The film "Misère au Borinage" by Joris Ivens and Henri Storck was shot between September and October 1933 in the Borinage, a region near Mons, Belgium. The film takes place in the context of a country experiencing a severe economic crisis following the American stock market crash of 1929. In 1932, a general workers' strike broke out in Belgium. The economic situation of many Belgians was catastrophic. Miners were particularly hard hit by this crisis. Brussels doctor Paul Hennebert, a member of the Secours Ouvrier International, went to the Walloon mines every week to provide first aid. The appalling conditions in which the families lived prompted him to write a brochure denouncing the situation. This brochure, titled " Comment on Crescent of Fame in the Levant of Mons," became the inspiration for the film "Misère au Borinage ."
In July 1933, André Thirifays, founder and secretary of the Brussels film club Club de l'Écran , read Paul Hennebert's brochure. He suggested Henri Storck, a young Belgian director and member of the club, make a documentary about the plight of Walloon miners. Storck accepted the proposal but wanted to work with a more experienced colleague to direct the film. He asked Joris Ivens, a Dutch director with a great passion for social documentaries, to collaborate with him.
Storck and Ivens are jointly making "Misère au Borinage ." The Monobloc district in the Borinage is chosen as the location for the film. To promote and document the film, photographers Cami and Sasha Stone and Willy Kessels volunteered to join the " Misère au Borinage" .
Because of their position in the Belgian artistic network, the Stones were likely already in contact with Henri Storck. Their photos from the filming show the "extras" from the film. There are many shots of the surroundings: streets, factories, houses, or details of the environment in which the Monobloc families live. Some of their photos are "posed" portraits, but most are more reportage. Their photos show the living conditions of the miners more than the work of the film crew. These social concerns also resonate with the Belgian Workers' Party, for which the Stones created a poster on the topic of housing.
Their photographs, and those of Willy Kessels, taken on the set of Misère au Borinage , were published in the press of the time.
The film was met with only moderate reception from the press and the general public. It also caused a stir: Belgian and Dutch censors banned its public screening. It was only shown privately and in film clubs. Many journalists found the film too unbiased to be true. They accused the filmmakers of creating a communist manifesto. For others, however, it was a "movingly beautiful example of class struggle, a living testimony to proletarian consciousness of great scope and authenticity." The articles were accompanied by photos taken on the set. They supported the text, either positively or negatively.
Photo gallery
