Browse Hierarchy FRE5001: Memories of WWII In French Literature, Film and Art

This module introduces you to French experiences of the 'annees noires' (the 'dark years') of the German Occupation of France and more especially to the ways in which these have been remembered, represented and interpreted in the art, film and literature of post-war France. It examines the reasons for this period's uneasy status as 'unfinished history' and explores some of the creative representations and reinterpretations of events that have been produced from the aftermath of war through to the present day. The module also involves the study of contemporary theories about cultural memory, from France and elsewhere. It considers how these theories have evolved and explores productive ways of drawing upon them to interpret the primary works studied.