Spotlight on France
Society & Culture
About
An in-depth look at what makes this country tick.
Episodes
- Podcast: French raves, accent insecurity, birth of the Front Populaire
This episode of Spotlight on France covers French raves and the government crackdown, the social implications of regional accents in France, and the historical significance of the Front Populaire in establishing the French welfare state.
- Podcast: 'New' antisemitism, Statue of Liberty, France's first female general
The episode discusses a controversial French bill targeting "new forms" of antisemitism, a town's effort to rebuild a Statue of Liberty replica to foster identity, and the story of Valérie André, France's first female general.
- Podcast: French Greens, skiing's melting future, nuclear radio hoax
This episode of Spotlight on France covers the results of local elections, focusing on the Green party's performance and the challenges facing French ski resorts due to climate change. It also revisits a 1946 radio drama that reportedly ca…
- Podcast: Middle East war, women in politics, Khomeini's last days in France
This episode of Spotlight on France explores France
- Podcast: student poverty, kids and social media, a French woman in Tibet
This episode of Spotlight on France covers student poverty in France, detailing the prevalence of skipped meals and the expansion of the 1-euro meal scheme. It also explores France's proposed social media ban for minors, incorporating pers…
- Podcast: Drug prices, Dry January, nuclear tests in French Polynesia
This episode discusses France's drug price negotiations influenced by US pressure, the Dry January movement challenging French drinking culture, and the lasting health consequences of French nuclear testing in Polynesia.
- Podcast: Reinventing retirement, saving a Paris cinema, counting the French
This episode of Spotlight on France covers a co-operative retirement community near Toulouse, the successful campaign to save the Parisian cinema La Clef, and the history and recent changes to the French census.
- Podcast: in defence of paper Braille, Le French Gut, a pioneering midwife
Spotlight on France covers the challenges faced by the nation's sole Braille publisher, the expansive Le French Gut study investigating the French microbiome, and the historical contributions of midwife Louise Bourgeois.
- Podcast: Fighting drug crime, France's military service, (re)wrapping the Pont Neuf
This episode of Spotlight on France covers France's efforts to combat drug-related organized crime, drawing inspiration from Italian anti-mafia initiatives. It also explores the new voluntary military service program and the upcoming art p…
- Podcast: Civil liberties vs terrorism, Pelicot trial revisited, the Pascaline
This episode of Spotlight on France examines the balance between civil liberties and security measures in France following the 2015 terror attacks. It also features a feminist journalist's reflections on the unprecedented Pelicot rape tria…
- Podcast: Brigitte Macron, lauding open-air markets, France's Brazilian colony
This episode explores the spread of fake news concerning Brigitte Macron, highlights the community-building role of French open-air markets, and recounts France's early colonial attempt in Brazil.
- Podcast: Taxing the ultra-rich, last paperboy in Paris, end of the death penalty
This episode discusses a proposed tax on the ultra-rich in France, featuring economist Gabriel Zucman's plan. It also tells the story of Ali Akbar, the last paperboy in Paris, and commemorates Robert Badinter, the justice minister who abol…
- Podcast: Gazans in France, saving and spending habits, the Republican calendar
This episode of Spotlight on France discusses the suspended evacuations of Gazans to France, record savings among the French population indicating economic anxiety, and the history of the French Republican calendar.
- Podcast: PM woes, tourists 'overtake' Montmartre, when Martinique became French
This episode of Spotlight on France covers the appointment of a new Prime Minister amidst protests, the issue of overtourism in Montmartre where tourists significantly outnumber residents, and the history of French colonization in Martiniq…
- Podcast: living in 50°C, French egg shortages, Paris metro
The episode discusses France's experience with extreme heat, including a 50°C climate simulation aimed at raising awareness. It also covers the country's struggles with egg production shortages, leading to imports, and explores the history…
- Podcast: Assisted dying in France, Pagnol at Cannes, meet the neighbours
Lawmakers in France are considering legalizing assisted dying, following deliberations by a citizen's assembly. The Cannes Film Festival honors Marcel Pagnol and addresses sexual harassment. Additionally, the episode discusses the 'fête de…
- Podcast: US science 'refugees' in France, doctor shortages, 8 May massacre
This episode of Spotlight on France covers France's efforts to attract US scientists, particularly in climate research. It also discusses the controversy surrounding government proposals to address doctor shortages in underserved areas and…
- Podcast: War economy, France's supercomputers, La Marseillaise and the Republic
This episode of Spotlight on France covers the nation's transition to a war economy, featuring insights from weapons manufacturer KNDS and economist Virginie Monvoisin. It also delves into the capabilities of the Jean Zay supercomputer for…
- Podcast: French wine in Africa, confronting obesity, video game giant
This episode of Spotlight on France discusses French wine exports to Africa, efforts to combat obesity stigma in France, and the challenges faced by video game company Ubisoft, known for Assassin's Creed.
- Podcast: Women wage outrage, farmers face organic slump, Ravel's Bolero
This episode of Spotlight on France examines the persistent gender pay gap in France, despite legal measures, featuring economist Anne Eydoux and lawyer Insaff El Hassani. It also discusses the struggles of organic farmers due to decreased…
- Podcast: AI 'à la française', immigration fact vs feeling, disability law
This episode discusses France's pursuit of AI sovereignty with a 'third path' between US and Chinese models, the discrepancy between immigration statistics and public sentiment, and the progress and challenges in disability inclusion two d…
- Podcast: Budget woes, medical cannabis stalled, French comic who defied Hitler
This episode of Spotlight on France discusses the impact of proposed €32 billion budget cuts on development aid and civil society, featuring insights from Elodie Barralon of Coordination Sud. It also covers the stalled medical cannabis exp…
- Podcast: France Algeria fall out, land of dinosaurs, abortion rights
This episode of Spotlight on France examines the current low in France-Algeria relations, influenced by internal politics and a lack of diplomatic engagement. It also covers France's rich paleontological sites and the ongoing significance…
- Podcast: Renaming Tibetan art, Paris region's first olive oil, Comoran independence
The episode covers the controversy surrounding the renaming of Tibetan art at the Guimet museum in Paris, the production of the first olive oil in the Paris region by a collective of neighbours, and the independence of the Comoros from Fra…
- Podcast: Forgotten female war correspondent, lighter French wine, Notre-Dame reopens
This episode of Spotlight on France covers the story of Marcelle Poirier, an overlooked female war correspondent who covered de Gaulle's liberation of Paris. It also discusses the rising alcohol content in French wines due to climate chang…
- Podcast: Dictionary wars, France digests Trump, disaster solidarity
This episode of Spotlight on France covers the controversy surrounding the latest Académie Française dictionary, France's response to Donald Trump's re-election and its economic and political implications, and the 1959 Malpasset dam disast…
- Podcast: France's packaging problem, spider crab invasion, women's labour rights
France is working to reduce waste by phasing out single-use packaging by 2040. Mussel farmers are facing devastation from an increase in spider crabs due to warming waters. A 1924 strike by women in sardine canneries is highlighted as an e…
- Podcast: French song's popularity abroad, screens in school, France's Nobels
This episode of Spotlight on France discusses the growing international popularity of French songs, citing artists like Aya Nakamura. It also examines the use of screens and smartphones in French schools, contrasting technological integrat…
- Podcast: Restituting human remains, street-naming, redefining rape in France
This episode of Spotlight on France discusses a shamanic ceremony preparing human remains for return to French Guiana, new street-naming legislation impacting French villages, and how a 1970s court case changed France's approach to prosecu…
- Podcast: Inclusive sports, Deaflympics, compromise in French politics
This episode of Spotlight on France covers the rise of inclusive sports, inspired by the Paris Paralympics, and revisits the 1924 International Silent Games for deaf athletes. It also examines the necessity of political compromise in Franc…
- Podcast: France revives hemp farming, New Romance, Paris's 1924 Olympics
This episode of Spotlight on France covers the revival of industrial hemp farming in France for sustainable building materials, the rise of romance literature with a new generation of authors targeting young readers, and a historical look…
- Podcast: Imagining a far-right government in France, forgotten fashion icon revived
This episode discusses the potential implications of a far-right government in France, including the powers of the prime minister and foreign policy shifts. It also revives the story of Jenny Sacerdote, a pioneering fashion designer from t…
- Podcast: D-Day and its aftermath seen through French and American eyes
This episode explores the contrasting French and American interpretations of D-Day and its aftermath, featuring reflections from an American veteran and insights from historians on civilian casualties and the reception of Allied troops.
- Podcast: Pro-Palestinian student protests, French euroscepticism, Channel Tunnel
This episode discusses pro-Palestinian student protests at Sciences Po in Paris, noting differences from US protests. It also explores France's increasing euroscepticism and the 30th anniversary of the Channel Tunnel, featuring insights fr…
- Podcast: War on youth, Ionesco in Paris, French women's right to vote
This episode of Spotlight on France examines the French government's approach to youth and crime, the continuous staging of Ionesco's "The Bald Soprano" in Paris, and the historical context of French women gaining suffrage later than other…
- Podcast: France-Russia relations, hair discrimination, tax history
This episode of Spotlight on France examines France's evolving stance on Russia, featuring insights from journalist Elsa Vidal. It also delves into legislative efforts to combat hair discrimination, with input from activist Guylaine Conque…
- Podcast: Covid obedience, vasectomies in France, was Rosa Bonheur a lesbian?
Historian Nicolas Mariot examines the impact and public acceptance of France's Covid lockdown. Urologist Vincent Hupertan discusses the cultural and systemic reasons for the low rate of vasectomies in France. Writer Anna Polonyi looks into…
- Podcast: #MeToo hits French cinema, movie theatre on wheels, bissextile news
This episode of Spotlight on France discusses the impact of #MeToo allegations on the French cinema industry, featuring insights from Bérénice Hamidi. It also explores the Cinémobile, a mobile theatre serving rural communities, and the uni…
- Podcast: French farmers protest, battling the mathematics gender gap
This episode of Spotlight on France covers the ongoing protests by French farmers against high costs and cheap imports, and examines the gender gap in mathematics education, discussing potential reasons and solutions for girls falling behi…
- Podcast: Fixing France, opposing immigration reforms, Françoise Giroud
This episode features Nabila Ramdani
- Podcast: British in France, returning human remains, the Comtesse du Barry
This episode of Spotlight on France discusses the impact of Brexit on British residents and visitors in France, the ongoing process of returning human remains from French museums, and the historical context behind Comtesse du Barry's conne…
- Podcast: French rooster revival, thrifting, reporter Albert Londres
This episode covers the initiative to preserve the Gaulois doré rooster, a symbol of French heritage. It also discusses the rise of the secondhand market, its effect on traditional thrift stores like Emmaus, and the enduring influence of p…
- Podcast: Israel-Hamas conflict bleeds into France, bikers against bullying
This episode of Spotlight on France discusses the impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on French society, including rising anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, with insights from researcher Nonna Mayer. It also covers bikers from U.B.A.K.A. figh…
- Podcast: immigration referendum, childfree in France, the feline astronaut
This episode of Spotlight on France discusses the upcoming immigration reform bill and the possibility of a referendum, interviews a woman about the childfree movement in France, and recounts the story of Félicette, the first cat launched…
- Podcast: French police go back to school, eating insects, deciphering hieroglyphics
This episode of Spotlight on France covers French police officers undertaking a sociology degree to reflect on their societal role, a French startup breeding insects for sustainable livestock and pet food, and the historical deciphering of…
- Podcast: France's heatwave legacy, 15-minute city conspiracies, the first TGV
This episode examines France's evolving strategies for managing heatwaves, prompted by the 2003 disaster. It also discusses the 15-minute city concept, its adoption by Paris, and its misinterpretation by conspiracy theorists. Finally, it r…
- Podcast: A deeper look at urban and police violence in France's banlieues
This episode examines the recent urban violence in France's banlieues, sparked by a police shooting, and discusses its roots in poor community relations and the legacy of the 2005 riots. It also features a segment on the life and music of…
- Podcast: wheat on the Seine, denim goes home to Nimes, forgotten first woman filmmaker
This episode covers how Rouen became a major grain port, the revival of denim manufacturing in Nimes, and the rediscovery of Alice Guy, the world's first female film director.
- Podcast: New Caledonia dialogue, homophobia in French football, moonlighting novelists
This episode of Spotlight on France covers the challenges of political dialogue in New Caledonia, the issue of homophobia in French football featuring Ouissem Belgacem, and the literary works of naval officer Pierre Loti.
- Podcast: Conserving a martyred village, abortion drug shortages, identifying HIV
This episode of Spotlight on France discusses the ongoing preservation of Oradour-sur-Glane, a village destroyed by Nazis in 1944. It also examines abortion drug shortages in France, considering possible links to US anti-abortion efforts,…