Jonathan Ervine – författare

This book analyses contemporary French films by focussing closely on cinematic representations of immigrants and residents of suburban housing estates known as banlieues. It begins by examining how these groups are conceived of within France's Republican political model before analysing films that focus on four key issues. Firstly, it will assess representations of undocumented migrants known as sans-papiers before then analysing depictions of deportations made possible by the controversial double peine law. Next, it will examine films about relations between young people and the police in suburban France before exploring films that challenge cliches about these areas. The conclusion assesses what these films show about contemporary French political cinema.IntroductionChapter One: Cinema and the RepublicChapter Two: The Sans-papiers on Screen – Contextualising Immigrant Experiences in FilmChapter Three: Double peine: The Challenges of Mobilising Support for Foreign Criminals via CinemaChapter Four: Challenging or Perpetuating Clichés? Young People and the Police in France’s BanlieuesChapter Five: Challenging Stereotypes about France’s Banlieues by Shifting the Focus?ConclusionNotesFilmography and BibliographyIndex

Examining French sports films from a cinematic and socio-cultural perspective, this book takes a close look at the characteristics that separate French sports films from Hollywood sports films and sports films produced in other countries and asks what those characteristics can tell us about wider French culture and society.Focusing in particular on depictions of masculinity in French sports films and how they have evolved over time, this book argues that recent decades have seen a shift away from focusing on macho males towards a greater exploration of male vulnerability, depictions that go beyond the outcome of sporting contests and relate to wider issues such as what it means to be a man, partner, father, or son. It also argues that many of these films have offered only superficial engagement with issues concerning women’s participation in sport and considers the extent to which race, ethnicity, and social class have also shaped the French sports film.Filling a significant gap in the literature on French cinema and the study of sports films in general, this is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in sport, cinema, or French history, culture, and society.

This timely study sheds new light on debates about humour and identity in France, and is the first book about humour and identity in France to be published in either English or French that analyses both debates about Charlie Hebdo and standup comedy. It examines humour, freedom of expression, and social cohesion in France during a crucial time in France’s recent history punctuated by the Charlie Hebdo attacks of January 2015. It evaluates the state of French society and attitudes to humour in France in the aftermath of the events of January 2015. This book argues that debates surrounding Charlie Hebdo, although significant, only provide part of the picture when it comes to understanding humour and multiculturalism in France. This monograph fills significant gaps in French and international media coverage and academic writing, which has generally failed to adequately examine the broader picture that emerges when one examines career trajectories of notable contemporary French comedians. By addressing this failing, this book provides a more complete picture of humour, identity, and Republican values in France. By focusing primarily on contemporary comedians in France, this book explores competing uses of French Republican discourse in debates about humour, offensiveness, and freedom of expression. Ultimately, it argues that studying humour and identity in France often reveals a sense of national unease within the Republic at a time of considerable turmoil.