Various photographersLes Sorciers De La Bessede (SPECIAL EDT WITH PRINT)

The "sorcerers" of La Bessède, these charcoal burners hidden deep within the forests of the Périgord Noir. Black they are, between the charcoal piles and the cyclopean cauldrons, iron matrices transforming the valley's trees into charcoal. So black that even after quickly rinsing their faces under water, they appear to be wearing makeup. Sorcerers with surviving smiles, which they modestly offer to the photographer's lens. They pose like well-behaved schoolchildren, intimidated, surprised to be the subject of a report and a book. The environmental regulations imposed by Brussels and the necessary evolution of the kilns are condemning the last sorcerers of Europe. Upon discovering the photographs taken by Marc Gouby, Didier Daeninckx, captivated, felt compelled to write a text that would pay tribute to these "damned" souls of the forest. It is through the lens of a fictional documentary that he draws us into their world. Deeply indebted to a photographer friend, a private investigator agrees to search for one of the charcoal burners from La Bessède, who has been missing for months. A surprising story, a surprising outcome, which places the reader within the setting of Marc Gouby's magnificent and somber photographs. The alchemy between images and words creates the magic of this rare book. (text written by Didier Daeninckx, text in the book)