About FDU Press

Francophone WFD complements Pallister’s French-Speaking Women Film Directors: A Guide (CH, Jun’98, 35-5563) with little overlap, so both titles are needed to cover this topic. Entries in Francophone WFD focus on directors’ films more than on their lives, so biographical information is brief. Information about individual films may cite relevant film reviews, indicate critical reception, and cite sources for further research, though less is provided for lesser-known works. Entries are arranged by director geographically (by region, e.g., “Caribbean” and country, e.g., “Lebanon”), then alphabetically by name. Though most entries appear under France (p. 72-213), Pallister provides ample coverage of such other areas as Africa, Belgium, and Canada. The director entries are followed by a very helpful chapter titled “Core Concepts and Themes” (p. 219-259), which lists films done on particular subjects. It includes such topics as abortion, clitoridectomy, feminism, homosexuality, incest, marriage, politics, religion, sports, and work. An unannotated bibliography, arranged geographically and then by author, includes helpful Web sites. Sources for buying or renting movies and an index complete the book.