The People of France

film [1936]

Also known as: “La Vie est à nous”

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June 30, 2026

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The film The People of France (1936) is a propaganda film made for the French Communist Party. Directed by Jean Renoir, it combines fictional and documentary footage to convey its message. This film is part of a period in French cinema (1934-1940) characterized by poetic realism, often reflecting a sense of pessimism due to political and social unrest. Renoir's work during this era, including The People of France, demonstrated a growing social consciousness and explored themes of collective action and societal breakdown.1

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Jean Renoir
Early years
…codirected the communist propaganda film La Vie est à nous (The People of France). The same year, he recaptured the flavour of his early works with a short film, Une Partie de campagne (released 1946; A Day in the Country), which he finished with great difficulty. A masterpiece of impressionist…
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…codirected the communist propaganda film La Vie est à nous (The People of France). The same year, he recaptured the flavour of his early works with a short film, Une Partie de campagne (released 1946; A Day in the Country), which he finished with great difficulty. A masterpiece of impressionist…
Read More

History of film
France
… (“Life Is Ours”; English title The People of France, 1936), a propaganda film for the French Communist Party that contains both fictional and documentary footage. The strength of his commitment is most clearly expressed, however, by the eloquent appeal he makes for human understanding in his two pre-World War II…
Read More
… (“Life Is Ours”; English title The People of France, 1936), a propaganda film for the French Communist Party that contains both fictional and documentary footage. The strength of his commitment is most clearly expressed, however, by the eloquent appeal he makes for human understanding in his two pre-World War II…
Read More