Simone, le voyage du siècle
"We are responsible for what will unite us tomorrow"
Simone: Woman of the Century - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Vous ne me faites pas peur. J'ai survécu à pire que vous. Vous n'êtes que des SS aux petits pieds.
— Simone Veil
Context:
During a heated meeting for the 1979 European elections, Simone Veil is disrupted and threatened by Front National activists. Unflinching, she steps to the microphone and delivers this powerful rebuke, silencing her opponents and demonstrating that no political intimidation can compare to what she has already endured.
Meaning:
This quote encapsulates Simone Veil's immense courage and resilience. By directly confronting neo-fascist hecklers with the memory of her survival, she diminishes their power and asserts the strength she gained from overcoming the ultimate evil. It's a defiant affirmation of her entire life's trajectory.
Comment définir la mémoire? [...] Pendant deux ou trois générations, la mémoire et l'histoire sont étroitement liées. Cette mémoire n'est pas seulement contemplative ou composée de souvenirs. Elle est enracinée dans l'expérience.
— Simone Veil (voiceover)
Context:
This is part of a voiceover from Simone near the end of the film as she reflects on her life and the nature of memory. It plays over images of her looking at the Wall of Names at the Shoah Memorial in Paris, directly linking her personal experience to the collective, historical record.
Meaning:
This quote serves as the philosophical backbone of the film. It explains the narrative's structure and its urgency. Veil articulates the idea that memory is a living, experiential force, not a passive recollection of history. The film itself is an act of transmitting this experiential memory before it fades from living history.
Quand on banalise la Shoah en la mettant en perspective, je me demande si notre civilisation ne perd pas ses repères... On conduit la jeunesse d'aujourd'hui sur les chemins de la haine, du racisme, de l'antisémitisme et de la xénophobie. Il y a beaucoup de faux prophètes en France, en Europe et dans le monde aujourd'hui.
— Simone Veil
Context:
This stirring speech is delivered by an older Simone Veil towards the end of the film, highlighting her lifelong role as a guardian of Holocaust memory and a voice of conscience for Europe.
Meaning:
This is a powerful warning that connects the lessons of the Holocaust directly to contemporary society. It encapsulates her fear that the horrors of the past could be repeated if society forgets its moral compass. The quote underlines the film's political relevance and its message about the dangers of historical revisionism and rising intolerance.