Valentin Jean Roger Hénault

Born in Paris in 1994, Valentin entered Sciences Po at the age of 15. He earned a Master’s degree in Finance by the time he was 20, but resigned after just three weeks working at a bank. This marked the beginning of a series of initiatory experiences: waiter in Naples, farm worker in rural France, manager of a cultural center in Moldova. Driven by a fascination with the margins and a desire to observe reality, he eventually turned to documentary filmmaking. The Repentants, his first feature-length film, follows the journey of a Roma family between France and Romania. Arrested in India in October 2023 while working on a film project, he returned to France a year later after the conclusion of his trial. Since then, he has been learning to live again. His first book of non-fiction will be published by Buchet-Chastel in 2026.