Representations of Beur Identity in Contemporary Cinema
Madeline N. Hauck
Prof. Patrick Lobert, Faculty Mentor
This project explores the themes of cultural and national identity in the context of second generation North-African immigrant cinema in France. In particular, the paper examines the meaning of the words beur and beur cinema, the historical context for the beur identity and the representation of the beur identity in the films of directors of Maghrebi origin. The author poses the question of cultural and national identity on three different levels. Through the study of seven films, the author tries to determine whether the beur identity is part of the French national identity, whether the directors of Maghrebi origin consider themselves representatives of the beur community and whether beur cinema is part of a national cinema. This project studies the films from a thematic point of view and not from the standpoint of a film critic.
Keywords: Beur , cinema , identity , cultural , national , immigrant , Maghrebi
Topic(s):French Capstone
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 501-5
Location: VH 1320
Time: 4:00