"Peace keeping activities have sometimes exacted heavy sacrifices. All those military personnel and civilians who have contributed to these activities deserve recognition by the UN and the international community as a whole for the courage and abnegation they have shown in the almost overwhelmingly difficult task of maintaining peace and security. Their achievements are a source of pride for the United Nations. Their sacrifice has brought hope to millions of human beings, while countries torn apart by conflict make those difficult first steps on the road to peace." [1]

In 1995, Chris Marker met one of those "heroes", François Crémieux, a young doctor who had volunteered to do six months of his military service in Bosnia.

Back in France, Chris Marker analysed, or at least, collated the notes on the mission of the Blue Helmets in Bosnia – wondering about the impact of their presence and about the gap between the imperatives of the mission and the reports in the press, the statements of politicians and, above all, factual reality.

Showing intelligence and accuracy, François Crémieux analyses some of the paradoxes of the international system installed to maintain peace in this part of the world. He also clearly sets out the problems that the system produces when it is confronted by human and geopolitical reality.

The interview is structured in nineteen sections: Reasons, Images, , Briefing, History, Bousniouks, Aggressions, Mission, Motivation, Volunteers, Obedience, Dogs, War, Death, U-turn, Policy, Lies, Positive, UNO and Final report.

The Blue Helmets refuse to comment. Not François Crémieux, he talks.

He talks about the four official missions ordered by the UNO: escorting humanitarian convoys, observing the situation of various camps, patrols in the trouble zone itself, protection of the UN forces themselves, analysis of the soundness of these objectives, the paradoxes of an international organisation and the ethics of the mandates proposed.

Thus, he gives us a scornful account of the fourth mission: "the last mission was to protect ourselves, our own convoys. It's that mission that almost took up the most of my time [...]"

He sums it all up by borrowing a naval metaphor: "It's as if you are on the deck of a ship, doing good things or doing bad things, but the important thing is that the ship isn't headed in the right direction." [2]

Casque Bleu is in line with the trajectory of the portraits made by Chris Marker – that is those of the painter Matta, the filmmakers Tarkovski and Medvedkine... This makes spectators aware of a certain geopolitical and/or aesthetic situation, running parallel to the pertinence of the words, the works of some great personalities.

This video work, produced and directed by Chris Marker, was broadcast on ARTE, was presented in the Face à l'Histoire exhibition at the Centre Georges Pompidou in 1996, as well as many other festivals.

Having watched and listened to this work, we can no longer consider historical reports in the same manner.

Christine Van Assche

[1] Les Casques Bleus, New York, Nations-Unies, 1996 (3e éd.).
[2] Extract from the video tape.