He spent ten years of his life compiling the stories of the Apaches of Paris, these gangs that raged in the Paris of the Belle Epoque, before embarking on the writing of an eponymous book on the subject. Jérémy Tessier, whose book was published in January by City Editions, plunges his reader into the history of a little-known Paris, and draws parallels between the young gangs of the early twentieth century and those of today.

He is therefore a privileged expert to discuss with 20 Minutes Romain Quirot's feature film, "Apaches", released in theaters Wednesday and which he has already watched twice. "I was not involved on the creation part of the project, although I was consulted on the historical facts and on where and how to find old weapons and period furniture. I am more of a partner on the relay and promotion part of the film. We've been talking for more than a year and a half/two years." Meeting.

For you, what are the characteristic passages of Romain Quirot's film?



Jérémy Tessier: Making the old world of Paris 1900, modern and punchy is a real success. The music, the rhythm, the images. But we really find the dirty side. It's really the spirit of Paris 1900 where there were really street children, who at ten years old, stole to live. Everything related to the right to the child and juvenile centers really developed at that time with new laws to protect them.

I really liked the idea that we see the Apaches through the prism of a woman, her epic to try to become an Apache, to integrate this environment of men, full of codes.

There is a part of my book on the place of women and on the gangs of women of the time, including that of Casque d'Or who was a prostitute who hung out with the Apaches. She remained famous because there was a gang war against her. At the time, even if women had a rather deplorable condition, some managed to make important places in the Apache bands.


How did you become interested in the Paris Apaches?

Jérémy Tessier: I was passionate about the history of Paris. Ten years ago, I came across the Belle Epoque and the Apaches of Paris. I read a few articles on the subject and it made me want to dig. I gradually discovered this universe with the names of the bands, the Wolves of the Butte, the Monte-en-l'air of Batignolles, the Costauds de la Villette. It gave me material to start a blog. The book is a conclusion around these years with the information that I was able to discover, digest and shape. There is a lot of information about the popular Paris of the 1900s but not necessarily very accessible or that requires a big sorting.

The book is an affordable synthesis of the world of the Apaches and everything that was around at that time: the press, the police, the place of women, prisons, etc.

In your book, is there a particular story that has marked you?

Jérémy Tessier: The one that particularly struck me was Milo's. His name was Emile, he was a young Parisian. All his life, he was confronted with the problems experienced by young people in working-class neighborhoods at that time, that is to say starting with petty theft, going to prison and developing his appetite for the world of crime, meeting biggest, riding on burglaries. Gradually evolve towards serious delinquency. We follow his journey through police reports and in the end, he ends up in prison in Cayenne.

When, in fact, he is not a major criminal, he is an offender who has not been able to get out of it. There are not many stories where we have the entire path of these young people of the time. But he, between his very early beginnings in delinquency and police reports, we follow his story in its entirety. He died at the age of 25. I think his story sums up the journeys of the young Apaches of the time. I found resonance with today's popular youth

How similar are there between the gangs of the Belle Epoque and the gangs of today?

Jérémy Tessier: They were young people who were in working-class neighborhoods of Paris, at the time Montmartre, Saint-Ouen... Who were immigrants. There was already the taste to dress well, for the party, the nicknames, the slang that are found in the codes of today's bands.

These offenders came from Spain, Belgium, Italy and so there are many similarities between the two eras. Then also with the press of the time which favored the headlines, with newspapers printed at more than a million copies. I saw similarities with what can be found online, the appeal of the click.

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