Je verrai toujours vos visages
All Your Faces - Symbolism & Philosophy
Symbols & Motifs
The Circle
The circular arrangement of chairs in the group therapy sessions symbolizes equality, community, and the non-hierarchical nature of the restorative justice process. It creates a space where every voice is meant to be heard equally, without the formal, confrontational setup of a courtroom.
This is the primary setting for the group dialogues between victims and offenders. The camera often moves within or around the circle, capturing the faces and reactions of each participant, reinforcing the idea of a shared, interconnected experience.
The Talking Stick
The wooden baton used in the group sessions symbolizes the right to speak and the responsibility to listen. It ensures that the dialogue remains structured and respectful, giving power and voice to the person holding it while compelling others to engage in active listening.
The baton is passed between participants during the meetings. The physical act of taking the baton signifies a person's readiness to share their story or perspective, and it is a key element in moderating the intense emotional exchanges.
The Face
Referenced directly in the title, the face represents memory, trauma, and humanity. For victims, the perpetrator's face is a haunting image of their trauma. For perpetrators, seeing the victim's face transforms them from an anonymous target into a human being they have harmed. The process is about being able to see each other's faces and recognize a shared humanity beyond the labels of 'victim' and 'offender'.
This is a recurring motif throughout the film, both literally in the intense close-ups on the actors' faces during emotional testimony, and figuratively in the dialogue where characters discuss the memories of faces from the crimes.
Philosophical Questions
Can true healing occur without punishment?
The film directly engages with this question by contrasting the traditional punitive justice system with a restorative one. It suggests that while punishment may address the legal transgression, it often fails to heal the emotional and psychological wounds of both victims and offenders. The film explores healing as a process of acknowledgement, dialogue, and understanding, proposing that this can be more reparative for individuals and society than retribution alone.
What is the nature of forgiveness?
"All Your Faces" presents a nuanced view of forgiveness. It's not depicted as a simple or required outcome of the restorative process. Instead, the film explores forgiveness of others and, importantly, of oneself. For characters like Chloé, the goal is not necessarily to forgive her abuser but to free herself from the hold of her trauma. For the offenders, the journey involves seeking a way to forgive themselves and believe in their capacity for change. The film suggests forgiveness is a complex, personal journey, and dialogue is a means to make that journey possible.
Can empathy bridge the divide between victim and perpetrator?
The film's central hypothesis is that it can. By orchestrating controlled encounters, the narrative tests the limits and possibilities of empathy. It shows how hearing personal stories—of a victim's lingering fear or an offender's chaotic upbringing—can dissolve abstract labels and build a bridge of shared humanity. It doesn't suggest this is easy or always successful, but it powerfully affirms the potential of empathy to transform relationships and foster a deeper understanding of the human condition.
Core Meaning
The core meaning of "All Your Faces" revolves around the transformative and healing power of dialogue. Director Jeanne Herry wanted to explore the concept of restorative justice not as a panacea for crime, but as a vital process for humanizing the judicial system. The film suggests that by creating a space for genuine communication between victims and offenders, society can begin to repair the deep wounds caused by violence. It posits that understanding the 'other'—whether it's a victim understanding the circumstances that led to a crime or an offender confronting the real human impact of their actions—is a crucial step towards individual and collective healing. The title, "I Will Always See Your Faces," underscores the indelible mark that these encounters leave on participants, signifying both the haunting memory of trauma and the profound recognition of shared humanity that can lead to forgiveness and reconciliation.