Émilie Balteau

I am a sociologist and documentary filmmaker, specializing in the visual documentation of social science research, particularly urban research. My work results in texts—primarily methodological (see the French Journal of Visual Methods)—but it also takes the form of research films. I have directed three medium-length documentaries as part of this research: Bonjour Bonsoir (2019) on urban renewal policy, L’Envol (2023) on urban agriculture in development projects, and Aider au quotidien (2024, with P. Cesaro) on social intervention in families’ homes. In 2025, I co-directed with Alex Tilman This is not a zoo nor a museum, focusing on the work of photographer and anthropologist Ralf Marsault—the first episode of a series dedicated to research-creation, one of the collective productions of CIREC—Center for Research-Creation on Social Worlds (which also includes an exhibition project on mental health, planned for spring 2027). I co-facilitate sound and visual writing workshops for research and support research projects through image and sound.