Filming the impossible
 

PostED ON 18.10.2025

All I Had Was Nothingness, the documentary that recreates Claude Lanzmann's experience while shooting his epic œuvre, Shoah. 

© USHMM et YAD VASHEM Collection SHOAH de Claude Lanzmann
Je n'avais que le néant, Shoah (2005)

THE SUBJECT: The documentary recounts Claude Lanzmann filming the work of a lifetime, Shoah, between 1976 and 1981.

THE METHOD: A montage of 220 hours of unused footage shot by Lanzmann, accompanied by the voice-over of the narrator speaking on behalf of the filmmaker.
  

BONUS: The voice-over, composed of Claude Lanzmann's own words, is akin to an immense poem about an impossibly painful subject that is nonetheless beautifully addressed. What is striking about this documentary is Lanzmann's presence in the rushes, and the portrayal of the inspiration he needed to find to tackle this subject, of which nothing remains but bare sites (the concentration camps). Guillaume Ribot's relevant and respectful piece shows the extent to which it was necessary to reach out to those who live close to these grounds, in order to understand whether history has left its mark on them. The result is this documentary, a humble and complementary little brother to the monumental Shoah, where we can feel and understand the degree of effort it took for Lanzmann, alone, to face the unspeakable. More than a documentary, it is a work that conveys an admirable perspective.

Virginie Apiou

All I Had Was Nothingness by Guillaume Ribot by Guillaume Ribot (2025, 1h34) (Je n’avais que le néant, Shoah par Lanzmann 2025, 1h34)

Institut Lumière (Villa) sa 18 10h45 | Institut Lumière (Villa) Sat. 18 at 10.45 am