Lieux Fictifs was founded in 1994 by José Césarini and Caroline Caccavale, independent film-makers, whose aim was to formalise in one place their thoughts and practices on images. Out of the Beaux-Arts school, they led projects in photography and produced video installations.
From 1987, they put into place a video workshop within the Baumettes prison in Marseille and start a reflection on television in prison which concretises itself with the creation of "Télé Vidéo Baumettes", the internal TV channel of the prison.
In 1989, they discover cinema through an encounter with another film maker : Renaud Victor. From this encounter was born a two hour documentary film called "De jour comme de nuit", shot in prison and of which production will last until 1991. Because of their background constructed through photography, art video and cinema, the concept of images will be considered within Lieux Fictifs at the crossroad of theses forms of writing.
In 1997, they are joined by other individuals. Lieux Fictifs puts into place, as part of a government initiative to promote culture and life-long learning within the prison system, the Ateliers de Formation et d’Expression Audiovisuelle in the Baumettes prison in Marseille, in a ’studio’ built in the prison. Each year, cinematographic experiences are led in this working/creating context by professionals of image and sound : technicians, film makers, video makers, directors.
In parallel, Lieux Fictifs work as independent producers of creative documentaries and experimental cinema. Today Lieux Fictifs is a collective of full time and part time staff, a training, research and experimentation lab on image, as much from a critical thinking perspective as from the practical view points that arise.
