Gagarin: Where Concrete Meets Poetry
Published: August 9, 2024, 11:54 AM
The French banlieue film “Gagarin. Once weightless and back” offers a poetic and humane take on a decaying concrete tower, echoing the spirit of its namesake, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
The Cité Gagarine, once a symbol of hope and potential, now stands as a decaying testament to post-war housing woes. Its inhabitants, grappling with poverty, neglect, and social change, find their stories reflected in the crumbling concrete.
16-year-old Youri, a solitary figure, has made the Cité his refuge. He fiercely protects his sanctuary from decay and corruption, battling a sense of isolation and loss.
The film subtly draws parallels between the Cité’s fate and the dreams of its residents. Just as the building is stripped of its original purpose, so too are the aspirations of its inhabitants. A box of name tags, the only tangible remains of their identities, serves as a haunting reminder of the impending erasure of their stories.
The film’s creators evoke the spirit of “poetic realism,” a 1940s French film movement that celebrated the working class through a blend of poetry, creativity, and a romanticized view of human dignity.
“Gagarin” challenges the traditional violent and dark portrayal of the banlieue genre. Instead, it paints a nuanced picture of its inhabitants, highlighting their resilience and humanity amidst their struggles. Even the film’s antagonist, a drug dealer grappling with his own anxieties, undergoes a transformation, revealing the human face behind the criminal facade.
The film concludes with a poignant moment, as the former residents gather to say goodbye to their decaying home. Youri, who once dreamt of reaching the stars, finds his own form of transcendence, connecting with the beauty and fragility of life around him.