Against Hope and Life
In response to the opposition to Nuclear testing I cycled around the South of France in 1995 armed with a twin lens camera, and a questionnaire asking everyday French citizens what they thought of the nuclear testing being carried out in the South Pacific.
I captured a range of people from city and rural towns, old to young, educated or otherwise, framed against their environments at point in their daily lives. Some responded with great passion and others with great ignorance.
This series serves as an historical portal to the opinion of a nation whose government chose to exercise unbridled power.
I was honoured to have the Rt Hon David Lange open the exhibition in June 1996 at The Gallery, Rugby St Wellington.
Orlando Louis David
24 years | Dancer Singer | Paris
“ I don’t think these tests are really necessary. It’s France’s way of showing that it plays an important role against the great powers. Chiraq is irresponsible. Do not boycott our goods”.
Maura Tauras
“Your country is so far away it is difficult to appreciate how it must be to live so closely to the testing”.
Xavier Charmant
27 yrs |Florist | Paris
“Nuclear testing harms the environment. But I think all precautions are taken to make them safe (at least I’m hoping) I think that the greatest problem at the moment is the human one in Bosnia,Yugoslavia, and terrorism throughout the world. Those are the real global changers”.
Daniel Walker
30 yrs | Attorney | Paris
“ I am 100% against. I have a Danish girlfriend and our non-French friends, all disagree passionately. But our French friends feel indifferent. There is a lot about in the issue in the media, which is typical of this right winged government. Keep protesting in the strongest form possible!”
Franck Vercruysse
22 yrs | Student | Paris
"In my opinion, nuclear test are definitely a bad thing. No form of armament is a good thing in itself, but one must admit that nuclear armament , or more precisely,the system of nuclear deterrence guarantees a balance, which remains precarious, but which, I think is the lesser of the evils”.
Caroline Essers
26 yrs | Musician | Paris Opera House
“I do not know if these nuclear tests are necessary anyway. I love my country, I love the French people, we are really direct and I know that for other countries we appear satanic. 15% like Chirac, 85% dislike”.
Croyle Heuner (Claude Money)
70 yrs | ex patriot Californian | Retired Lecturer Turned Painter | Limoux
“Not good, but maybe necessary! It is a dangerous world. There are schemes who would destroy us all? How, why, who?”
Christine Chiapasco
30 yrs | Maitre D Hotel L’escargot | Paris
“No, it is a shame for the French people and all of the world.”
Dimaria Yves
48 yrs | Bookshop Owner | Paris
“Since there have been hundreds of nuclear test carried out throughout the whole world by different countries I don’t think the attention around French testing is justified, taking into account what has been happening in other countries, in particular atmospheric tests in Australia. These tests are our last tests, and probably the last tests in Europe. In my opinion serious problems will arise from testing by countries which are not monitored, such as China.
Frai
70 yrs | Lavardac
“ I don’t have an opinion, on the one hand it’s good, but on the other, it’s bad.”
Marina Alberchini
40yrs | Paris
“In New Zealand you have a lot of water for power and few people. In France and Italy it is the opposite. All the big countries have nuclear power - Chirac wants to keep up”.
Monnet Descieux
Mother of Girl | 34yrs | Paris
"We are indignant at what is happening and if we could do something we would be prepared to do so. Keep fighting.”
Garcia Herve
18 yrs | Student |Avignon
"I think they are useless because they cannot lead to anything positive in the world. Do not hold a grudge against the French people because it wasn’t us who wanted the testing”.