As a philosopher, Frenchman Bruno Latour (1947–2022) opened not only rooms of reflection but whole houses. An anthropologist and sociologist, he became an internationally renowned advocate for shifting paradigms, with the aim of re-defining the place of the human individual in the cycle of nature. Latour coined the term “ecological class,” to be created on planet earth to become aware of fundamental options for action in crises. But: How do we react to his questions, visions, and concepts in our daily life, far removed from science and philosophy? Do they reach us? Do they spark debates when we encounter them?
Raphaël Girardot and Vincent Gaullier found individuals in France, Belgium and Senegal who want to go their own way in observing, describing and changing conditions, or already do so in communities – on fields and in forests, fishing or protesting, as autonomous beings or in familiar structures. The directors confront some of them with Latour’s writings, trigger thoughts and conversations and let Bruno Latour himself guide us through the episodes in short interview sequences from the internet. Increasingly marked by his cancer, he shows himself to be a precise analyst with verve, humour, and clear statements.