Cultural Diversity in the French Film Industry

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Sarah Walkley

   Pages 1-16

3. Influence and Identity: French Motivation for Defending Cultural Diversity

   • Sarah Walkley

   Pages 17-46

4. French Film Policy: Principles and Practice

   • Sarah Walkley

   Pages 47-91

5. The Trade and Culture Clash: The Background to the Current Stalemate

   • Sarah Walkley

   Pages 93-130

6. The Digital Revolution: Evolving Demand v. Consistent Policy-Making

   • Sarah Walkley

   Pages 131-173

7. Cultural Diversity Re-Examined: The Case for Rethinking French Film Policy

   • Sarah Walkley

   Pages 175-193

8. The Market Test: Assessing Cultural Policy and Cultural Diversity in France

   • Sarah Walkley

   Pages 195-226

9. Conclusion

   • Sarah Walkley

   Pages 227-252

10. Back Matter

    Pages 253-278

    PDF

This is the first book to examine whether France’s ongoing defence of the cultural exception as a means to maintain cultural policies and defend cultural diversity is justifiable in the digital age. It questions whether the arrival of new players such as Apple and Netflix makes defence impossible, and whether an explosion in the number of films available makes policies for cultural promotion increasingly unnecessary. The book takes a critical look at French film policy to establish whether it promotes cultural diversity across cinema and video on demand and the implications for ongoing defence of the cultural exception. Sarah Walkley ultimately makes the case for a more disciplined approach to discussion of the cultural exception and cultural diversity in France supporting ideological arguments about competition, freedom of expression, consumer choice and national identity with concrete evidence of the success of French policies in countering US film market dominance.

• French culture
• French film
• French policy
• Cultural diversity
• Cultural Exception
• Foreign Language Film
• European Film

“French and European film scholars alike will find this book useful, as will those seeking a thorough view of the French film industry’s principles and practices from the beginning of cinema to the digital age.” (Anna V. Keefe, Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature STTCL, Vol. 43 (2), 2019)

• London, UK

  Sarah Walkley

Sarah Walkley completed her PhD at the Centre for Cultural Policy Studies, University of Warwick, UK. She has over 20 years of experience in business-to-business publishing, and is currently Research and Development Director for Autovista Group. She is the author of The World of Miniatures (GMC Publications, 2018).

Policies and ethics