French Minority Cinema by Cristina Johnston (review)

Thankfully, this gap is being filled through works such as this film. Au tournant de l’histoire is a documentary lasting approximately thirty minutes, previously shown on RFO, France 3, and TV5. Accompanied by the rhythms of Don Richmond’s pleasant, unobtrusive soundtrack, the narrators, Néofana (French) and Valerie Hauss-Smith (English), take the viewer on a journey that situates the island geographically, historically, and socio-politically. Slavery, race relations, attitudes toward work, and gender roles are all explored through interviews with five women entrepreneurs who embody the island tradition of the poto mitan. Poto mitan, a Creole term for the central supporting post of a home, serves here as a metaphor for the essential role played by women in what remains, at least on the surface, a largely patriarchal culture. Although they have much in common, these five women are a diverse lot, hailing from various parts of the island and exemplifying distinct approaches to the challenge of balancing work and family. George Dijoux, of François, works in upholstery, a typically male profession, whereas Marie-Louise Lordinot was unable to break the gender barrier and pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. She found success all the same by studying biology and eventually opening a medical laboratory in Sainte Marie, the first such facility outside the island’s capital. As for Dominique Bonne, she was by the age of thirty the owner and manager of an insurance agency in the capital, then went on to open two restaurants in Diamant. Divorced, she and her mother now work together to raise her teenage daughter and manage the family’s affairs. In Ducos, Janine Oziel-Lafontaine puts her family heritage and considerable creativity to work as a partner in Colipays, which exports island specialties. Finally, Ghislaine Present has established a family farm in Rivière Salée, where she works alongside her husband and children. These personal stories are placed in broader context through other interviews, whose participants include Marie-Eugénie André, an economist; Justin Daniel, a political scientist; Madeleine de Grandmaison, Vice President of the Conseil Régional; Marie-Claude Patureau, director of an elite local business school; and Roland Suvélor, an author and retired professor of humanities. The juxtaposition of these viewpoints with the women’s personal stories establishes a balanced perspective on Martinique’s history as well as its current circumstances. The content is enhanced by the cinematography and images of the island which go well beyond the predictable tropical scenes of beaches and bananas. This film will be of interest to a wide audience, not only French students and teachers, but also historians, anthropologists, entrepreneurs, and those interested in gender, African diaspora, or Caribbean studies. University of the Cumberlands (KY) Laura Dennis JOHNSTON, CRISTINA. French Minority Cinema. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2010. ISBN 97890 -420-3110-4. Pp. 206. $56. Pour analyser le discours dans certains films français, cette étude culturelle se concentre seulement sur les dialogues. Les œuvres choisies pour observer la représentation à l’écran des minorités gay et ethniques sont clairement situées dans leur contexte socio-politique. Les principales sont La haine, Hexagone, Raï, La squale, Gazon maudit, Les nuits fauves, Douce France, Ma 6-T va crak-er, Belle-Maman, Reviews 811 Pédale douce, Le ciel, les oiseaux et ta mère, Le derrière, et Drôle de Félix. L’argument de Johnston est qu’en exposant certains conflits d’identité, ces films participent à une revendication essentielle: l’appartenance à la nation française et la reconnaissance de l’appartenance conjointe à une communauté minoritaire. Johnston veut montrer comment, dans leurs rapports à l’autorité, aux “Français de souche” et à la norme hétérosexuelle, les minorités tentent, à l’écran, d’entamer des négociations avec les termes rigides d’une République qui ne correspond plus aux réalités sociales, culturelles et linguistiques de la France contemporaine. En organisant son étude à partir de trois concepts—ethnicité, genre et sexualités—l’auteur veut éclairer les aspects revendicatifs dans chaque film, les intersections thématiques d’un film à l’autre, et leur stratégie discursive par rapport au contexte social du moment (homophobie, manifestations Gay...