects and furniture they no longer want. Far from being a junkyard, it is a place of transformation. The donated items are carefully weighed, inspected, sorted, cleaned, and given new life before being displayed for sale, ready to find another home. In a society where we throw things away faster than we repair them, where an object’s value seems to fade as soon as its shine does, the ressourcerie becomes an act of quiet resistance. To reuse, to mend, to reinvent what has been discarded is not merely an ecological gesture — it is a way of rethinking our relationship with matter, with time, and with the planet itself. Each restored item, each object rescued from the trash, tells a story of patience and respect, reminding us that nothing is ever truly lost as long as we choose to give it life again. In the face of relentless consumption and overflowing landfills, this place shines as a beacon of hope — a living example of circular economy and joyful simplicity, where human creativity becomes the driving force of a more sustainable future. Yet it’s not only the objects that are transformed here. Behind the plastic curtain, in the hidden heart of the warehouse, a vibrant human beehive hums from morning to noon. Forty workers in bright orange move gracefully among the mountains of discarded items. They are people in the process of rebuilding their lives — individuals finding their footing again after personal setbacks, illness, time in prison, or recent arrival in the country. Most begin with no specific skills, but over the course of two years they are trained in carpentry, mechanics, electronics, and other crafts, gaining both expertise and confidence. When they leave, they are ready to face new challenges, equipped not only with knowledge but with renewed self-worth. Within the ressourcerie’s close-knit community, they discover support, dignity, and the empowering sense of being part of a shared transformation. Kintsugi is about them — about those who have been cast aside by society but have found the strength to transform. These individuals who, by giving objects a second life, are also discovering themselves one.