The first episode in the series, Californisme, discusses the invasion of “Franglais”, with imported words like shopping, marketing, feedback, best‑seller, business and fake news. But if French continues to hold out in a world where anglicisms are taking over, that is also because it is emblematic of an art de vivre and vibrant cultures.
After all, isn’t French the language of fashion and gastronomy, employed in kitchens from New York to Buenos Aires and Copenhagen through the jargon of gratins, consommés, veloutés, purees and mise en place?
What is also striking in these moments captured by INA is that French also acts as the voice of a fraternal humanism. It is precisely to promote and embody this ideal that Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the Olympic Games, made French the official language of the modern Olympiads and a symbol of the values of friendship and respect.