Spotlight on France - Podcast: Migrants settle into rural life, local French politics on screen and Montgolfière's maiden flight

Loading player...
France has welcomed more than 8,000 refugees from Syria and sub-Saharan Africa so far this year. Where have they gone? As immigration is (again) becoming a hot-button political issue, we go to a small town in central France that has taken in 20 refugees to see how the situation is playing out on the ground. 

Also, a new film looking at the inner workings of life as a French mayor raises questions about the (lack of) ideas behind the French socialist party. We go to the movies to see what Alice et le Maire can tell us about local politics, a few months before mayoral elections next spring.

And the story behind the montgolfière, the hot air balloon: how it got its French name and Louis XIV's role in making its maiden flight happen in France ...with a few barnyard animals on board.

In this episode:

- Jean-Paul Grador, mayor of Uzerche

- Mohamed Chaher, Quattro restaurant, Uzerche

- Alice et le maire, film directed by Nicolas Parsier

- #SignaleUnMusulman hashtag on Twitter

Subscribe to the Spotlight on France podcast on iTunes (link here) or Google podcasts (link here).

For more stories about France and beyond, visit www.rfienglish.com.
10 Oct 2019 English South Africa News

Other recent episodes

Podcast: War economy, France's supercomputers, La Marseillaise and the Republic

A French-German weapons manufacturer ramps up production to meet the needs of France's war economy. An encounter with France's largest supercomputer dedicated to artificial intelligence. And how the Marseillaise national anthem has contributed to reinforcing French values and ideals. Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, President…
10 Apr 29 min

Podcast: French wine in Africa, confronting obesity, video game giant

The Nigerian woman helping Bordeaux wine find new markets in Africa. Confronting France's fatphobia by classifying obesity as a disease. And the story of the French video game company behind the hit game Assassin's Creed. As French people consume less wine, and exports to China are slowing down, the wine…
27 Mar 29 min

Podcast: Women wage outrage, farmers face organic slump, Ravel's Bolero

Despite a raft of laws and programmes in France to address the gender pay gap, women still earn less than men. Organic farmers try to adapt to a drop in demand for organic food. And the story of Ravel's Boléro – the world's most performed piece of classical music. There…
13 Mar 30 min

Podcast: AI 'à la française', immigration fact vs feeling, disability law

A French large language model adds European context and nuance to the dominant artificial intelligence being developped by US tech giants and China. Is France really being "flooded" with immigrants? The numbers say no, but the feeling remains. And the mixed legacy of a landmark law on disability and inclusion, 20…
13 Feb 33 min

Podcast: Budget woes, medical cannabis stalled, French comic who defied Hitler

How France's budget cuts will impact development work abroad and civil society at home. An inconclusive medical marijuana experiment leaves patients in limbo. And how Jewish comedian Pierre Dac used humour in the Resistance. The government’s budget for 2025, if passed, will see public spending slashed by €32 billion. While…
30 Jan 32 min