In the bustling heart of Paris, a unique documentary is set to make its world premiere, offering a profound exploration of memory, identity, and community. Auber 89 directed by Giuseppe Schillaci, is a cinematic journey that intertwines personal history with the broader social narrative of the 1980s. The film, acquired by international sales and distribution agency Lightdox will debut at the Giornate degli Autori‘s Notti Veneziane a prestigious sidebar of the Venice film festival.
The documentary centers around Fatsah Bouyahmed a French-Algerian actor who suffered memory loss following an accident. Schillaci’s discovery of archival footage from Bouyahmed’s childhood and youth in the Aubervilliers social housing estate outside Paris became the catalyst for a remarkable process of reconnection with Bouyahmed’s past.
The Intersection of Personal and Collective History
As Bouyahmed revisits the footage forty years later, the film delves into memories of family, friendship, music, and daily life, set against the backdrop of rising racism, inequality, and exclusion. Auber 89 masterfully moves between past and present, capturing a fleeting moment of hope before disillusionment reshaped the Parisian suburbs. The textures of television and VHS ground the story in the sensory world of the 1980s, creating a vivid and immersive experience.
Anna Berthollet founder of Lightdox, describes the film as “a rare kind of film, where one man’s fractured memory becomes a way into the buried history of an entire community.” She praises Schillaci’s ability to transform a remarkable archival discovery into something urgent and deeply human, carried by Bouyahmed’s extraordinary journey back to himself.
The Making of Auber 89
Schillaci, a novelist and filmmaker born in Palermo, Sicily, and based in Paris, recounts the moment he shared the archival video with Bouyahmed. “He came to my editing studio, sat down in front of a screen, and I showed him the footage of his youth,” Schillaci writes. “The screen became, in the truest sense, a machine for recovering memory: frame by frame, something reawakened within him.” This encounter between a man and the ghosts of his own youth became the film’s driving force, its backbone.
The production of Auber 89 is a collaborative effort, with production companies Label Vidéo in France, Revolver in Italy, Via93 and E2P in France all contributing to its realization. Lightdox is handling international sales, ensuring the film reaches a global audience.
Schillaci’s Cinematic Journey
Schillaci’s filmography is marked by a commitment to exploring complex narratives and historical contexts. His 2026 feature documentary Bosco Grande also premiered at the Giornate degli Autori in Venice and went on to win the Grand Prix at the National Competition at FIPADOC Biarritz. Other notable works include Tranzicion – art et pouvoir en Albanie (2017), L’ombra del padrino (2016), Apolitics Now! (2013), and The Cambodian Room: Situations with Antoine D’Agata (2009), co-directed by Tommaso Lusena.
Auber 89 premieres on September 10 at the Giornate degli Autori, where it will be followed by a Q&A session. This film promises to be a powerful exploration of memory and community, offering a unique perspective on the social tensions and personal stories of the 1980s.
