L'homme des casernes

For the first time, an independant movie team was able to follow the Swiss Army school of recruits for fusiliers and machinegunners, as from February to May 1993, in Colombier (Switzerland).

The recruiting Officer in charge said: When a young man hesitates, I suggest infantry because that is where I need them most. So 35% of the recruits find themselves enlisted in infantry. Contrary to the summer recruit school, where the students represent a high proportion, the winter school consists of youngsters with jobs that are very much struck by the economic crisis, or with no profession at all. 40 % of the section that was filmed found themselves unemployed at the end of the school.

The film reflects the atmosphere of this school of recruits and the wording which is proper to this particular surrounding. Although we were able to film freely, the accent was put on a certain number of sequences, such as : recruitement, advancement of three recruits (compulsory non-commissioned officers school), inspections, taking up and taking back of the flag, the visit of a priest for service on Ascension day.

How do they react ? They, the most of whom of a professional army, in which they would not take part.