Of Carnations and Heath

For over a hundred years, a parade of floral floats called Corso Fleuri de la Mi-Carême has been held in the village of Roquebrune-sur-Argens, in Provence. At the end of March 2019, the tradition once again gathered dozens of volunteers, friends and families who spent long days and sleepless nights decorating the floats, braiding heath into chicken wire and tying up 20 000 carnations with toothpicks. A painstaking task for only a few hours of popular jubilation. Embracing the festive and somehow anachronistic nature of the event, I wanted to tell the story of a community’s commitment and present the floats just moments before entering the narrow streets of the village, showcasing them as glorious subjects of enchantment.