Nous vous invitons à envoyer vos propositions de communication, de sessions ou de table ronde pour les sessions spéciales Women in French qui auront lieu dans le cadre de la conférence RMMLA, à Ogden (Utah), du 8 au 10 octobre 2026.
Merci d’envoyer avant le 31 mars 2026, une proposition de communication de 250 à 300 mots, en français ou en anglais, en incluant votre nom et coordonées à l’une des présidentes de sessions listées ci-dessous, ou une proposition de session ou de table ronde, directement à l’adresse suivante : jcrohas@carroll.edu
—
Women in French, Session I:
Documenting the Missing Mother in Contemporary French and Francophone Films or Series
Chair: Sylvie Blum-Reid, University of Florida
Email: sylblum@ufl.edu
Description: The session explores the way French and Francophone directors [actresses, female characters, scriptwriters] look back and reflect on their missing mother and her life years later. This forces them to reassess the traumatic moment which occurred when they were babies, teenagers or young women. The panel engages with various filmic methods used, genres (docudramas, mysteries, tales…), acting styles, mise en scene, and scriptwriting to tackle this intimate subject. What happens when the daughter deals with such a trauma and retraces the maternal footsteps. Problematics such as abuse, artists’ communities, celebrity, grief, misogyny, psychoanalysis, racism, and the search for a reconstituted family are at the core of such works but not just and other avenues of inquiry are welcome. Examples of recent films: Dites-lui que je l’aime, Histoire d’un secret, Little Girl Blues, Les enfants vont bien, Maman a disparu, Petite Maman, etc.
—
Women in French, Session II:
Nathacha Appanah : Femmes “à la merci de l’histoire”
Chair: Julie Crohas, Carroll College
Email: jcrohas@carroll.edu
Description: In November 2025, Nathacha Appanah received the Prix Femina for La Nuit au coeur. This distinction recognizes not only her most recent novel but also a body of work that, since her first novel in 2003, explores the questions of society, intimacy, and violence while offering a singular perspective on women's experiences. This panel invites papers in French or English, that examine the representation, roles, and voices of women in Nathacha Appanah’s writings.
—
Les informations concernant la conférence RMMLA 2026 sont disponibles ici : https://www.rmmla.org/call-for-papers
Il est à noter que tous les participants aux sessions spéciales de Women in French devront être members à la fois de RMMLA et de Women in French.
Women in French offre un an d’inscription gratuite à tous ses nouveaux membres.
—
We are welcoming submissions for panels, teaching roundtable, and abstracts for the Women in French Sessions at the 2026 RMMLA Conference in Ogden, Utah (October 8-10, 2026).
Please send a 250-300 word abstract in French or English, including presenter's academic affiliation and contact information, to one of the panel chairs to appear below, or send a proposal for a panel or teaching roundtable directly to the following email address jcrohas@carroll.edu by March 31, 2026.
—
Women in French, Session I:
Documenting the Missing Mother in Contemporary French and Francophone Films or Series
Chair: Sylvie Blum-Reid, University of Florida Email: sylblum@ufl.edu
Description: The session explores the way French and Francophone directors [actresses, female characters, scriptwriters] look back and reflect on their missing mother and her life years later. This forces them to reassess the traumatic moment which occurred when they were babies, teenagers or young women. The panel engages with various filmic methods used, genres (docudramas, mysteries, tales…), acting styles, mise en scene, and scriptwriting to tackle this intimate subject. What happens when the daughter deals with such a trauma and retraces the maternal footsteps. Problematics such as abuse, artists’ communities, celebrity, grief, misogyny, psychoanalysis, racism, and the search for a reconstituted family are at the core of such works but not just and other avenues of inquiry are welcome. Examples of recent films: Dites-lui que je l’aime, Histoire d’un secret, Little Girl Blues, Les enfants vont bien, Maman a disparu, Petite Maman, etc.
—
Women in French, Session II:
Nathacha Appanah : Femmes “à la merci de l’histoire”
Chair: Julie Crohas, Carroll College. Email: jcrohas@carroll.edu
Description: In November 2025, Nathacha Appanah received the Prix Femina for La Nuit au coeur. This distinction recognizes not only her most recent novel but also a body of work that, since her first novel in 2003, explores the questions of society, intimacy, and violence while offering a singular perspective on women's experiences. This panel invites papers in French or English, that examine the representation, roles, and voices of women in Nathacha Appanah’s writings.
—
Information about the 2026 RMMLA Conference can be found here: https://www.rmmla.org/call-for-papers
All panelists will need to be members of both the RMMLA and WIF.
WIF offers a 1-year free trial membership for all first-time members and travel grants to WIF graduate student members who are on a WIF panel.