FRE 255 - (Im)migration in French and Francophone Film (1)

This course addresses immigration through the lenses of cultural and film studies by examining portrayals of migration in French-language films primarily from France. Although population movements have always been a fact of life in France, shifts in demographics as well as in French political ties to sending countries have resulted in changing attitudes and policies towards (im)migrants and their families. French understandings of immigration are quite different from their American counterparts due to unique political, social, and historical contexts; this means that related questions-such as race and national belonging-are differently defined, constructed, and understood. France’s long colonial history plays no small part in generating and continuing conversations on matters of immigration, and its policy of assimilation vis à vis immigrants and the (formerly) colonized has frequently resulted in debate, protest, and legislation. In this course, attention will be paid to intersections of class, gender, and race with immigration. Readings will buttress students’ understanding of historical and social contexts as well as to contribute to comprehension of some critical race theory. We will look at the framing of issues of identity and inclusion in a French context and learn about the broad outlines of migratory patterns in France. Prerequisite: Any First-Year Writing (W) course
(Humanities)