Drawing from geographical theories that seek to resolve problems of marginalization inherent in traidtional cartographic methodologies, I argue that these three banlieue films can be read as counter-maps. These filmic counter-maps foreground spaces that are traditionally hidden from the public eye and reveal the complicated dynamics of mobility both within the banlieue and between the banlieue and its metropolitan center. In particular, these films map the mobility and social exclusion of banlieue inhabitants.
The way in which space is represented visually and I motion is especially significant, as I argue that film plays a major role in shaping the way that the space of the banlieue is perceived in the cultural imaginary through its powerful combination of image, color, and motion. These perceptions of the banleiue further influence the ability of real-life inhabitants of the banlieue to move between the banlieue and the metropolitan center. Through a close-reading of the films, I show how space shapes the mobility of these characters within and outside of the banlieue. Since none of these films have mimesis as their goal, each filmmaker creates a unique world with rules of space and mobility in order to change viewers’ impressions of the banlieue.
