French Sports Films

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.

Jonathan Ervine is Senior Lecturer in French and Francophone Studies at Bangor University, UK. He is a specialist in aspects of contemporary French society and culture such as cinema, sport, and comedy. Much of his research focuses on debates about diversity and social cohesion in France.

Introduction - sport and cinema in France: a complicated relationship 1 Football documentaries: focusing on teams and individuals 2 Hybrid identities and colonial legacies: French-Algerian sporting stories 3 Local and transnational sport: interactions between heritage, globalisation, and migration 4 Water sports films: exploring masculine identities at sea and in the pool 5 Sport and disability: examining masculinity, virility, and vulnerability 6 Confronting sexism, misogyny, and abuse in a sporting context Conclusion - sport and cinema in France: moving towards a new era?