La Haine, 30 Years Later

It's been 30 years since Matthieu Kassovitz's film La Haine was first played at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1995. In this episode, Daniel and Ludivine talk with Dr Itay Lotem (University of Westminster) and Florence Robles (Runshaw College) about this cult film which is still widely taught at A-Level French. Historian of 20th century France Dr Louisa Zanoun makes an appearance to share her own memories of this period and remarks on the film's limitations. Undoubtedly powerful, La Haine offers a curated, stylised, and ultimately problematic representation of the banlieues. The discussants touch on important themes including police violence, masculinity, social inequality, and anti-semitism, and root the film in its historical context. At the end, they suggest other films and books which complement the picture of this multi-cu ...