Un Trèsor Francais Dans les Coulisses du Soft Power by Isabelle Giordano

 I decided to read Un Trèsor Francais

Dans les Coulisses du Soft Power by Isabelle Giordano because I had lost a lot during these past decades; plus I wanted to discover more closely the various industries of this immense field. 

Reading books and following in particular that sector of the soft power, I was impressed by what happened in France, during the several lockdowns: a big anger mounted in the bookstores and also a reality like Shakespeare and Company asked for some help because in difficulty. French people love to reading: why not considering  books as  indispendible items like bread or milk? The law was approved. Also in case of other lockdowns, bookstores will remain open in France. 

But...Substantially this book is an excursus in the French cinema, appreciated in the five corners of the world. First in Europe for productions, great estimators of french movies are Japanese. It is in Japan that Catherine Deneuve received an important prize.

There are movies that, with the time, entered in the imaginary of people of all the world like the story of Amelie Poulin; she is dreaming, altruistic; the idea of Paris minimalist and intense, with characters who touch the heart of people for staying there forever. A feeling recognized by the same american director Steven Spielberg.

There is much more: the french movie industry is powerfully "dominated" by women; the representation of women is absolutely relevant in comparison to the American industry strongly led by men.

One of the most important esponenents has been Agnès Varda, a sort of Simone de Beauvoir of the cinema, a symbol for the new generations, a free spirit.

But...What kind of language speak the french soft power? French is spoken largely by more 300 million of people, and it is one of the first languages spoken in the net but the country decided, for reaching every corner of the globe, of speaking the various languages of the case. Movies done by french people can be realized in english or other languages as well.

A great importance is the voice of the immigrants of the country and let's add that African countries are producing remarkable movies. 

Isabelle Giordano will speak at some point with a writer, Philippe Val. The writer tells that the importance of Europe and its main characters in grade to make Europe big, is relevant. It's impossible to classify certain people of the past or present like english, spanish, french!

"Shakespeare, Almodovar, Beethoven" are European symbols, also if the UK decided of leaving the UE adds Val.

Our Roberto Benigni is seen as "le vulgarisateur de Dante, l'ambassadeur de la comédie italienne, de l'esprit de Pirandello et de la résistance aux fascistes de tout poils. Bien plus qu'un simple artist italien, il est le symbole d'une Europe humaniste...."

A chapter is dedicated to Luc Besson.

Why reading this book? For discovering the state of the things in an industry, the one of the cinema, in great health; a cinema respected, loved and appreciated because of his many shades, in every country.

Highly recommended.

I thank Fayard for the physical copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori