ReFocus: The Films of François Ozon

From experimentations with genre and intertextuality to new visions of queerness and relationships, ReFocus: The Films of François Ozon captures the unique spirit of one of France’s most idiosyncratic directors. Loïc Bourdeau’s edited volume is intellectual yet creative, cohesive yet wide-ranging, inventive yet steeped in a rich cultural tradition. Much like François Ozon’s cinema itself. * Gemma King, The Australian National University *
By now a familiar fixture in contemporary French cinema, the prolific auteur François Ozon seems to have grown in stature over the last decade. Loïc Bourdeau has assembled an exciting and eclectic collection of original essays that combines a welcome return to the perverse queerness of the filmmaker’s early work with a full examination of the later more ‘mature’ Ozon including a timely focus on the sexual politics of abuse. This is an impressively wide-ranging collection that will no doubt contribute to a fuller critical understanding of one of 21st century cinema’s important directors. * Nick Rees-Roberts, Sorbonne Nouvelle University *
Bourdeau’s edited collection of essays will serve as a valuable reference to cinephiles eager to further discover Ozon’s work and its place in the larger context of French cinema. In addition, the book’s focus on several issues animating contemporary French society—identity politics, education, kinship relations, and transgender rights—will satisfy the curiosity of readers intent on keeping abreast of French politics and their representation in media. -- Peter Tarjanyi * French Review *