Concepts of Interculturalism in L'Auberge Espagnole

This essay analyzes the film L'Auberge Espagnole (2002) to explore the themes of interculturalism, cross-cultural communication, and belonging. The film follows a student who goes to Barcelona and meets students from different parts of Western Europe, highlighting the challenges and rewards of cultural diversity. The essay discusses concepts such as ethnocentrism, struggles with identity, and the sense of belonging portrayed in the film.

Running head: CONCEPTS OF INTERCULTURALISM IN L’AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE
CONCEPTS OF INTERCULTURALISM IN L’AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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CONCEPTS OF INTERCULTURALISM IN L’AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE
Introduction
In this essay, the film l’auberge Espagnole (2002) will be analyzed to reveal the themes
of culture, cross-culture and communication. The essay will first provide a brief synopsis of the
film and then highlight the concepts cross-cultural communication presented in it. A Cedric
Klapisch directorial, the film shows the experience of an economics student who goes to
Barcelona, Spain and meets students from different parts of Western Europe1. The essay will
explain the way it shows the various cultural concepts.
Discussion
The film released in 2002 and grabbed major film awards in the European region
including the Brisbane International Film festival, Cesar Awards, European Film Awards and so
on. The story revolves around Xavier, a student in his twenties, goes to Barcelona as part of the
student exchange program. On arriving there, he is thrust into an apartment crowded with
international students with different cultures and languages. Although the situation becomes
chaotic due to issues with language and culture but Xavier starts to like the ambience and the
people of different cultures. He witnesses throughout his journey, several up and downs but a
memory worth remembering.
The movie provides abundant examples of linguistic and cultural nuances that people
often fail to recognize. On the positive side, the film provides a good lesson that language and
cultural barriers do not become barriers when one has respect and admiration for other’s culture.
Various concepts of culture have been portrayed in the film including intercultural
communication, ethnocentrism, struggles with identity and belonging. Ethnocentrism, as per the
1 IMDb.com, "L'auberge espagnole (2002) - IMDb", in IMDb, , 2019,
<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283900/plotsummary?ref_=tt_stry_pl> [accessed 13 March 2019].

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CONCEPTS OF INTERCULTURALISM IN L’AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE
Oxford dictionary definition, is the assessment of other cultures as per the presumptions
initiating in the “standards and customs of one’s culture”2. In the film, when Xavier attempts to
woo the French doctor’s wife, he makes presumptions about the French culture. This is an
example of ethnocentrism portrayed in the movie. Another example of ethnocentrism was found
in the movie when one of the character’s (Wendy) brothers named William makes insensitive
comments about other’s cultures in a coarse manner. Furthermore, the movie also explores the
problems with language as each character in the movie struggle to speak other’s language.
One of the striking things shown in the film is the struggle with identity within one’s own
nation. In a scene in the film, a teacher is seen teaching the class in Catalan language to which a
non-Catalonian student says that she has difficulty understanding the language. The protagonist
also raises the same issue but the teacher refuses to change his language of teaching stating that it
would be unfair to other students. Despite repeated request the teacher refuses to change his
language and instead suggests the student, that if she wants to learn in her language then she
should go to Madrid. This incident is later discussed in the later scene when a group of friends
including the protagonist and the girl discuss identities. People come across such situations very
often in their lives. John C. turner, Michael A. Hogg, Penelope J. Oakes and Stephen D. Reicher
highlight this issue. According to the authors, “situationally dominant self-categorizations
enforce the perception of intragroup similarity and intergroup differences”3. The authors further
add that these situations restrain the individual’s ability to “perceive intergroup similarities and
intragroup differences”.
2 Iain McLean, and Alistair McMillan, The concise Oxford dictionary of politics, OUP, Oxford, 2009.
3 JC Turner, MA Hogg, PJ Oakes, SD Reicher, MS Wetherell, ‘Rediscovering the social group: A self-
categorization theory’, Basil Blackwell, 1987.

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CONCEPTS OF INTERCULTURALISM IN L’AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE
The film has also portrayed the concept of belonging through the main characters.
Belonging, as J.E. Singer, C.A. Brush and S.C. Lublin explain, is characterized by reduced
individuality and increased liking for a group. Individuals often want to belong to certain groups
and they associate their identity with that group itself4. In the film, it has been depicted that the
young student Xavier feels belonged to the group of international students rather than his own
people because despite language and culture barriers, his group of international friends
understand him more than others. The sense of identity as demonstrated in the film comes from
spending time with people of different cultures. Individuals often struggle with their sense of
identity because of the presence of various subcultures and sub-languages within the larger
culture.
Conclusion
Therefore, it is evident that the concepts of ethnocentrism, cross-culturalism or
interculturalism, belonging and otherness have been demonstrated in the film appropriately. The
film has been able to show that barriers could come within one’s own culture whereas
conformity could come with people from other cultures. Xavier, the main character of the film
L’Auberge Espagnole, finds could companions in the form of the international students whereas
in his own place he had to struggle with his identity.
4 JE Singer, CA Brush, SC Lublin, ‘Some aspects of deindividuation: Identification and conformity’, Journal of
Experimental Social Psychology, 1965, vol. 1, no. 4, p. 356

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CONCEPTS OF INTERCULTURALISM IN L’AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE
Works cited:
IMDb.com, "L'auberge espagnole (2002) - IMDb.". in IMDb, , 2019,
<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283900/plotsummary?ref_=tt_stry_pl> [accessed 13 March
2019].
McLean, Iain, and Alistair McMillan, The concise Oxford dictionary of politics, OUP, Oxford,
2009.
Singer JE, CA Brush, SC Lublin, ‘Some aspects of deindividuation: Identification and
conformity’, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 1965, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 356-378
Turner JC, MA Hogg, PJ Oakes, SD Reicher, MS Wetherell, ‘Rediscovering the social group: A
self-categorization theory’, Basil Blackwell, 1987.