LENGHT: 24 min
PRODUCTION COUNTRY: Martinique
PRODUCTION YEAR: 2018
LANGUAGE: French, Creole
SUB-TITLES: French/English

SYNOPSIS

In the 1940s, fishermen in Martinique start organising Sunday sailing regattas using their traditional fishing boats called Yoles. In 1966, four yoles attempt an unprecedented journey around the island. They complete the venture in five days. This opened the way for what is today the biggest annual sporting event in Martinique: the Tour de Martinique des Yoles Rondes. 

The film Yole is an immersion into this incredible event. It follows the 2016 winning team “Zapetti L’Appaloosa”  in their attempt to keep their title. Although the team feel confident about their chances at the championship, they are hit by an unexpected event: their captain, Loic is injured early in the race and is unable to lead the team. This is very destabilizing for the team and causes them to go through a difficult phase of doubt. The film starts on the third day of the competition when Loïc decides, against his doctor’s advice, to sail with the team. 

With only a few days left in the race, and the fate of his team hanging in the balance, he must find a way to remobilise his crew with the help of the mental coach. This is where it all plays out. 

But, he will also have to face the unexpected arrival of a tropical wave that threatens to thwart his plans. 

Determined to win, Loïc must look within to find the strength to lead his team to victory.

FILM LAUNCH

Yole was launched independently in partnership with the media Yole 365. This was online launch was done with no advertising. The film was available online for under 72 hours and gathered an audience of over 1000 viewers from countries around the world including: Martinique, France, Guadeloupe, the United States, England, Barbados, Canada, Belgium, French Guiana, Saint Martin, Dominica, Trinidad & Tobago,  Antigua & Barbuda, Costa Rica, Germany and Reunion Island.

Launching articles:

Documentaire Yole by S. Saxemard : yole365.com/video/documentaire-yole-by-s-saxemard/

La yole entame son tour du monde avec ce documentaire : yole365.com/unesco/yole-entame-tour-monde-documentaire/

Documentaire YOLE: 3 jours pour plaire !: yole365.com/tourisme/documentaire-yole-3-jours-plaire/

Le documentaire Yole continue son tour du monde : yole365.com/yole365/poland-italy-londres-yole-continue-son-tour-du-monde-grace-a-son-documentaire/

AUDIENCE REACTIONS

“Très beau, ce film! Belle leçon de solidarité et de volonté!” Dominique (France)

“Quelle agréable surprise que ce court métrage ! Une immersion dans le milieu de la yole avec une narration filmique d’une grande sensibilité ! Félicitation aux productrices!” (Marjory, Martinique)

“Au top ce documentaire réalisé au coeur de Zapetti! Hyper poignant, hyper prenant! il est trop bien réalisé!” (Martinique)

“Le reportage est top!!! Super émouvant! Des champions!” (Martinique)

“C’est bien filmé. J ai tout apprécié et en particulier le passage avec le coach avant le départ! Très beau .” (Philippe, Martinique)

“Super. rien à dire. Ca me donne envie de tomber dedans. C’est beau.” (Steeve, Martinique)

“Very nice! It’s good to listen inspiration coming from simple things from real people who doesn’t have nothing but they fight every single day” (Aurelio, Portugal)

“First hearing of that sport. It looks like it is serious business.Those guys are really serious. It looks very intense.” (Deanna, Trinidad)

“Ohhh my gosh. That speech the man did in the beginning. I felt it in my soul.” (Sacha, France)

“I’m not a yole fan but I must say that the story is pretty motivating. I wanna be a Champion now lol. The image is perfect.” (Mickey, France)

“I love it” (Nalugya, Barbade)

IMPACT CAMPAIGN

To reach as wide an audience as possible, Yole’s strategy fuses traditional (festivals, médias) and impact distribution (projections institutionnelles, populaires, scolaires). The film is particularly important to Martinique as it immortalises a truly unique sport and tradition, and takes it beyond the borders of its birthplace. It is well for this reason that France recently announced that the “Yole ronde de la Martinique” would be its official national submission to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. 

Campaign aims :

-Raise regional and international awareness on yole

-Allow Martinican youth discover yole from a different perspective

-Bring the film to audiences who would not normally have access to it

FESTIVALS

Since its premiere, Yole has been an official selection in four international festivals. The film is presently in the festival circuit.

SCHOOLS

The school campaign forms part of an educational project specifically designed for Martinique. The producer, holder of a PhD in Education, works with teachers to help them design pedagogical projects using the film.

The first school screening took place in March at the Montgérald lycée in Martinique with more school screenings planned for 2019.

INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANISATIONS

Screenings organised by institutions and organisations bring the film to specific groups. These projections allow for exchange and dialogue which can lead to social action. 

COMMUNITIES

Public screenings in communities and municipalities open the film to a wider audience and give access to persons who otherwise may never have seen the film. These screenings are organised in collaboration with the mayor’s office of the different municipalities of Martinique.