Special Session

Our Ruling Classes: Class, Power, Conflict / French and Francophone

Fatemeh Shadkam (University of California - Riverside)
fsha@****.com (Log-in to reveal)

The socio-political and cultural relationship between France and Iran has long been shaped in various ways, including literary, cinematic, and linguistic representation. This panel explores the intertextual and visual intersections between these two cultures in literature and film, spanning from the ancient period to the present.

In alignment with PAMLA 2026’s theme, “Our Ruling Classes: Culture, Power, Conflict,” the session invites papers that examine how structures of power—cultural, colonial, institutional, and intellectual—shape cross-cultural representation and the circulation of narratives between France and Iran. Which voices circulate transnationally, and which remain marginalized? What is the role of political, colonial, and institutional power in determining which stories are told, which films are funded, and whose voices reach the global stage? In what ways do translation, adaptation, bilingual writing, and diasporic production mediate cultural hierarchies and challenge dominant narratives? The panel welcomes interdisciplinary approaches from literary studies, film studies, cultural studies, translation studies, and related fields.

Key Themes for Submission

The panel’s theme is intended to provoke rather than constrain; we therefore encourage submissions that explore the diverse ways in which French and Iranian/Persian cultures have intersected, influenced, and inspired one another. Possible themes include, but are not limited to:

· Reciprocal representation

· Diaspora and transnational exchange

· Comparative and postcolonial approaches

· Translation, adaptation, and bilingual or diasporic writing

· Gender and sexuality