Following decades of marginalizing or ignoring non-white segments of the French population, French films have been increasingly engaging with them in the early 21^st Century, notably in the ‘comedy of ethnic integration’. In these feel-good movies, (ethnic/racial/cultural) identity is affirmed and exaggerated, provoking conflicts that are then resolved in a tale of social harmony. While these films have often been very successful (e.g. Intouchables, Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au bon dieu?), critical reception has been divided, in particular around issues of stereotyping and racism. This presentation examines recent examples in this sub-genre, including Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au bon dieu? (2014), Cherchez la femme and Le Brio (both 2017) in order to assess the tension between politically ‘incorrect’ narratives and the presence, and agency, of a growing band of filmmakers and actors of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and the role of such films against the current French political climate, with the rise of the far right, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

Ginette Vincendeau is Professor of Film Studies at King’s College London. She has written widely on popular French cinema and European cinema and is a regular contributor to Sight and Sound. Among her books are Stars and Stardom in French Cinema (2000); Jean-Pierre Melville: An American in Paris (2003); La Haine (2005), The New Wave, Critical Landmarks(with Peter Graham, 2009); Brigitte Bardot (2013) and Paris in the Cinema, Beyond the Flâneur (with Alastair Phillips, 2018)