Jean-François Delsault and Yann Legay have created the Archives in pocket application which offers an insight into the history of Rennes.

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C. Allain / 20 Minutes

  • The Archives in Pocket application offers a dive into the history of Rennes through amateur videos of the time.

  • The archive images range from the liberation in 1944 to the arrival of General De Gaulle in 1969 through the victory in the Coupe de France in 1971.

  • Limited by confinement, the use of the application remains possible.

    If successful, it could be developed elsewhere in Brittany.

They were concerned that containment would disrupt their launch and they were right.

A few days after the publication of their Archives in Pocket application, Rennes residents Yann Legay and Jean-François Delsault saw their baby being mistreated by the new health measures.

In reflection for several years, their historical application project will suffer from the context disrupted by the Covid-19.

But both men want to believe that she can survive it.

“We wanted to allow Rennes to revisit their city and rediscover its history through video pastilles,” explains Yann Legay, director of the production company WAG Prod.

Its application allows the user to view fascinating archive images retracing the past of the Breton capital, from 1935 to 1971. The problem is that these images are broadcast thanks to a geolocation system on the telephone and are not available only within a radius of 100 meters from the locations where they were filmed.

The one kilometer perimeter imposed by the confinement will not allow all residents to explore their city right away, but whatever.

“We don't see our app as a tourist itinerary.

I imagine it more as a stopover, a break, a moment of breathing that we can afford when we want, ”continues the producer.

On the Place de la Mairie, users will notably be able to discover images of the liberation in 1944 or of the arrival of General De Gaulle in 1969. Not far from the Saint-Melaine church, the memories of a troop of walking equilibrists. in 1935 resurface.

“It's moving to see how people were dressed back then, or how they moved around.

We can see that some areas of Rennes were still unhealthy sixty years ago, ”testifies Jean-François Delsault, project manager at the Brittany film library.

"We didn't just remember the big story"

It is its structure that has drawn from its rich background of 30,000 amateur films to provide the images for the application.

For the moment, about fifteen places of interest are available.

From the arrival of Abbé Pierre to victory in the Coupe de France in 1971, the two passers of memory had to make choices.

“We didn't just remember the big story.

For example, we have incredible images of the inauguration of Maurepas park in 1950 where we see children playing in a paddling pool.

It's funny to see that the places have hardly changed ”, Jean-François Delsault.

Deployed in Rennes thanks to the funding of a call for projects from the metropolis, the Archives in pocket application could be duplicated in other Breton cities, provided that the municipalities agree to finance it.

"We would like to cover the entire Breton territory", slip the two men.

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  • High-Tech

  • French Cup

  • Application

  • Mobile app

  • Archives

  • Culture

  • Charles de Gaulle

  • Reindeer

  • History