A FICTIONAL NARRATIVE'S ANTHROPOLOGICAL FUNCTION IN THE 21st CENTURY

|| Featuring ||Bernard Victorri. Directeur de recherche au CNRS, auteur de : "Les origines du langage"Marc Marti. Enseignant-chercheur Université de Nice Côte d'Azur, Directeur de la revue "Cahiers de narratologie"Jeanne Aptekman. Docteure en linguistique & ScénaristeLicia Eminenti. Scénariste-consultante & ScénaristePierre Hodgson. Scénariste & Scénariste-consultantPhilippe Barrière. Scénariste-consultant & ScénaristeAntoine Le Bos. Scénariste-consultant, Directeur artistique de LIM & Le Groupe Ouest

In today's societies, fictional narratives (films or series) are generally classified in the "entertainment" category. To entertain, for recreational purposes. As if their anthropological importance is equivalent to a game of pinball. And yet it is these image-determined fictional narratives which forge our emotions, our representations of the world, our projections.At the same time, a fundamental trend prevails since the 1960s among European authors (theatre, cinema, novels, etc.) which tends to belittle the very notion of storytelling. As if populism is inherent to the narrative construction, debasing in sorts. What are the consequences of this tendency in decline of storytelling in Europe?

In contrast, on the other side of the Atlantic since « Star Wars », structurally speaking Hollywood narratives have become standardized, industrialized, generalising the story's paradigm along with superhero characteristics. What are the current or foreseeable consequences of this type of evolution?

These differences between Europe and the United States may appear incidental if we consider that storytelling is commonly perceived as second rank within the rituals of a society or culture. How true it this? Precisely what role does “entertainment” play in today's society?

In their work, feeding off their personal sensitivity and judgment, scriptwriters are often unaware of their anthropological or societal role, of their geographical affiliation (or not) or of their interpretation of the world we live in.In what way can we help them to better understand the consequences of what they are aiming to develop?

In this third segment, participating researchers will share their hypotheses on the nature of the anthropological function of storytelling. For example, for Johan Braeckman, a Flemish philosopher, the fictional narrative is a kind of "flight simulator" which prepares us for interactions with our fellow kind, with the outside world with its transmutations and dangers.

From this central theme, other more specific issues can be addressed on the moral and collective impact of narratives, consideration of audience cultural differences, the means of the narrative, be it of an oral or written nature.

FONCTION ANTHROPOLOGIQUE DU RÉCIT DE FICTION AU 21E SIÈCLE

Dans nos sociétés, le récit de fiction (cinéma ou séries) est le plus souvent rangé dans la catégorie « entertainment ». Utilisé pour divertir ou passer le temps. Comme s’il n’avait pas plus d’importance anthropologique qu’une partie de Flipper. Et pourtant, ces récits de fiction médiés par l’image semblent bien sculpter malgré nous nos émotions, nos représentations, nos projections.Dans le même temps, une tendance de fond prévaut depuis les années 60 parmi les auteurs européens (théâtre, cinéma, roman...) qui tend à dévaloriser la notion de récit.