ABSTRACT
In the 1980s and 1990s, representations of central lesbian, gay and bisexual characters have become more common in mainstream French cinema. Examples include: the La Cage aux Folles series (I and II directed by Édouard Molinaro in 1978 and 1980; III by Georges Lautner in 1985); Chacun cherche son chat, directed by Cédric Klapisch in 1996; Deux lions au soleil, directed by Claude Faraldo in 1980; Josiane Balasko’s 1995 French Twist (Gazon maudit); Tenue de soirée by Bertrand Blier (1986); and Yannick Bellon’s La Triche from 1984. The context of changing sexual discourses, and the complexities of their reception by gay audiences, mean that they are relevant to any discussion of ‘gay cinema’. In addition, classical French cinema has had its gay directors, most notably Marcel Carné. However, a different perspective arises if we understand the term to mean ‘films made by lesbians and gay men with lesbian and gay subject-matter’ (see Dyer 1990). The history of these films-distinct in France from developments in Anglo-Saxon countries-begins with Cocteau and Genet, continues in marginal, politicized film-making from 1968 to about 1981, and produces recognized auteurs in the form of Chéreau, Collard, Téchiné and Vecchiali.
