HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARIES USING ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE

“How Cars Transformed (and Destroyed) America” is a 46-minute documentary fully built with archival footage. It tells the story of car culture in the US, from the invention of the automobile in the late 19th century, and explains its impact on American infrastructures. It notably covers the death of public transit in the United States and its linked to the automobile industry, as well as the destruction of small towns and black neighborhoods caused by the 1956 Highway Act. It has been watched more than 755.000 times.

“How the Italian Mafia Dominated America” is a 41-minute documentary about the Italian mafia in New York, from the first Sicilian immigrants in the late 19th century to the downfall of the Five Families in the 1990s. The film is built using hours of archives from the early 1900s to the 2000s, and has been watched more than 730.000 times.

 

“How Rap Divided America” is a 51-minute documentary about American hip-hop in the 1990s. It focuses on the rise of gangsta rap in the west coast, which resulted in a series of scandals as the genre spread into suburban communities. Stories covered include the political outrage following the release of Ice-T’s “Cop Killer”, the LA Riots of 1992, and the fight against gangsta rap led by civil right leaders. The film also explains the division between the East Coast and the West Coast, sparkled by the tensions between Sean Combs and Suge Knight. This video follows another long-form documentary about the rise of hip-hop in the 1970s and 1980s.

 

“How Silicon Valley Changed Our Lives” is a 52-minute documentary about the history of Silicon Valley. It tells the story of how the Bay Area became a hub for technological revolutions, and covers the history of Stanford University, the first transistors, the birth of Apple and the internet. It also raises the question of monopoly in the tech industry and the power of GAFAM on our everyday lives.

I have also created similar historical documentaries telling the history of Hollywood, and cities such as Atlantic City, Las Vegas and Detroit. 

“How 9/11 Changed The World” is a 56-minute documentary, using hundreds of archives -including rare footage- to document the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It also explains the events that came after and before, from the roots of terrorism to George Bush’s war on terror, exploring how the tragic events changed our world forever. 

EXPLANATORY JOURNALISM

For this 10-minute video, I went on the picket lines of the WGA to understand and explain the 2023 Writers’ Strike. The video was filmed, edited and published within two days, soon after the start of the strike. It also includes archives of the previous strikes to understand the importance of this event on the industry and beyond.

 

This 17-minute video is another example of explanatory journalism, where I use history to better understand current events. This episode explains the roots of the surge of Asian hate in the United States during the pandemic, using historical examples such as anti-Asian immigration laws or the murder of Vincent Chin. 

This series of videos also explored current issues such as California wildfires, the American government and institutions, and American Elections.

ON-SITE REPORTS

This is an example of a travel video in Puerto Rico, mostly shot on iPhone while also using some drone footage. Most importantly, it explains the complicated status of Puerto Rico within the United States and analyzes the statehood debate using the testimony of a young Puerto Rican woman that I interviewed. It also shows the devastation of hurricane Maria. 

 

This video is a report fully shot on iPhone at a Donald Trump rally, in Orlando in 2018. It includes interviews with Trump voters as well as protesters. 

This video includes documentary-style interviews shot with a DSLR camera. It questions the worth of American education compared to what can be found abroad. 

 

All of my videos explore the many faces of the United States for a French audience. Themes include politics, culture, sports, and current events. You can find all of my online work on my YouTube Channel. For my work on television, you can visit this link.