Last week I was researching film locations for a series of films I'm doing about a France, which most Britons won't recognise, most French too. Housing projects encircle Paris. Maybe 'encircle' is too mild. Maybe 'lay siege' to Paris is appropriate. Forty years ago these places were sites of optimism...

The telly shows about a more or less occluded France that I'm currently working on will be transmitted early next year on BBC4. With an entirely pointless anxiety, I've begun checking out what else is likely to be broadcast on other channels at the same time - so stealing a...