Vincent Verzat graduated with a Master in International Affairs in 2014. Since then, he has been creating his own job description, merging one passion for peace-building with another for video.
After finishing his thesis on Infrastructures for Peace: Unpacking a Discourse, Vincent flew to Costa Rica to work as a videographer for the UN-mandated University for Peace. Inspired by the students and people he met, he wrote and directed a short film about empathy, ESPEJO (“Mirror”). ESPEJO is the story of two brothers, and their ability to experience empathy and resulting empathic change. The project was crowdfunded by a worldwide community of people interested in non-violent communication.
Returning to France in November 2015, Vincent had a firsthand experience of the terror attacks in Paris. Frustrated by the media coverage that, according to him, was short-sighted, increased fear and actively advocated for military intervention that would increase insecurity both in the Middle East and in Europe, he produced a three-minute humouristic video from his bedroom, called DAESH: On fait quoi maintenant? ("ISIS: What now?"). The video went viral and cumulated 800,000 views and 25,000 shares on Facebook in less than a week. Radio Television Suisse (RTS), intrigued by the tone and style of the video, interviewed Vincent during their programme Les médias (the podcast of the interview is available here).
Concerned that the extensive media coverage of the attacks might derail the French public's mobilisation for COP21, Vincent produced another video called Hollande-Rambo: T'as pas mieux sérieux? ("Hollande-Rambo: Is that all you've got?"), making the argument that ecological transition could unite the country during these difficult times. Seeing an opportunity, he moved to Paris to produce a video of the Human Chain for a Climate of Peace, the only COP21 protest permitted due to the state of emergency. The video was picked up on by organisations such as 350.org and Alternatiba, who subsequently hired Vincent to cover non-violent actions and protests.
If 2015 allowed him to express his passion, 2016 looks promising in consolidating the career path he has made for himself: Vincent is now working on a documentary about Yazid Kherfi, a former bank robber, who is doing informal mediation between youth groups in Paris, Marseille and Valence, and on a series of humourous educational videos to teach NonViolent Communication, an approach to dialogue used by mediators worldwide.