Staging the generic self: Celine Sciamma's autofictional praxis

Celine Sciamma's uniquely positioned work and public identity present a number of apparent contradictions - especially when considered in the context of French female authorship. After briefly analysing these, this article elaborates its central thesis: that the aporias surrounding Sciamma's authorship, as manifested primarily in her films and secondarily in parafilmic publications and discourses, may be partially resolved by considering relevant artefacts through the prism of autofiction. Sciamma's latest film Petite maman can be seen as the fullest expression yet of a self-narrating tendency that close analysis reveals informs her earlier films as well. Finally, the article argues that such a perspective chimes with considering Sciamma's work as formally queer and thus politically significant in ways that exceed questions of identity politics without merely bowing to Republican universalism.

Automated summary

This article analyzes the unique position and public identity of Celine Sciamma, especially in the context of French female authorship. It suggests that the contradictions surrounding Sciamma's authorship can be partially resolved by considering her works as a form of autofiction. The latest film Petite maman is seen as the fullest expression yet of Sciamma's self-narrating tendency, which can also be observed in her earlier films. The article argues that such a perspective aligns with viewing Sciamma's work as formally queer and politically significant beyond identity politics.