Film Screening: Un Pays Qui Se Tient Sage | The Monopoly of Violence

The People’s Forum, in collaboration with Très Bons Documentaires NYC, hosts an in-person screening of the documentary Un Pays Qui Se Tient Sage (The Monopoly of Violence), directed by French journalist and filmmaker David Dufresne. Filmed across France between November 2018 and February 2020 during the Yellow Vests (Gilets Jaunes) demonstrations, the documentary investigates state violence, police brutality, and riot control techniques.

Rather than relying on official narratives or political pundits, Dufresne presents raw street and cellphone footage of police crackdowns directly to the people involved: injured demonstrators, sociologists, trade unionists, and police officers themselves. The film interrogates sociologist Max Weber’s assertion that the modern state claims a monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force, questioning how a democracy justifies militarized crowd control against its own population.

The event takes place in the Paul and Eslanda Robeson Cinema at The People’s Forum, located at 320 West 37th Street in Manhattan. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, with the film beginning at 6:30 p.m. The documentary is screened in French with English subtitles.

Admission is free, but cinema seating is limited and advance registration is required to attend. Reservations can be made through Eventbrite or via The People’s Forum.