This documentary explores the ongoing challenges facing the Occitan language and the efforts of those working to keep it alive. Occitan is one of several minority languages spoken in France, with historical roots in Southern France and parts of Spain and Italy.

One of the key figures featured in the film is Michael Barrett, a teacher and translator of Occitan, who strives to speak the language as much as he can, viewing it as a central part of his identity. Alongside Barrett, the documentary highlights the stories of other individuals who are also working to preserve and promote Occitan.

Another topic in the film is the struggle for official recognition. French President Emmanuel Macron recently stated, “Regional languages have been a tool for dividing the nation,” but this view does not reflect the reality for many people who speak regional languages like Occitan. In the documentary, individuals explain that they see themselves as both French and Occitan, showing that speaking a regional language does not threaten national unity. Barrett disagrees with Macron’s remark, stating: “I’m both French and Occitan, not one or the other.” These comments highlight the broader reluctance within government policies to grant regional languages equal status to French, which complicates preservation and revitalization efforts.

Occitan is experiencing a decline in speakers. According to the Office Public de la Langue Occitane (OPLO), around 540,000 people in regions such as Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie still speak Occitan, but this number is steadily decreasing. Research from 1994 showed that approximately 26% of people in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region spoke Occitan. By 2020, this figure had dropped to 9%, reflecting the continuing decline of the language across generations.

https://youtu.be/mRngjWuMlLk