Reading Paper 8: Film - L'Auberge Espagnole

Allison Brown 4215: European Union Dr. Anderson 25 February, 2021 Reading Paper 8: Film - L'Auberge Espagnole Authors: A dually French-Spanish produced film, L'Auberge Espagnole, is also known as Pot Luck (UK) and The Spanish Apartment (Australia). Cédric Klapisch (French) wrote the film’s script and directed, and the film was produced by Bruno Levy (French). The film features seven plus European languages, including Catlan. Published: The film was distributed by Mars Distribution (France) and Filmax (Spain). It was a co-production of Mate Production, Via Digital, BAC Films, Ce qui me meut, France 2 Cinéma and Studio Canal, again, a combination of French and Spanish production groups. Date: The film was released on May 17, 2002. At the start of 2002, ironically enough Spain took over the Presidency of the EU, Denmark would take the second half of the year. Euro notes and coins became the sole legal tender in all of 12 Eurozone countries. Collaboratively, the EU would also ratify the Kyoto Protocol, an 8% cut in carbon dioxide emissions to occur between 2008 to 2012. Europe’s unification through the Euro currency is a great backdrop for the film, monetary integration in its furthest form yet seeming to promise an even-closer Europe in the future. Thesis: L'Auberge Espagnole displays European integration on a small scale, with students from vastly different European countries able to thrive under the same roof and integrate with the European identity. (As is seen with both Xavier’s leave from France and return back after the year in Spain, his struggle) Gist: An economics student from France, Xavier, leaves his home to study abroad in Barcelona with the Erasmus, where he lives in an apartment with fellow students from Spain, Germany, England, and Denmark. Through their college and “coming-of-age” struggles, the audience is not only able to see their individual responses, but how the group of diverse students (nationality, religion, sexuality) are able to work together to grow individually and as a metaphor for an integrated Europe. Telling Examples: 1) The Catalan Professor -- Early in the film, Xavier is in an economics class and a group of international students band together to ask him to teach in Spanish and not in Catalan. He denies their request, citing that Barcelona is Catalan, and not Spanish, therefore they should have expected him to speak his native tongue. Later on, Xavier is discussing this with some of his friends, one of them is arguing that he shouldn’t insist on his Catalan identity when European integration is occurring. Another friend however argues that cultural identity is still important and that “it is not contradictory to combine identities”, the professor could both be proud of his Catlan identity and proud to be a European. This idea ties directly into what we have discussed in past weeks, and with the Monnet and Churchill readings, individual identity plays a large role in people’s lives (as it should) as well as a joint-European identity. 2) Fridge/Phone Calls - In different shots, the fridge alone in the film makes a compelling argument for European integration and globalization, each of their own respective culture’s foods and beverages have a space, but are spilling over with one another and consumed by everyone in the apartment. Above the phone in the apartment, a sheet has listed different responses to callers of different European languages. Both of these examples show integration between the different students in the apartment, and how they can live together avoiding major arguments. 3) Stereotypes - Whenever a stereotype was purposefully portrayed in the film, both characters from that country and elsewhere react against them. An example of this early in the film is when Anne-Sophie and Allison Brown 4215: European Union Dr. Anderson 25 February, 2021 Xavier are walking around Barcelona and she says that the town is “dirty” and some corners “are thirdworld”, Xavier immediately reacts to this telling her that her comments are “racist”. Another more prominent example comes later in the film, when Wendy’s British brother stays in the apartment for some time. Throughout his time there, he mocks the others in accents and even impersonates the Nazi salute to the German student when making comments on his non-stop hardworking nature and the cleanliness of his side of the room. In these situations, both those being mocked and witnessing respond with annoyance, but more showing, Wendy calls her brother out on his behavior and tells him to leave (although nothing really changes about his trip?) and that he needs to grow-up. For me, the unequivocal responses to these examples of stereotypes was telling, regardless of their own national identity, none of the students in the apartment would allow for racist or xenophobic conversation (except later with the outrage when Wendy dates the American). Criticism: I enjoyed this film, and felt it displayed European integration on a small-scale. In both cases when the film is purposefully trying to show the audience their diversity (British brother’s comments) and in less-obvious cases like the fridge, the film shows how the students interact with one another in these impromptu cultural exchanges. I also enjoyed the understanding question of “Erasmus?” that was asked throughout the film, indicating a collective sense of European identity through Erasmus, Xavier even asks the question at the end of the film, showing in a way that he has developed from being exclusively French to being European, and partaking in a joint European identity of studying with Erasmus.