Podcasts by Spotlight on France
Interested in France? Let us be your ears and eyes on the ground. Hosts Sarah Elzas and Alison Hird introduce you to the people who make France what it is, and who want to change it - to give you a fuller picture of this country at the heart of Europe. Spotlight on France is a podcast, in English, from Radio France International, out Thursdays.
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Podcast: Bullshit jobs, vegan eggs, women's lib appliances from 2022-02-10T17:15:14
Does French work culture tolerate bullshit jobs for the sake of work/life balance? Developing a vegan egg in a country with no strong vegan culture but an egg-heavy cuisine. How Moulinex helpe...
Podcast: Paris Attacks trial drama, school bullying, French anti-intellectualism from 2022-01-27T17:27:09
France's biggest-ever court case continues with dramatic interventions from witnesses and defendents. A bill to criminalise bullying at school and university raises questions. The 19th century...
Podcast: Political swearing, Molière and women, King Behanzin's surrender from 2022-01-13T16:30:31
Which Macron vowed to "piss off" the unvaccinated and why? The 17th century female playwrights around Molière, as France marks his 400th anniversary with pomp and circumstance. The African kin...
Podcast: Inclusive language, improbable roommates, the Dreyfus affair from 2021-12-16T16:55:58
Inclusive writing and gender-neutral language divide France. The merits of homesharing across generations. And the trial that started the Dreyfus affair, kicking off a left-right split that's ...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Green hydrogen, sperm shortages and France's other revolution from 2021-12-02T16:52:40
A visit to the world's first green hydrogen production plant, in western France. Major delays in IVF for all women, months after legalisation. And the Canut revolt of 1831 – the first workers'...
Podcast: Green hydrogen, sperm shortages and France's other revolution from 2021-12-02T16:52:40
A visit to the world's first green hydrogen production plant, in western France. Major delays in IVF for all women, months after legalisation. And the Canut revolt of 1831 – the first workers'...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: France's first Alzheimer's village, translation wars, Josephine Baker from 2021-11-18T17:54:30
An experimental centre near Bordeaux offers Alzheimer's sufferers more freedom and less medication; debate over whether a translator's identity matters following the Amanda Gorman controversy,...
Podcast: France's first Alzheimer's village, translation wars, Josephine Baker from 2021-11-18T17:54:30
An experimental centre near Bordeaux offers Alzheimer's sufferers more freedom and less medication; debate over whether a translator's identity matters following the Amanda Gorman controversy,...
Podcast: Returning African art, dying with dignity in France, Brassens at 100 from 2021-10-21T15:43:53
How France is dragging its feet in returning African art and artefacts housed in its museums. An 77-year-old activist talks about fighting for the right to die when and how she wants. And Geor...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Returning African art, dying with dignity in France, Brassens at 100 from 2021-10-21T15:43:53
How France is dragging its feet in returning African art and artefacts housed in its museums. An 77-year-old activist talks about fighting for the right to die when and how she wants. And Geor...
Podcast: LGBT conversion therapy, crack in Paris, training France's elite from 2021-10-07T15:39:29
A historic vote in parliament as French MPs unanimously approve a bill criminalising conversion therapy for LGBT+ people; no quick fix for Paris's growing crack cocaine problem; and the changi...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: LGBT conversion therapy, crack in Paris, training France's elite from 2021-10-07T15:39:29
A historic vote in parliament as French MPs unanimously approve a bill criminalising conversion therapy for LGBT+ people; no quick fix for Paris's growing crack cocaine problem; and the changi...
Podcast: Paris attacks trial, courtroom artists, Harkis to get reparations from 2021-09-23T16:13:46
How journalists are covering the 2015 terror attacks trial. The artists who have an important role in bringing French courtrooms alive. And France recognises Harkis' suffering, offering hope f...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Paris attacks trial, courtroom artists, Harkis to get reparations from 2021-09-23T16:13:46
How journalists are covering the 2015 terror attacks trial. The artists who have an important role in bringing French courtrooms alive. And France recognises Harkis' suffering, offering hope f...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: health pass protests, lavender beyond Provence, Canard Enchainé from 2021-09-09T17:14:15
Why are people protesting the Covid health pass in France? Challenging terroir by growing lavender outside of Provence. The birth of Le Canard Enchainé, the weekly that has brought down politi...
Podcast: health pass protests, lavender beyond Provence, Canard Enchainé from 2021-09-09T17:14:15
Why are people protesting the Covid health pass in France? Challenging terroir by growing lavender outside of Provence. The birth of Le Canard Enchainé, the weekly that has brought down politi...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Le Pen's strategy, French quinoa, birth of the Paris fire brigade from 2021-07-01T15:50:55
Is Marine Le Pen's 'softening' of the hard-right National Rally the right strategy to win the presidency? The American who pioneered quinoa farming in France. How a tragic blaze pushed Napoleo...
Podcast: Le Pen's strategy, French quinoa, birth of the Paris fire brigade from 2021-07-01T15:50:55
Is Marine Le Pen's 'softening' of the hard-right National Rally the right strategy to win the presidency? The American who pioneered quinoa farming in France. How a tragic blaze pushed Napoleo...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Regional elections, France's local languages, first paid holidays from 2021-06-17T16:40:33
The hijacking of France's regional election campaign, the fight to keep local languages alive and the first paid vacations for all in 1936.
Podcast: Regional elections, France's local languages, first paid holidays from 2021-06-17T16:40:33
The hijacking of France's regional election campaign, the fight to keep local languages alive and the first paid vacations for all in 1936.
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Medical cannabis, a refugee 'at home' with PSG, Haiti's superhero from 2021-06-03T16:30:57
A sufferer of chronic pain hopes to get relief using cannabis, as part of France's first ever experiment with medical marijuana. PSG striker Nadia Nadim on the thrills of playing to the crowds...
Podcast: Medical cannabis, a refugee 'at home' with PSG, Haiti's superhero from 2021-06-03T16:30:57
A sufferer of chronic pain hopes to get relief using cannabis, as part of France's first ever experiment with medical marijuana. PSG striker Nadia Nadim on the thrills of playing to the crowds...
Podcast: exploring Sudan's pyramids, philanthropy 'à la française', Sophie the giraffe from 2021-05-20T18:33:24
How France is helping Sudan unearth its ancient kingdoms; the changing face of philanthropy in France; and Sophie la girafe, the iconic rubber teething companion, turns 60.
Spotlight on France - Podcast: exploring Sudan's pyramids, philanthropy 'à la française', Sophie the giraffe from 2021-05-20T18:33:24
How France is helping Sudan unearth its ancient kingdoms; the changing face of philanthropy in France; and Sophie la girafe, the iconic rubber teething companion, turns 60.
Podcast: France's Covid trackers, flowers go local, Perrault the fairy godfather from 2021-05-06T17:24:52
The young geeks revolutionising health data in France with Covidtracker. How the pandemic has boosted demand for home-grown flowers. And Charles Perrault, father of the fairy tale genre.
Spotlight on France - Podcast: France's Covid trackers, flowers go local, Perrault the fairy godfather from 2021-05-06T17:24:52
The young geeks revolutionising health data in France with Covidtracker. How the pandemic has boosted demand for home-grown flowers. And Charles Perrault, father of the fairy tale genre.
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Notre-Dame revisited, Napoleon on Saint Helena, laughing cow turns 100 from 2021-04-15T18:24:01
Two years after a fire destroyed the roof of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, archaeologists are digging through rubble to find clues to its history, and its restoration. On one of the most ...
Podcast: Notre-Dame revisited, Napoleon on Saint Helena, laughing cow turns 100 from 2021-04-15T18:24:01
Two years after a fire destroyed the roof of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, archaeologists are digging through rubble to find clues to its history, and its restoration. On one of the most ...
Podcast: Covid in France's prisons, sports journalists say MeToo, flying over the Andes from 2021-04-01T19:07:23
A call for prisoner releases as French prisons, already overcrowded, face extreme restrictions to try and stop the spread of Covid-19 behind bars. Women sports journalists set their #MeToo bal...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Covid in France's prisons, sports journalists say MeToo, flying over the Andes from 2021-04-01T19:07:23
A call for prisoner releases as French prisons, already overcrowded, face extreme restrictions to try and stop the spread of Covid-19 behind bars. Women sports journalists set their #MeToo bal...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: France's lost Covid generation, 'islamo-gauchisme', the Paris Commune from 2021-03-18T17:44:37
Young people are struggling with France's Covid restrictions, but some are pitching in to help. A sociologist talks about accusations of 'islamo-gauchisme' in universities, and why it is impor...
Podcast: France's lost Covid generation, 'islamo-gauchisme', the Paris Commune from 2021-03-18T17:44:37
Young people are struggling with France's Covid restrictions, but some are pitching in to help. A sociologist talks about accusations of 'islamo-gauchisme' in universities, and why it is impor...
Podcast: Filming under a Covid cloud, surveying the French, the Foreign Legion from 2021-03-04T18:32:39
Why is France's Covid vaccination drive lagging behind other countries? Also, French film and TV productions are booming, despite new restrictions on set to stop the virus spreading. A large-s...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Filming under a Covid cloud, surveying the French, the Foreign Legion from 2021-03-04T18:32:39
Why is France's Covid vaccination drive lagging behind other countries? Also, French film and TV productions are booming, despite new restrictions on set to stop the virus spreading. A large-s...
Podcast: Covid on the slopes, why France has no Black History Month from 2021-02-18T17:10:54
With ski lifts shuttered because of Covid, French ski resorts are taking a hit, along with the tens of thousands of seasonal workers they employ. A conversation about race in France and why a ...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Covid on the slopes, why France has no Black History Month from 2021-02-18T17:10:54
With ski lifts shuttered because of Covid, French ski resorts are taking a hit, along with the tens of thousands of seasonal workers they employ. A conversation about race in France and why a ...
Podcast: Homeschooling in France, banlieues talk for themselves, birth of André Citroën from 2021-02-04T18:22:09
The French government wants to limit homeschooling in a bid to reign in radicalisation, but not all such families pose a threat to the Republic. Also, a look at the shift in the French media'...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Homeschooling in France, banlieues talk for themselves, birth of André Citroën from 2021-02-04T18:22:09
The French government wants to limit homeschooling in a bid to reign in radicalisation, but not all such families pose a threat to the Republic. Also, a look at the shift in the French media'...
Podcast: Baker shortage in France, Covid dubbing woes, the first winter Olympics from 2021-01-21T18:30:15
A visit to a bakery where migrant apprentices learn a trade that is increasingly being shunned by French youngsters. A voiceover actress talks about the effects of Covid on the French dubbing ...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Baker shortage in France, Covid dubbing woes, the first winter Olympics from 2021-01-21T18:30:15
A visit to a bakery where migrant apprentices learn a trade that is increasingly being shunned by French youngsters. A voiceover actress talks about the effects of Covid on the French dubbing ...
Podcast: Vaccinating the elderly, citizen voices on climate, India's "French" city from 2021-01-07T18:22:21
Why are France's elderly, and most vulnerable to Covid, not queueing up to get vaccinated? Frustrations with the slow pace of democracy after the Citizen's convention on climate. And France's ...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Vaccinating the elderly, citizen voices on climate, India's "French" city from 2021-01-07T18:22:21
Why are France's elderly, and most vulnerable to Covid, not queueing up to get vaccinated? Frustrations with the slow pace of democracy after the Citizen's convention on climate. And France's ...
Podcast: Actors want Covid curtain lifted, coping with lockdown #2, Enlightened Emilie from 2020-12-17T17:20
French actors, directors and culture workers are chafing against Covid restrictions and calling out the government's double standards in keeping shops open but theatres closed. Researchers che...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Actors want Covid curtain lifted, coping with lockdown #2, Enlightened Emilie from 2020-12-17T17:20
French actors, directors and culture workers are chafing against Covid restrictions and calling out the government's double standards in keeping shops open but theatres closed. Researchers che...
Podcast: French restaurants turn to takeaway, police-bashing, climate history from 2020-12-10T18:11:02
The Covid-19 lockdowns in France have drastically affected restaurants, forcing some to reinvent themselves to stay afloat. As mistrust in the police grows following recent cases of police bru...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: French restaurants turn to takeaway, police-bashing, climate history from 2020-12-10T18:11:02
The Covid-19 lockdowns in France have drastically affected restaurants, forcing some to reinvent themselves to stay afloat. As mistrust in the police grows following recent cases of police bru...
Podcast: Working from home, QAnon spreads to France, when church and state split from 2020-11-26T17:48:20
Most French companies were not set up for employees to work from home, but the Covid epidemic forced the change and managers and employees have had to adapt. The American conspiracy theory QAn...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Working from home, QAnon spreads to France, when church and state split from 2020-11-26T17:48:20
Most French companies were not set up for employees to work from home, but the Covid epidemic forced the change and managers and employees have had to adapt. The American conspiracy theory QAn...
Podcast: France's colonial legacy, lesbian genius, commemoration under Covid from 2020-11-12T18:15:42
How can addressing France's colonial past make sense of today? A historian argues that recognising the country's colonial history will help with issues like inequality, immigration and France'...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: France's colonial legacy, lesbian genius, commemoration under Covid from 2020-11-12T18:15:42
How can addressing France's colonial past make sense of today? A historian argues that recognising the country's colonial history will help with issues like inequality, immigration and France'...
Podcast: Teaching French values, Covid in the Pyrenees and the Plague in Marseille from 2020-10-28T18:34:40
As France reels from the brutal murder of teacher Samuel Paty, teachers weigh in on their role in transmitting French values, notably laïcité. A visit to a town in the Pyrenees Orientales, whi...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Teaching French values, Covid in the Pyrenees and the Plague in Marseille from 2020-10-28T18:34:40
As France reels from the brutal murder of teacher Samuel Paty, teachers weigh in on their role in transmitting French values, notably laïcité. A visit to a town in the Pyrenees Orientales, whi...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: The battle to breastfeed in France, Emily in Paris and Mata Hari the spy from 2020-10-15T19:24:03
New mothers in France are being forced to wear masks during labour to protect medical teams from Covid-19, and some are calling it out as violence. Also, why France has some of the lowest brea...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: gay poet polemic, French touch for The Witches, & Roland Garros the man from 2020-10-01T18:20:44
Catching up on the Covid-19 situation in France. The controversy around a petition to bring Rimbaud and Verlaine to the Panthéon. A French comics writer takes on a bastion of British children'...
Spotlight on France - Spotlight on France podcast: We're back! from 2020-09-24T11:12:30
Spotlight on France is back, bringing you stories from France ‘beyond the baguette’. We have a brand-new line-up of stories and interviews, taking you around France as it's struggling with a r...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Documenting confinement in Paris, checking in with the French psyche, May Day history from 2020-04-30T17:55:29
What does a filmmaker do when confined to a small Paris apartment? Film, of course. A personal look at the lockdown in Paris. Plus, sociologists check in on how the French are faring and disco...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: French flour shortages, coronavirus in the banlieue, Notre Dame in lockdown from 2020-04-16T19:10:19
Where has all the flour gone? The French appear to have taken to baking during the Covid-19 lockdown, upsetting supply chains. Also, how the pandemic has highlighted inequalities in French hea...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Sick with coronavirus in France, new markets for asparagus, the first photo of the sun from 2020-04-02T18:17:39
It's possible that most coronavirus cases in France are not counted. We hear from one person who was diagnosed over the phone, and who waited out the quarantine at home, alone, with little off...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: France in coronavirus lockdown, love in a time of crisis, and the 'confetti' of an empire from 2020-03-19T17:21:48
France is on lockdown to try and stop the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, but there have been contradictory explanations about what is and is not allowed. The woman who went on a road trip...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: France's youngest mayor, billionaires' relationship to power, and banning the green fairy from 2020-03-12T17:53:15
France's youngest mayor on breathing fresh air into old, local politics. French billionaires and their relationship to power and politics. And when France banned absinthe during the First Worl...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Sexual harassment in French film industry, tricolor mayoral sashes, and the Sakai incident from 2020-03-05T17:56:51
Amid concerns that coronavirus could keep voters from turning out for the 15 March local elections, the people making mayoral sashes are still gearing up for business. Also, a look at sexual v...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: French farmers beef up against agro-bashing, the 15-minute city and origins of nylon stockings from 2020-02-27T18:04:20
French farmers take to Twitter and Youtube to show a different side to their profession, the case for Paris becoming a 15-minute city, and how the nylon stocking helped the rise of planned obs...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Police violence, labelling wine and France's first feminist comic-book author from 2020-02-13T19:18:34
A look at the use of force by French police, as weekly Yellow Vest protests continue. The legacy of feminist cartoonist Claire Bretécher in the male-dominated world of French BD. And how, in t...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: France's Space Cowboys, citizens weigh in on climate change, and the minimum wage turns 70 from 2020-02-06T19:40:28
Finding work in France when you're over 60 is tough, but a team of "senior" Space Cowboys is proving they can be an added value. Also, how the new Citizen Climate Assembly is putting participa...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Brexit blues for Brits in France, wild horses, Michelin stars and Camus' Algerian legacy from 2020-01-30T19:49:57
British ex-pats in France feeling insecure as Brexit finally happens, raising horses to be wild in one of France's most desolate areas, how the Michelin star was born, and would rebel writer C...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: Sex abuse in the Catholic Church, Jihadism in French prisons, and De Gaulle's double resignation from 2020-01-16T19:09:35
As a French priest goes on trial for sexually abusing minors, one activist says the problem is widespread in France, and addressing it is a feminist issue. Also, how French prisons became labo...
Spotlight on France - Podcast: France resists pension reform, Charlie Hebdo 5 years on and the child who invented braille from 2020-01-09T17:27:15
Why many French people continue to support strikes against changes to the pension system, freedom of expression in France five years after the Charlie Hebdo killings, and the blind teenager wh...