“Get to work!”: François Ruffin unveils his new film with Sarah Saldman
François Ruffin, MP for the Somme, has announced the release of his new documentary film “Let’s get to work!”, scheduled for November 6, 2024. In this feature film, co-directed with Gilles Perret, lawyer and polemicist Sarah Saldmann finds herself put to the test by trying various jobs paid at minimum wage, such as cleaning toilets or participating in distributions for Secours populaire. Ruffin's stated objective? A "reintegration of the rich", an ironic message intended to echo Saldmann's controversial remarks on welfare and the supposed laziness of certain social categories.
A film born out of controversy
It all started in September 2022, when Sarah Saldmann, known for her provocative positions on welfare and sick leave, declared on RMC Story: "We are sick because we want to go home and get paid." These remarks quickly sparked the anger of François Ruffin, who challenged her to live for a month on minimum wage, a challenge she ultimately took up in front of the cameras.
While Ruffin's initiative is widely praised for its ambition to denounce social inequalities, it is not unanimous on the left. Several figures from La France Insoumise, including European MP Rima Hassan, are calling for a boycott of the film. Hassan strongly criticizes Ruffin for giving a platform to a media figure she accuses of supporting Israeli actions against Gaza, calling Saldmann's presence a "normalization of fascist discourse." On X (formerly Twitter), she deplored that the film "makes the lower classes visible with endorsers of the genocide in Gaza."
Faced with criticism, François Ruffin reacted firmly, specifying that his film is interested in a moral break with Saldmann, in particular concerning his positions "without compassion" towards the Palestinians. He emphasizes that the filming took place before the arrival of the lawyer on C-News, and before her change of tone about Gaza, which he describes as a worrying "ideological shift".
Sarah Saldmann defends herself
For her part, Sarah Saldmann denied insulting the Palestinians, reaffirming that her support for Israel is a legitimate reaction to the attack suffered by the country on October 7, 2023. She declared that "the Israeli state is only defending itself" and accused her detractors of distorting her words.
The film “Let’s get to work!” will be previewed in Abbeville on October 18, before its national release in November. While some are calling for a boycott, others welcome the initiative of François Ruffin who, once again, is trying to bring to the big screen the social issues that are close to his heart.
