| François Ozon | In the “Fabric of Desire” chapter of this book, writer Thibaut Schilt argues that clear representation and even labeling can prove to be more difficult when directors hail from countries, such as France, that are “averse to identity politics in the name of republican universalism.” Schilt states that François Ozon is considered to be part of the jeune cinéma français or Nouvelle Nouvelle Vague, a collection of film directors and auteurs who have separated themselves from the “mostly male-centric and heteronormative” films of the New Wave, facilitating a more “diverse generation of auteurs”, including women and queer filmmakers. |
| Sexual Identities, Queer Politics | In the “Identity Politics in France and the Netherlands: The Case of Gay and Lesbian Liberation” chapter of this book, writer Jan-Willem Duyvendak writes about identity politics in France, and how they affect artists in film. For instance, France has a “prevailing republican tradition of egalitarianism and universalism” and it “conflicts with the pursuit of a specific group identity and the representation of particular desires and interests.” Because of a “republican distrust of separate identities” that shows up in politicians and the public alike, there is a “deeply rooted antipathy toward groups and intermediary organizations between the state and the citizenry is both characteristic of French politics and of a selective nature.” |
| “François Ozon’s Cinema of Desire” | In this 2008 article by Kate Ince, she argues that Ozon is “France’s first mainstream queer filmmaker.” Schilt points out that the term “queer cinema” is one that is used mostly outside of France, and that Ozon’s (and others’) “status as ‘queer filmmakers’ and accompanying penchant for depicting queer desire on screen are largely downplayed in the French context.” |
