Marc Desoutter takes us to the Lille-Roubaix-Tourcoing golden triangle, to the worlds of textiles, industrial chemistry, business and the arts, via the family histories of Descamps, Prouvost, Bonduelle and Kühlmann, and their alliances.
The Bonduelle family at the helm of an agri-food company whose core business remains in the Hauts-de-France region; that of Frédéric Kühlmann, a chemist based in Lille who went on to found an industrial empire with one of the world's most powerful chemical companies; the Descamps, one of the oldest families in the Nord region, spinners and clothmakers who have made the region famous the world over. Last but not least, Jean Prouvost, to whom Roubaix owes the envied title of 19th-century textile capital of the world.
Far from being limited to the past, these films are rooted in the present, with the heirs to these industrial lines keen to pass on a heritage, perpetuating the characters, talents and values, and translating them to the heart of 21st-century realities.
Direction: Marc Desoutter, Laurent Ramamonjiarisoa & Pierre Verdez
Production: Flair Production