In Les Gardiens two women are chatting, seated on a rug in the midst of abundant nature. This scene is covered by a soundscape (the noise of construction work) that indicates that we are near an urban area undergoing transformation. The two women's heads are veiled. The rug crystallises the desire for a space that is both intimate and visible, an imaginary space in which they may speak freely. Male voices suddenly emerge in voiceover, disturbing the course of their conversation. The quasi-utopian vision of the scene gives way to the contemporary realities of these urban areas on the outskirts of cities, here, specifically, at the Cité des Bosquets, a housing estate in Montfermeil, France.

With Les Gardiens, Florence Lazar broaches the subject of the suburbs by focusing on Clichy-Montfermeil, the site of the 2005 riots. Using a domestic object like the rug, she considers the relationship of the residents to the urban space that is home to violence on a daily basis, and that is currently undergoing rehabilitation. The rug that is now the site of conversation has been displaced from the apartment into public space, thus providing visibility for Muslim women.

Translated by Anna Knight