The film follows Carré’s camera as he travels to various "naturist" zones—from the organized, bourgeois colonies on the Atlantic coast of France (like Euronat) to the more rugged, anarchic, counter-cultural "free beaches" of Croatia and the wilder fringes of the Mediterranean.
"Paradise is not a place you find," Carré says in his closing voiceover, as the camera pulls back from a beach at sunset. "It is a moment you live. And then you lose it. And then you spend the rest of your life looking for it again. Maybe that search is the point." vivre nu. a la recherche du paradis perdu 1993
The answer arrived in 1993 with a quiet, sun-drenched, and profoundly moving film: (Living Naked: In Search of Paradise Lost). Directed by the late Jean-Michel Carré (known for his socio-political documentaries), this film is not a titillating exposé nor a sensationalist freak-show. It is a philosophical road trip across the landscapes of France and Europe, searching for men, women, and families who had decided to shed not just their clothes, but the entire weight of modern civilization. The film follows Carré’s camera as he travels
"Vivre nu : À la recherche du paradis perdu" is ultimately not a film about nudity. It is a film about longing. Longing for a simpler time, a truer self, a community without masks. And like all great French art, it leaves you with more questions than answers. And then you lose it
Because the question it asked in 1993 is more urgent now than ever.