An international restoration project brings renewed attention to one of the most significant films to emerge from the events of May 1968 in France.
A landmark of militant cinema
Filmed in 16 mm on 10 June 1968, La Reprise du travail aux usines Wonder is a ten-minute documentary that has become an emblematic work of French political and militant cinema. Capturing a moment of intense social conflict as workers return to work at the Wonder battery factory, the film preserves a powerful encounter between individual voices, collective struggle and the political hopes of a generation.
Its historical and cinematic significance was recognised early on. Jacques Rivette, writing in Cahiers du cinéma, famously described it as: “C’est le seul film qui soit vraiment révolutionnaire” (“It is the only film that is truly revolutionary”). This assessment reflects the film’s enduring reputation as a work whose significance extends beyond the events it records, raising fundamental questions about labour, political commitment and the relationship between cinema and social change.
Nearly six decades after its creation, the film continues to resonate with audiences, researchers and film professionals interested in the history of workers’ movements, documentary practice and the moving image as a form of historical testimony.
Restoration background
All the film elements of La Reprise du travail aux usines Wonder have been deposited at the Archives françaises du film since the institution’s creation. This continuity of preservation provides the foundation for the current restoration project, ensuring that the surviving materials can be examined and used to produce a restored version.
The restoration is being undertaken with financial support from the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) and the specialist expertise of L’Immagine Ritrovata. The Cinémathèque de Toulouse is providing advice on the restoration, while 7 Production serves as executive producer.
The May 1968 historical context and the plans for future accessibility
The project aims to extend research into the circumstances surrounding the film’s creation and its subsequent reception. In particular, it seeks to explore the history of the working class over approximately sixty years: its hopes, struggles and disillusions, and the persistence of a dream of a more just society.
This broader ambition situates restoration within a wider framework of historical inquiry. By bringing the film back into circulation, the project invites new audiences to examine the relationship between the events of 1968 and the social questions that have continued to shape working life in the decades since.
The restored version will be accompanied by subtitles in 40 languages, including 24 European languages, enabling the film to reach audiences well beyond its original linguistic and national context.
The restored film will be made available free of charge to film archives, film schools and other cultural and educational venues. This distribution model is intended to support its use in research, teaching, programming and public engagement, allowing institutions to incorporate the film into activities that explore cinema history, social movements and documentary filmmaking.
The premiere of the restored version is planned for 10 June 2027, marking the 59th anniversary of the film’s shooting on 10 June 1968.
As the restored version approaches its planned premiere in June 2027, this ten-minute film remains an invitation to reconsider the hopes, struggles and disappointments of the working class over six decades—and the continuing aspiration for a more just society.
Director: Jacques Willemont.
Editing: Catherine Poitevin, Thierry Benoit.
Cinematography: Pierre Bonneau.
Sound: Liane Estiez.
For more information about the restoration project, please consult the project document (PDF).
