San Francisco Frontiers - Photographer Arthus-Bertrand rejects image of 'fractured France'

The 79-year-old, best known for his aerial nature photographs known as "Earth from Above", set out to create a "family album" of France for his latest visual catalogue that rejects popular ideas about the country.

Instead of the news bulletin images of burning bins or street demonstrations, and far from the country's ill-tempered politics, Arthus-Bertrand's new portrait series paints a gentle picture of a diverse and often cheerful nation.

He spent more than two years travelling around the French mainland, installing a portable photo study and inviting locals to come and pose, with friends and family, often in workwear and with props.

"We saw 30,000 people. There wasn't a single troublemaker, just nice people," the photographer told AFP.

"We're always told that we live in a fractured and cynical country. I can't bear it! Most people are kind and proud of what they do," he added. "It's not always easy for them, but they keep moving forward. Those who complain are often the ones who don't act."

The project appears at a time of severe political instability in France and with anti-immigration far-right parties at historic highs in the polls.

It also counters a staple of the French publishing industry: books detailing the country's economic and social problems, focused on fractures, national decline or imminent collapse.

- 'Sense of empathy' -

In the foreword to the 800-page book, which will be published on October 1, Arthus-Bertrand acknowledges that his sentimental approach will draw critics.

"While photographing the French, I felt this natural sense of empathy that we all have within us. Yes, I know, it's a bit silly, but I fully embrace it."

The book features faces of all shapes and skin tones, teachers and policewomen, pig farmers and flamenco dancers, Amazon warehouse workers and mobile phone repairers.

Context is provided by veteran demographer and sociologist Herve Le Bras who provides facts such as that only two-thirds of French children live with both parents, or that 16,000 people work in the pastry and cake-making profession.

Arthus-Bertrand's work has always had an activist element, with 1999's "Earth from Above" highlighting the world's fragile ecosystems, or his films "Human" and "Woman" highlighting shared experiences around the world.

B.Turner--SFF