Pepsi and the Pill : Motherhood, Politics and Film in Britain and France, 1958–1969

With the reintroduction of many important debates surrounding reproductive rights, migration and nationalism, Pepsi and the Pill brings to the fore examples and critical historical and media analysis of British and French films in the popular culture and political discourses of 1960s Western Europe.

The 1960s was a decade of massive political and cultural change in Western Europe, as seismic shifts took place in in attitudes towards sexuality, gender, and motherhood in everyday life. Through case studies of British and French films, Pepsi and the Pill offers a fresh vision of a pivotal moment in European culture, exploring the many ways in which political activity and celebrated film movements mutually shaped each other in their views on gender, sexuality, and domesticity. As the specter of popular nationalism once again looms across Europe, this book offers a timely account of the legacy of crucial debates over issues including reproductive rights, migration, and reproductive nationalism at the intersection of political discourse, protest, and film.