Thanks to people like Henri Mignet, France is still the world's second-largest aeronautical power. In the 1930s, he invented the first airplane built by amateurs, popularizing light aviation.
A little-known precursor of the do-it-yourself movement, Henri Mignet still inspires collaborative movements that aim to give wings to those who dream of them. He is a true reflection of the leisure society that emerged between the two world wars. A passionate self-taught inventor with a desire to make aviation a form of entertainment accessible to all, he began building his own airplane. After several unsuccessful attempts, filmed by a self-made camera, he finally succeeded in inventing an original model of miniature aircraft, accessible to all: the pou du ciel. By the 1930s, his instruction manual was being used around the world, and replicas of his plane were taking to the skies everywhere.
Through archives, videos and original models recovered by Henri Mignet's descendants, the film plunges us into the world of this genius tinkerer.
Direction: Laurent Cadoux
Production: Point du Jour – Les Films du Balibari & France Télévisions