"Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis" (2008) is a charming and whimsical comedy about a man from the sun-soaked south of France who is reluctantly transferred to the northeastern region of French Flanders for work. Initially plagued by strong negative prejudices against the Ch'ti-speaking locals, he dreads the move, fearing it will essentially ruin his life.
Inevitably, his initial trepidation gives way to affection as he falls in love with the place and its warm-hearted people. This movie is an exuberant farce that delivers a thoroughly enjoyable and lighthearted experience; it's no surprise that it became the highest-grossing French movie of all time at the French box office.
Strolling through the capital of Lille, it’s easy to understand why outsiders might view French Flanders with circumspection. It is a typical border region, shaped by centuries of cultural interactions—some more violent than others. The French language spoken by locals immediately places it in France, yet the seamless blend of Art Nouveau buildings with houses featuring stepped gables exposes its frontier nature.
The border-town character of this region is clearly reflected in its drinking habits, too. With the Champagne region just a few miles south of Lille, bubbly wines are a common choice in its many cafés (Champagne is, after all, an important symbol of the area’s geopolitical identity). But much like in neighboring Belgium, beer is the true reflection of French Flanders' difficult-to-define self. Cultural identities are far more fluid than national borders, and are best described in shades rather than as discrete, neat categories.
As France’s most successful movie reveals, fully appreciating such fluidity, challenging prejudices, and immersing oneself in the first-hand experiences of a place might be painful at first, yet embracing otherness leads to a more enjoyable existence and, ultimately, to happiness.
Words + Photoby Jacopo Mazzeo