The Global Stage

The 1980s began with French cinema in a state of transition. The revolutionary fervor of the New Wave had settled into a new establishment, while commercial pressures and television's growing influence changed the landscape. Yet this period would see French actors achieve levels of international recognition not seen since the 1960s.

Several factors contributed to this internationalization: the growth of film festivals as launching pads for careers, the increasing number of co-productions between European countries, and a generation of actors trained in the post-New Wave era who were comfortable working in multiple languages and cinematic traditions.