Representing ‘Frenchness’ in Anglophone TV Series, Cinema, Songs and Literature (NeMLA 2018, Pittsburgh)

Date de tombée (deadline) : 30 septembre 2017
À : Pittsburg, PA, USA

Publié le 15 juin 2017 par Université de Lausanne (Source : Carole Salmon)

CFP for NeMLA 2018 — April 12-15, 2018- Pittsburgh, PA

Panel title : “Representing ‘Frenchness’ in Anglophone TV Series, Cinema, Songs and Literature"

Associate Professor of French Studies
Department of World Languages and Cultures
UMASS LOWELL

This panel proposes to examine the various ways in which French and Francophone identities from France, Quebec and other French-Speaking countries, are represented in Anglophone cultural productions such as feature-length films, TV series, and songs, but also in literature of all genres (novel, poetry, non-fiction). Throughout the centuries, stereotypes and symbols about French and Francophone cultures have developed and travelled around the Anglophone world (the United States, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, etc.) and shaped the way Anglophones on a global scale perceive Francophones. In advertisements, for instance, concepts such as fashion, luxury products, intellectualism and haute cuisine often emerge as commonly shared representations of ‘Frenchness.’ What images and symbols of ‘Frenchness’ do France and French-speaking people project to the Anglophone world today? Or, we could also ask ourselves how do Anglophones perceive and interpret ‘Frenchness’? What symbol or myths, as defined by Roland Barthes among others, are being constructed to create imagined worlds? How are French characters represented in Anglophone visual or musical productions? What representations of ‘Frenchness’ does Anglophone literature (such as self-help, for instance) offer to its readership? What topics or words give a contemporary English song a French flair? In our global world, instant access to authentic French and Francophone audiovisual (pop) cultural productions such as songs, films, or TV series via the Internet is easy and mostly free to anyone around the world. Yet, ‘Frenchness’, as represented in Anglophone literary, visual or musical cultural productions sometimes contrasts with or at least differs from the reality of today’s French-speaking societies.

Submit a 250-300 words abstract in French or in English to NeMLA’s online submission system: go to www.nemla.org and create your own user account.

Submission Deadline: September 30, 2017