Cinema: "Haute solitude", an intimate portrait of Jean Zay, a political figure assassinated in 1944

The documentary "Haute solitude", directed by Laurent Véray, will be released in cinemas this Wednesday, September 23. The film explores the intimacy of the thought and feelings of Jean Zay, a political figure of the Third Republic and a young minister of the Popular Front, according to a presentation by RFI.

Imprisoned during the Occupation, Jean Zay was assassinated by the militia in June 1944, at the age of 39. The documentary relies on his correspondence and diaries to reconstruct his career and his thoughts.

Writing as an act of resistance

According to the presentation of the film, the writings left by Jean Zay allow us to measure the extent to which the act of writing was for him both an act of love towards life and his loved ones, and an act of resistance in the face of the Occupation and imprisonment.

The film thus mixes the intimate story of a man with the great history of the period, shedding light on a prominent figure but sometimes less known to the general public among the political figures of the interwar period and the Resistance.

"Haute solitude" joins French cinemas in a context where several documentary works continue to explore the memory of this historical period.