The Life Ahead Of Us, Another Face Of Immigration

By Frédéric Laffont, co-writing with Ariane Chemin

In the 60s and 70s, the French economy was booming creating a labor shortage, putting an end to the golden era of coal mines. The former officer Félix Mora was sent to Morocco to recruit and bring back more than 80 000 men to shut the French mines down. For Mora, they represented a low-cost workforce, willing to accept meager salaries and dangerous working conditions. Whereas for young Moroccans, this mission held out the promise of a better future.
After the mines’ closure, most of them settled in France, starting families and giving birth to more than 600 000 French citizens over two generations.
Through a rare panel of testimonies, this film draws a nuanced portrait of a different immigration, far away from the prejudicial identity discourse.