“Now it’s your turn to tell a story.” That’s what my grandfather said to me at the end of my gap year at EDHEC. I had just completed a nine-month trip around the world with a focus on sustainable development with an association known back then as Ecotour. And telling a story is what continues to motivate me today. I tell stories that speak to me, I convey messages I feel are important, through films and documentaries, and now with a comic book. Through my work as an author and director, I have carved out a place where I feel both useful and fulfilment. For me, being an EDHEC Resource is a way to share my stories, listen and exchange views with others.

When I left EDHEC, I planned to make a living out of my passion: filming. It was no mean feat. So I got in touch with EDHEC graduates working in the audiovisual sector. That’s what I realised the importance of the testimonials of our elders, and it is the reason I became an EDHEC Resource.

So I decided to become a director. Initially I was making films for NGOs and businesses and even reached out to former classmates for work opportunities. Once again the EDHEC network gave me momentum. Bit by bit I managed to make more and more films on a topic close to my heart: the environment.

Then I was asked to cover François Hollande’s presidential campaign. My immediate reaction was the politics wasn’t really my cup of tea, but I thought to myself, here too there must be stories to tell. So I went for it! After he won, I found myself at the Elysée, hired for five years as the official director of the Presidency of the Republic. What that meant in practical terms was accompanying the President everywhere he went and interviewing his interlocutors. The images I filmed we used to inform citizens, provide material for TV stations and form archives. A wonderful way to tell a story!

When I left the Elysée, I directed three long documentaries (52 minutes) for television which received multiple awards: Polarquest about a scientific expedition to the Arctic, Cher Plastique which uses the letter format to explore our ambiguous relationship with this medium, and L’Or bleu des Alpes which tackles the question of water is a treasure that is under threat. The same time I founded the production company INUA which generates content with a positive impact.

And there was one story I hadn’t yet told: my own. It’s the story of two women in love want to establish a family but can’t do it in France. I chose to tell the story in comic book format, party in the interest of modesty but also to explore a new narrative tool. A small story within a bigger one, because the narrative unfolds behind the scenes of the Presidency. I recount my five years at the Elysée and our determined battle to have a child. Entitled De l’intérieur - deux femmes, un quinquennat, un bébé, it was published in September 2022 by Editions Delcourt. I hope it will resonate for many readers, whether in relation to their work-life balance, desire to have children or the difficulty of achieving it.

Dorothée Adam (EDHEC Master 2006)