Introduction

We are proud to present the very first special issue of French Forum. It seeks to fill a relative gap in scholarship through an improved understanding of "Francophone documentary film" from the standpoint of multiple geographic spaces. Writing from diverse institutional settings, contributors bring their own international experiences and training to bear upon a complex range of documentary films produced in France, Belgium, Cambodia, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mauritius, Niger, Quebec, Senegal, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Vietnam, and so on. What emerges is a genuinely transnational perspective on the cultural, economic, political, and social factors that have both influenced and shaped documentary filmmaking. In the process a far-reaching spectrum of issues comes under close, interdisciplinary scrutiny: ethnography, colonialism, propaganda, censorship, political commitment, globalization, gender relations, feminism, AIDS, religion, the global sex trade, environmental politics, multinational corporations, and immigration.

Although we have endeavored to embrace a broad interpretation of the Francophone world, not all countries/regions are of course represented or, for that matter, links with other languages ignored. In fact, as several articles confirm, Francophone documentary filmmaking is far from being monolingual. Similarly, organization into "continental" categories—Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe—is mostly pragmatic, since documentary filmmaking has historically been characterized by complex cultural and geopolitical networks and connections informed by colonial, national, and diasporic factors. Thus, in the same way that the hegemonic influence of Hollywood has been, if only partially, displaced by the rise of alternative sites of production and distribution such as Bollywood and Nollywood (among others), documentary filmmaking has also been globalized when we consider distribution, circulation, funding structures, promotional organizations, international festivals, etc. Significant transformations have also been made possible by the democratization of technology, which has enhanced accessibility to the means of production, although of course transhistorical challenges continue to be evidenced, pertaining to censorship, sponsorship, and dissemination.

Documentary films and documentary filmmakers have not received the kind of critical attention their counterparts in the film industry have enjoyed. This special volume represents a step towards redressing this unfortunate imbalance and will hopefully stimulate new and exciting research.

Special thanks to Lydie Moudileno and Bruno Thibault.