Blurred image of red, white, and blue flowers with ribbons.

In Memory of the Resistance

In the heart of the Giffre Valley, in the Haute-Savoie region of France, memory still echoes through stone and silence. In this valley, men and women worked in the shadows for the Liberation of France. The Giffre factory, in particular, became both a strategic target for the German forces and a powerful symbol of local Resistance, not only for its industrial value, but for the unwavering commitment of its workers.

On April 1st, 1944, the factory walls bore witness to both Resistance and tragedy. That day, the Germans stormed the site, threatening to shoot indiscriminately if Henri Plantaz, a leading figure in the Resistance, wasn’t identified. To prevent a massacre, he stepped forward. Tied up and beaten, he attempted to escape by leaping into the canal, but was shot dead, along with several others. In the days that followed, nearly thirty people were arrested and deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp, among them, my grandfather.

This series captures the annual commemoration that brings together the villages of Marignier and Saint-Jeoire, a ceremony where past and present meet in solemn reflection. Faces turn toward the memorial stones, flags rise slowly, and silence falls like a breath suspended in time.

As I took photographs, I heard the trembling voice of an elderly flag bearer quietly say:

“I was there. I was five years old. I remember hearing gunshots from the school. I ran to my teacher and asked why the river had turned red.”

This project is a tribute to the Resistance, to those who were lost, and to the fragile thread of memory that binds generations together.

Man in uniform walking on textured surface with shadow.
Blurred photo of two uniformed officers holding a floral wreath with red, blue, and white flowers, and a ribbon, likely in a memorial event.
Person wearing a blue checkered suit with military medals and white gloves, standing next to a French flag.
Person holding a brass instrument with a red and gold fringed cover reading “MARIGNIER B.F.”.
Person wearing a shiny silver helmet and dark uniform holding a French flag during a ceremony.
Elderly man with white hair holding a flag, wearing a dark suit and white gloves.
A man in a blue uniform plays a military-style drum with sticks. He wears a beret and a shoulder strap. In the background, there are flowers with a French flag ribbon.
Elderly man in a checkered suit holding a flag, wearing medals, surrounded by French flags, outdoors.
Blurred image of people walking in uniform, wearing black jackets, blue pants, and white gloves.
Man in black beret and leather jacket holding a French flag behind barbed wire.
Elderly man wearing a checkered blazer with medals, holding a French flag in an outdoor setting.
Blurred image of red, white, and blue flowers with ribbons.
Group of uniformed musicians outdoors, some holding drums, with an orange industrial vehicle in the background, partially obscured by a person in the foreground.
Blurred person with white gloves holding a pole, standing near a colorful flower bed and a black post with a chain.
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