France and its migration history, from the 17th century to the present day
Since the Middle Ages, millions of men and women have travelled through, passed through, lived in or sought refuge on French soil, shaping the history of France.
This film traces, in eight chapters, the major stages of these migrations: arrivals, departures, exiles and settling down. It looks back at the main migratory movements, the changing attitudes towards migrants, the political and social contexts, and the forms of resistance and activism that have marked this history.
France and its migration history, from the 17th century to the present day (English subtitles enabled)
Produced by Palais de la Porte Dorée / Dada ! Animation – 2025.
The history of migration in a film
From the Ancien Régime to the present day, this film traces the history of France through the lens of migration, both internal and international. It highlights the fundamental contribution made by migration to the social, economic, political and cultural development of the country.
Over the course of nearly an hour, and through a comprehensive, sensitive and well-researched examination of the history of migration in France, it emphasises the importance of immigration in defining French identity, whilst questioning the mechanisms of exclusion and the struggles for equality that run through our contemporary society.
Chapters of the film:
- A France on the Move from the Middle Ages to the Revolution
- France, Europe’s Leading Destination for Immigration – 1799–1914
- Foreigners and Colonial Subjects in the First World War – 1914–1918
- From the Rise of Immigration to Foreigners in Turmoil – 1919–1939
- Foreigners in the War – 1939–1945
- Reconstruction, Decolonisation and Migration from the Post-War Period to the 1970s – 1945–1970
- Restrictions, Racism and Resistance – 1970–1980
- Immigration in Contemporary Society – 1990–Present
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Project supported by the ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (2023).