Al Jazeera World

Paris, A Divided City: What does it mean to be French?

An investigation into the complex questions of identity and alienation in disadvantaged suburbs of Paris.

In France, nationwide protests erupted after police shot and killed a 17-year-old identified as “Nahel M” in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre on June 27, 2023.

In 2016, violent protests were also held when French teenager Adama Traoré died in police custody.

Al Jazeera’s Abdullah Elshamy visited several communities to identify the social, cultural and economic problems facing French towns like Argenteuil and Aulnay-sous-Bois.

In this 2018 film, Elshamy examines the complex questions of identity and alienation in these suburbs and asks what it means to be French. He speaks to residents in marginalised communities, as well as journalists, politicians and campaigners across the political spectrum.