Le poète illuminé, Germain Nouveau (1851-1920)

Directed by Christian Philibert

Born and died in Pourrières in the Var, Germain Nouveau forms with his friends, Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, the most remarkable trio of French poetry. Bohemian and vagabond, half saint, half madman, haunted by death and love, he opposed the publication of his collections (La Doctrine de l'Amour, Valentines) which were only published posthumously or against his will. Celebrated by the surrealists (Breton, Aragon), he remains unknown to the general public. Recent research shows that he is the real author of a part of the texts gathered under the title Illuminations. Conceived as a historical, literary and philological investigation, Christian Philibert's film, shot over a period of 25 years, relates the life of Germain Nouveau and the research of the main specialists. Supported by numerous excerpts of texts and illustrated by an abundant iconography, it reveals the itinerary of this extraordinary artist and offers him his rightful place in the history of poetry.