À BÉTÔT? GOODBYE?
Jèrriais - A language on the edge of silence
FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY FILM
JERSEY 2025 105min
An intimate portrait of Jèrriais, Jersey’s ancient native language, following the voices of its last native speakers and the growing movement fighting to keep it alive — but can it still be done?
In collaboration with L'Office du Jèrriais in Jersey, Channel Islands
OFFICIAL PREMIERE COMING SOON
“When you lose a language, you lose a culture, intellectual wealth, a work of art. It's like dropping a bomb on a museum, the Louvre.”
Professor Ken Hale.
“There are few languages I know with such a richness of expression, some of her idioms are poetry…Jèrriais belongs to Jersey, and without it Jersey would, I believe, stop being Jersey.”
Professor Paul Birt
This is a documentary about a people; the people who spoke, and still speak, the Jèrriais language. This is their story; the story of an ancient language passed down through generations of native speakers, but, in recent times, perilously close to being lost.
This is also the story about the growing movement to revitalise that language; the story of all the people who care passionately about the importance of Jèrriais as a vital part of Jersey’s culture, heritage and identity.
Ultimately, this is a call to action. A rallying cry to a new generation of enthusiasts, learners and speakers to take up the challenge to ensure our precious language can thrive again.
