At 'Emmaus,' a charitable organization in Paris, community members repair and resell donated items, breathing new life into what was once discarded. Moving between warehouses and shops, their work goes beyond simple recycling—it reimagines everyday life within the community and playfully reconfigures the relationships between people and objects. Following this process, the film gently illuminates the resilience of life and the imaginative spirit that sustains the community.

 The story begins when an employee at a secondhand warehouse discovers a camera while rummaging through a donation bin. Through its lens, a magical transformation occurs: clothes become costumes, furniture turns into sets, and curious cast-offs become kitsch artworks. Suddenly, the warehouse hums with new life—a place where expired objects embark on their second lives. 

Have a Nice Day was born from a four-year workshop with the Emmaüs community in Grenoble, France. Participants began by photographing items for a catalog, but soon decided that portraits would be more effective. Roles were not assigned, but emerged organically based on each person’s interests: directing, sound, performance, modeling. With no set schedule or script, everyone was free to do what they wanted, or to try on a new role entirely. 

Overseeing it all, director Pauline Bastard works a quiet magic, transmuting the staging of merchandise and the making of fashion photos into a collective artistic practice.

 A film made with the companions of the Emmaüs Grenoble community.

• ProducerPauline BASTARD
• Cinematography Pauline BASTARD
• Edit Pauline BASTARD
• Sound Francine DELORME, Sami FELLAH, Rebecca GUILLET, Rosalie LEBER, Eugénie LUYTON
• Cast Mamadou ALIORE BALDE, Rozina KURTALIAJ, Samira JAMA MAHAMOUD, Oumar SALL

contactpaulinebastard@gmail.com​