Film Nationality: The Relevance of This Concept in Europe

Abstract

Discussing films’ nationality raises two questions. The first relates to the identity and culture films are supposed to transmit. The second relates to the duality of the sector, which is divided into art / art-house films, defined as “national”, and into the industry / blockbuster films, defined as American productions. European institutions facilitate co-productions and the circulation of films. Co-productions have increased in the past decades, and one may wonder how they affect the “film nationality”. This issue is particularly important to address at a time when international institutions praise diversity and the specificities of nations in a global context.