This major study of the contemporary French cinema includes a survey of the French film industry, chapters on major genres such as political and documentary cinema, women's cinema, comedy, the thriller and the history film, studies of eleven of the most significant post-1968 film-makers, together with extensive filmographies and a bibliography. Throughout the volume, discussion is related to the broader context of French culture and society with particular emphasis on the politics of representation, the interpretation of history, the nature of the popular issues of class and gender and the legacy of May 1968.