Women's Empowerment Through Film
Conference – October 9, 2026
Under the scientific direction of
; Rémy Cabrillac, Professor, University of Montpellier (Private Law Laboratory);
; Sandrine Roose-Grenier, Associate Professor, University of Montpellier (LICeM).
Photo credit: Sandy Blanco, Professor of Film and Audiovisual Studies, University of Montpellier
Cinema occupies a unique place in the history of women’s emancipation. Each film, in its own way, illustrates what the law sometimes struggles to articulate on its own: the evolution of a status, the attainment of autonomy, and the recognition of a body, a way of thinking, or a work of art. It thus serves as a valuable tool, revealing the tensions, limitations, and challenges of the law, and contributes to a critical understanding of this emancipation.
Each presentation will draw on the analysis of a film to shed light on a specific legal aspect of this phenomenon, creating a dialogue between the rigor of the law and the evocative power of the image. This conference will thus provide an opportunity to assess how cinema, as a social and cultural phenomenon, addresses women’s emancipation in all its dimensions and serves as a relevant medium for analyzing the evolution of women’s legal status and rights.
The conference will also feature film segments devoted to in-depth analysis of thought-provoking films and will provide an opportunity to understand what cinema reveals about women’s emancipation, even beyond the legal perspective.
By bringing together the perspectives of legal scholars and film enthusiasts, this conference aims to demonstrate that cinema is never merely a mirror of its time: it is also a space where women’s rights are conceived, challenged, and, at times, anticipated.
9:00 a.m. – Opening Remarks
▶ Prof. Agnès Fichard Carroll, Vice President of the University of Montpellier, Special Advisor for Art and Culture, and Gender Equality Coordinator
▶ Prof. Guylain Clamour, Dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Science at Montpellier
Morning Session Chaired by Sandrine Roose-Grenier
, Associate Professor at the University of Montpellier, LICeM
9:15 a.m. – Women’s Emancipation and Status
“The Choice,” a student short film
▶ Antonio Albanese, Professor at the University of Bologna, Founder of Falling in Law.
" Love on the Run" by François Truffaut
▶ Rémy Cabrillac, Professor at the University of Montpellier.
“Clara Campoamor, la mujer olvidada” by Laura Mana
▶ Claire Picod, certified Spanish professor at the University of Perpignan, qualified as an MCF in sections 14 and 18.
10:15 a.m. – Questions
10:30 a.m. – Cinematic Breathing
"The Virgin Suicides" by Sofia Coppola
▶ Sandy Blanco, Certified Professor of Modern Literature and Film and Audiovisual Studies at the University of Montpellier.
10:45 a.m.–11:00 a.m. – Coffee break
11 a.m. – Women’s Emancipation and the Female Body
“Une affaire de femmes”by Claude Chabrol
▶ Pauline Marcou, Professor at the University of Grenoble.
“The Woman Who Knew Too Much” by Nader Saeivar
▶ Sarah Aniel, J.D., Associate Professor of Economics and Management.
“Anna”by Marco Amenta
▶ Nathalie Goedert, Associate Professor (HDR) at the University of Paris-Saclay.
12:00 p.m. – Questions
Afternoon Session
Chaired by Rémy Cabrillac
, Professor at the University of Montpellier, Private Law Laboratory
2:30 p.m. – Women’s Empowerment and Their Family and Economic Lives
“Elena”by Andrei Zvyagintsev
▶ Magalie Flores-Lonjou, Associate Professor (HDR) at the University of La Rochelle.
"Mama Mia" by Phyllidia Lloyd
▶ Solange Becqué-Icowicz, Professor at the University of Montpellier.
3:10 p.m. – Questions
3:25 p.m. – Cinematic Breathing
"The Stendhal Syndrome"by Dario Argento
▶ Sandy Blanco, Certified Professor of Modern Literature and Film and Audiovisual Studies at the University of Montpellier.
3:40 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Coffee break
4:00 p.m. – Women’s Empowerment and Scientific and Artistic Creations
" In the Shadow of the Figures" by Theodore Melfi
▶ Agnès Robin, Senior Lecturer (HDR) at the University of Montpellier, Director of LICEM.
Jane Campion’s“The Piano”
▶ Sandrine Roose-Grenier, Associate Professor at the University of Montpellier.
4:40 p.m. – Questions
5:00 p.m. – Closing remarks
“The Changing Perception of Opera Heroines”
▶ Elysé Lopez, Member of the Montpellier Academy of Sciences and Letters.
5:30 p.m. – Closing of the conference
Program to Download
Conference organized by:
. Laboratory for Innovation, Communication, and Markets (LICeM) – University of Montpellier
. Private Law Laboratory (LDP) – University of Montpellier
