Daniel Vigne, 1982, 122 min.
Screening followed by discussion with Shanny Peer and Jeffrey Freedman
The Return of Martin Guerre is a French historical drama, starring Gérard Depardieu and Nathalie Baye, based on a case of imposture in 16th century France involving Martin Guerre, a French peasant and ex-soldier. The movie is rooted in the documentary record of this celebrated trial that raises questions concerning identity, deception, and marriage. The case became the basis for historian Natalie Zemon Davis's influential book reconstructing village life in early modern France, demonstrating how legal archives can provide rare insight into the social relationships, values, and everyday experiences of ordinary people whose voices are seldom preserved in the historical record.
Watch the trailer here.
Jeffrey Freedman is Professor of History at Yeshiva University. His research encompasses the transnational history of the book, media and mediation; the history of emotions; Enlightenment philosophy; and the legacies of the Enlightenment in the 20th century. He received his PhD from Princeton University under the direction of Robert Darnton and Natalie Zemon Davis. He published A Poisoned Chalice (Princeton University Press, 2002), Books Without Borders In Enlightenment Europe (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012), and more recently, A Cultural History Of Death In The Age of Enlightenment (Bloomsbury, 2024).
Shanny Peer is Director of the Maison Française with a PhD in French Studies. She has enjoyed teaching The Return of Martin Guerre in courses on French history and identity.
This film is featured in the Maison Française film series History on Trial. The series is curated by Shanny Peer, with contributions by Emmanuel Kattan and Jane Gaines. Additional support for the series is provided by the School of the Arts Film & Media Division, Alliance Program, Society of Fellows and Heyman Center for the Humanities, and Dean of Humanities.
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