In this interactive study session, students will explore French popular cinema using Populaire as a recent example of a film which was well received in France and the UK. Isabelle Vanderschelden will introduce the film in French and will situate the film within cultural contexts of late 1950s France.
The screening will be followed by a series of language exercises in French and will include character studies and a focus on the film’s stars. The session will be of particular interest to students working on topics such as representation of the family, social classes, couples and relationships and women at work in post-war France.
Screening: Populaire (12A)
Dir Régis Roinsard / France 2012 / 111 mins / In French with English subtitles / Romain Duris, Déborah François, Bérénice Bejo
Set in 1950s France, Populaire is the extraordinary tale of Rose, a village shopkeeper’s daughter who travels to Normandy to try out for a job as a secretary for local lawyer and bachelor, Louis. Lacking the grace necessary to perform the role, Rose’s interview is a disaster but reveals a special gift – she is a speed demon on the typewriter! Louis’ competitive spirit is reawakened and he hires Rose and begins an intensive training regime to prepare her to compete in the country’s cut-throat and high profile typing contests.