Annaïg bringing change to Plabannec, France

Plabennec is a small town in the north west of France. Two years ago, a young woman called Annaïg Plassard, originally from Plabennec but who had spent the previous few years living in Nantes, came to visit me in Totnes. She was inspired by my time travel work, and by Transition, and was making a film for French TV about moving back to Plabennec to initiate a Transition initiative. The resultant film, ‘Retour a Plabennec’ was shown last year and is beautiful.

In it, Annaïg rides through the town, in full time traveller consume, holding a sign reading ‘I’ve been to the future. We won’ (in French). One of the results of the film was the forming of an active Transition group, Plabennec en Transition.

In 2025, after the first round of Parliamentary elections which showed the far right in the lead, to which left wing parties, for the first time since the 1930s, responded by coming together under the banner of the ‘Front Populaire’. At a demonstration in Nantes in support of the FP, Annaïg showed up in full time traveller suit, with her sign, a photo of which appeared in many French newspapers and went viral on social media. France’s leading time traveller? I’d say so.

Now Annaïg is making the sequel to ‘Retour a Plabennec’, telling the story of how Plabennec en Transition organised around local elections as a way of bringing change. I spent the day in the town, on the hottest and most beautiful day of the year so far. Annaig and I spent the morning filming a time travel sequence which I can’t wait to see. We kept getting the giggles.

We visited a beautiful biodynamic farm. We met with members of Plabennec en Transition. We met with donors and supporters. We met with local councillors and elected officials. And then in the evening, the public event.

We had no idea how many people would show up. In the end, the place was rammed. My interpreter was the brilliant Xavier Combe, who I have worked with for many years. It was such a fun evening. Everyone engaged beautifully with the activities, and there was lots of laughter as well as quiet reflection.
At the end, someone in the audience suggested taking a group photo of everyone in the room so that, in 10 years, we’d have a record of all the people who transformed the town, and where it all started. People stayed around for ages, chatting, eating the shared buffet from that very biodynamic farm we had visited earlier, making connections.

I can’t wait to see the final film, it’s going to be very powerful I think, and a story the world really needs right now. Thanks Annaïg, the film crew, Xavier Combe and everyone who joined us for the evening event.

Rob Hopkins
www.robhopkins.net