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A quirky, insider's guide to understanding France and the French, from the sublime to the ridiculous. Thursday at 1:45pm. And join us for French Connections Plus on the last Thursday of the month at 4:15pm.
198 Episodes
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In this week’s show, we turn the spotlight on France’s appetite for nuclear energy. It is one of the most nuclear-dependent countries in the world, with atomic power at the heart of its national energy strategy. When – and why – did France decide to bet so heavily on the atom? For decades, nuclear energy has been seen not just as a source of power, but as a cornerstone of national sovereignty. But is it really a “cleaner” source of energy?
In this edition of French Connections, Genie Godula and Florence Villeminot continue their tour of Paris with a stop in one of the French capital's oldest and most influential neighbourhoods: the 6th. Le sixième arrondissement has quintessential Left Bank (Rive Gauche) energy. It's intellectual, romantic, sophisticated and no doubt a little smug, but definitely worth a stop on any visit to Paris. Real Parisians love to argue over whether it's too touristy, while often secretly adoring it. Join us as we take you on a tour of this iconic and historic district of Paris.
Nerd Alert! This week we focus on France’s contribution to knowledge and ideas. If French philosopher René Descartes famously said, “I think, therefore I am,” then “we think, therefore we are” could be said of the French. Over the years, France has produced a wide array of world-leading thinkers at the forefront of dazzling theories about knowledge, liberty, justice, the human condition – and, of course, the meaning of life. But ask people to name a French intellectual today, and chances are they’ll mention someone long deceased: Camus, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Foucault… It begs the question: where are the intellectuals now?
This week we get festive with a look at Carnival. People tend to associate Carnival with places outside France, like Rio de Janeiro and Venice. Yet France boasts its own famous celebrations. Where do these festivals come from and what is their purpose? While carnival is celebrated all over the country, a few events stand out, like the elegant carnival of Nice in the south of France, or the wild and debaucherous carnival of Dunkirk in the north. Get ready to catch some fish – literally!
When it comes to romance, the French have the reputation of being passionate, first-class lovers. But is this just a cliché? What's it really like to go out with a French person? Are dating rules different? And what about French attitudes to marriage, divorce and infidelity? This week we focus on the ins and outs of the game of love à la française.
In this edition of French Connections, Genie Godula and Florence Villeminot continue their tour of Paris with a stop in the most central arrondissement of the French capital: the 1st. Le premier, as it's known in French, is absolutely packed with bucket-list attractions like the Mona Lisa in the Louvre and Monet's water lilies in the Musée de l’Orangerie. But in this show, we take you through some of the district's lesser-known gems, including a haunting medieval castle, the world's oldest active theatre company and the most popular hot chocolate stop in Paris. Join us for a tour of the first of the capital's 20 arrondissements.
France has a rich media landscape, offering a wide range of TV and radio stations, newspapers and magazines. The French media ecosystem is a mix of public service entities and private commercial players. Currently, about a dozen billionaires own or co-own most private media organisations. So what impact does this have on the content offered to the public, as well as editorial independence and media credibility? We take a closer look in French Connections.
This week in French Connections, we focus on wealth in France. According to traditional macroeconomic measures, France is a rich country. It has the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP, high levels of human development, broad infrastructure and a robust social welfare system. Yet beneath that headline prosperity lies a growing gap between perception and reality, as poverty and inequality are on the rise. So what does it mean to be rich in France? Is the redistribution system aimed at ironing out inequality broken? We take a closer look.
France is known around the world for its delicious food: not only wine and cheese, but also countless mouth-watering regional dishes. So what do the French like to eat? Do they have a favourite food? Is it even possible to choose? As a bonus, we teach you how to make boeuf bourguignon, the king of classic French cuisine.
In this edition of French Connections, Genie Godula and Florence Villeminot continue their tour of Paris with a stop in the French capital's most populated arrondissement: the 15th. Located in the southwestern corner of the capital, the 15th doesn't boast a lot of tourist attractions. In fact, Parisians love to joke that this residential and family-friendly arrondissement is the capital's most boring. But while it might not be as exciting or flashy as other parts of town, it's a great place to get a taste of real, everyday Paris and discover some hidden gems. We take you on a tour.
This week we turn the spotlight onto prostitution in France. For years, prostitution laws were chaotic, but in 2016 there was a major change in French legislation. Lawmakers decided to shift the criminal burden from prostitutes to clients: selling sex is legal, but buying it is now illegal. While many anti-prostitution groups hailed the new law, others including many prostitutes said it would simply drive them underground and make their job more dangerous. So what's the situation, nearly 10 years on? We take a closer look in French Connections.
France's particular brand of secularism, known as "laïcité", is considered a backbone of the French Republic. And yet this separation of church and state is a touchy subject and often misunderstood. Its backers say it's the glue that lets the French live together in harmony despite their differences, but critics say it's anti-religious and increasingly used to stigmatise Muslims. In this show, we explore the ins and outs of "laïcité" and why it continues to be so divisive, 120 years after it was signed into law.
In this French Connections Plus, Genie Godula and Florence Villeminot continue their tour of Paris with a stop in the elegant ninth arrondissement. The district is known for its many theatres, like the incredible Palais Garnier, home to Paris's historic opera house. The ninth stretches from the opera house to the foot of Montmartre in the north and it's a shopper's paradise in between. You'll find two incredible department stores and the world's oldest auction house – selling everything from dinosaur bones to Picassos! The ninth is nothing if not varied, and it's the latest stop on our discovery of Paris's neighbourhoods.
This week, we take a step back from the news to focus on a French institution we talk a lot about in the news: the justice system. This might sound like a snooze fest but it is actually very interesting and useful because we talk about the justice system and the courts and trials all the time. We take a look at how it works and walk you through some of the particularities about the French system.
In this French Connections Plus, Genie Godula and Florence Villeminot continue their tour of Paris with a stop in the little-known 11th arrondissement. It's off the typical tourist track, but a favourite for locals. That's because the 11th is undoubtedly one of the coolest parts of town, full of trendy cafés, a dynamic food scene and wild nightlife. It's been a magnet for revellers for centuries, as well as a hotbed of popular revolt. Join us on this discovery tour of Paris's 11th arrondissement – an area that's edgy, vibrant and full of authentic Parisian energy you don't want to miss.
The Louvre museum has been in the spotlight recently following a spectacular jewelry heist, so in this week’s show we wanted to take a step back and take a closer look at the museum itself.The Louvre is the museum of all the superlatives as it is the biggest and most visited in the world. Its collection is truly staggering even if one painting sticks out as a crowd-pleaser: the mysterious Mona Lisa. How much does it cost to operate the museum and is its business model sustainable?
France may be known for its chateaux, cuisine and couture, but it is also quietly home to one of Europe's most varied amusement park industries. France has a network of theme parks – les parcs d'attractions – that in many ways reflect the country's contradictions: you've got global glamour next to local pride, high technology alongside nostalgic myth-making. Buckle up and join us on this wild ride around French amusement parks.
In this week's show, we take a deep dive into freedom of speech. It's been in the news stateside following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the temporary suspension of stand-up comedian Jimmy Kimmel. In France, free speech is seen as a fundamental freedom that dates back to the Revolution of 1789. It is often described as a "liberté surveillée" (a supervised freedom) because while it grants wide-ranging freedom, it also sets strict legal limits. In France, freedom of expression is not absolute. So what are some of the things punishable by French law? We take a closer look.
In this French Connections Plus, Genie Godula and Florence Villeminot continue their tour of Paris with a stop in the 8th arrondissement. It has the most employees in the capital – but the fewest inhabitants! This key business district is renowned for its high-end hotels and boutiques, bringing visitors in from around the world to marvel at France's most luxurious goods. But the area is perhaps best known for having the most beautiful avenue in the world – the famous Champs-Élysées. Join us on this discovery tour of Paris's eighth arrondissement.
In this week's show we put the spotlight on how French institutions work, particularly the role of prime minister. Stuck between an all-powerful president pulling the strings, a turbulent parliament trying to topple you and critical media holding you accountable, some have gone so far as to describe Matignon, the prime minister's residence, as a "hell". So is being PM the toughest job in France? FRANCE 24's Florence Villeminot has been finding out.
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