rench cinema is currently one of the most vibrant in Europe. As a fundamental element in French international relations, it is included in the politics of the European Union. France has systematically been at the forefront of the endeavors to ensure the survival of European audiovisual creativity. In order to create a « European audiovisual shield » to compete with American domination, the European Union established, in 1991, a support program called « MEDIA », in which France played a determining role. The third part of the program, « MEDIA PLUS », was launched in January 2001. Prompted by France, it has permitted the rebirth of European audiovisual arts. However, it seems that much progress remains to be undertaken. – Summary AFRI-2002