The World Is Full of Secrets

Pierre Carles’ documentary L’Affaire Abdallah examines the decades-long prosecution of Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah. Through testimonies and archival documents, Carles traces the judicial campaign and media orchestration, and the geopolitical pressure behind an unusually long detention. The film balances forensic investigation with humane portraiture, using austere framing and archival textures to probe state power, memory and conviction. Stern yet empathetic, it foregrounds the persistence of political belief and the human cost of prolonged incarceration. In presence of director Pierre Carles.

Alain Martin’s documentary unfolds as a letter to his grandfather, returning to the US occupation of Haiti with a personal, investigative eye. Interweaving intimate memories and sweeping historical context, the film traces a paradox: how an aspirational embrace of American power shaped both an individual’s longing and a nation’s turmoil. Through textured, reflective framing, it explores exile, love, and the uncomfortable truths at the heart of freedom, balancing archival detail and personal testimony to provoke thoughtful examination rather than easy answers.

A discussion with the documentary-maker, Alain Martin, will take place after the screening.