Western culture has endlessly represented the ways in which love erupts in people’s lives but as society evolved, the depiction of what “love” is and what it can mean became more and more multifaceted. Expectations are different, the ways in which we meet as well. Celibacy should not be frowned upon nor is the ardent use of dating apps a topic of shame anymore. From a divorce, to same sex relationships to falling in love again at 70, the stories selected all offer a singular perspective on this very wide yet still fascinating theme.
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Le cœur élastique by Anne-Claire Lévêque and Arianna Tamburini | Les éditions du Ricochet
Valentines is a celebration of love! Tell your child how much you treasure them with this beautiful picture book around parental love and the elasticity of the heart!
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L'amoureux de papa by Ingrid Chabert and Lauranne Quentric | Kilowatt
Amandine's parents are divorced and get along very well. Everything is in its place in the life of the little girl. But one day her father introduces her to his lover who is none other than Jean, her daughter's teacher. At first, Amandine has a hard time accepting her father's homosexuality, but thanks to her friends and her mother, Amandine will eventually understand that "It's all love, just love".
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Le cœur synthétique by Chloé Delaume | Seuil
Adelaide just broke up and as she reenters the love market, she is shocked to discover that being forty-six is a powerful downgrading factor. Obsessed with the idea of meeting a man and marrying him ASAP, she feels guilty for not handling her loneliness like a true feminist should. Surrounded by her friends, themselves entangled in their existential crisis, she tries to tame celibacy, while doing her best working in a large publishing house.
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Arrête avec tes mensonges by Philippe Besson | 10-18
Philippe, a famous writer, chances upon a young man who bears a striking resemblance to his first love. What follows is a look back to Philippe's teenage years, a winter morning in 1984 and a carefully timed encounter between two seventeen-year-olds.
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Malgré tout by Jordi Lafèbre | Dargaud
It is the story of a reverse love. On the one hand, there is Ana. Charismatic sexagenarian, former mayor just retired, married and mother. On the other, there is Zeno. A hardened bachelor, a bookseller close to retirement and a doctoral student in physics. Over the years, they have woven together an impossible and inexhaustible love. While shouting the excuses that prevented it from taking shape, we go back in time to this romance and its meanders ... to its source.
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LISTEN
Arcadie by Emmanuelle Bayamack-Tam | P.O.L
Farah and her family live at Liberty House, a community that promotes equality, non-violence and harmony with nature. The commune’s charismatic spiritual leader, Arcady, preaches free love and uninhibited desire for all, , regardless of gender, age, looks, or ability. At fifteen, Farah begins to explore her own sexuality and identity, beyond the confines of gender. In this brilliant and political novel, Emmanuelle Bayamack-Tam celebrates love in all its forms, subverting gender stereotypes and social norms.
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Sainte Saucisse by Maud Octallinn
Sainte Saucisse is an ironic concept album in which the singer declares her love of sausage and all things meat-related. Octallinn's uniquely skewed take on chanson incorporates jazz and pop touches, sometimes reminiscent of artists such as Philippe Katerine or Brigitte Fontaine. Her joyful, absurd songs are amusingly entertaining.
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L'amour au temps du coronavirus | France Culture
What is the pandemic's impact on love and relationships? Rachelle, Nathalie and François tell us about falling in love or breaking up during lockdown.
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WATCH
Life Underground by Hervé Cohen
From Tokyo to Montreal, Paris, Santiago, Berlin or Hong Kong, Life Underground takes you on a poetic journey encountering metro travelers from all over the world, sharing their stories on life, ageing, love...
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Love is a Game by Fabien Benoit, Trinity and Margaux Missika | Arte
Love is a major theme running through all art forms. From the medieval chivalry of ‘The Witcher 3’ to the consumerist world of ‘The Sims’, how is it represented in gaming?
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