Spotlight on France - Podcast: Brexit blues for Brits in France, wild horses, Michelin stars and Camus' Algerian legacy

Loading player...
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 Camus be out protesting pension reform?

France has the second largest British community in Europe after Spain, with around 200,000 citizens. Some already have French nationality, but those who don't are nervous about Friday's Brexit. While the terms on which British people will be allowed to remain in France are still being worked out, we hear from ex-pats in the town of Eymet in the Dordogne region, where a tenth of the 2,600 residents are British. They came for the climate and quality of life, but are now wondering what the future has in store. (Listen @ 0'00)

The Larzac, a plateau in Lozère in south-western France, the country's least populated area, is home to three dozen Przewalski horses. The breed originated in Mongolia and had become virtually extinct by the 1960s. But since 1993, 89 have been transferred from France to their natural habitat in Mongolia. Zeenat Hansrod travelled to the area around the Le Villaret village to see the horses, meet the Takh association running the operation, and discover one of France's last wild open spaces. Read more here. (Listen @8'20)

Albert Camus, the Franco-Algerian writer, philosopher and journalist, died 60 years ago this month in a car accident. He won a Nobel prize for his writing, but was also known for his political activism in favour of the oppressed and the working class. As France is in the throes of protests over inequality and fears of an over-liberal pension reform, Camus seems as relevant as ever. Historian Vincent Duclert, who has recently published a book on Camus, reflects on the writer as a working class hero and the importance of his Algerian roots. (Listen @20'20)

As the Michelin guide announced its starred restaurants this week, we look back on 120 years of the little red guide, which has its roots in the birth of France's car culture. (Listen @16'00)

Episode mixed by Nicolas Doreau.

Subscribe to the Spotlight on France podcast on iTunes (link here) or Google podcasts (link here).
30 Jan 2020 English South Africa News

Other recent episodes

Podcast: Assisted dying in France, Pagnol at Cannes, meet the neighbours

As French lawmakers consider legalising assisted dying, a look at the citizen's assembly that carefully considered the issue. Also, a film about the writer – and filmmaker – Marcel Pagnol at the Cannes film festival, which is finally tackling sexual harassment in the industry. And the man who created the…
22 May 28 min

Podcast: US science 'refugees' in France, doctor shortages, 8 May massacre

France is opening its arms to foreign scientists, particularly from the US, as the Trump administration pulls back from climate research. French GPs and trainee doctors are up in arms over proposals to address 'medical deserts', which they say would make the problem worse. And as Europe marks the 80th…
8 May 34 min

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