The dominance of the auteur directors continued until the 1970s, by which stage the new wave had lost its experimental edge and boosted the reputation of French cinema as an intellectual, elitist and, frankly, boring enterprise. The most successful directors of the 1980s and 90s have produced original and visually striking films featuring unusual locations, bizarre stories and unique characters. When they get their elegant noses out of comic books, the French obsessions with the sports of soccer, rugby, basketball and cycling, especially the Tour de France, are given full rein. Beliefs have generally been secularised ever since the Church and state were separated in 1905. There is also a substantial Jewish population in the country.
Food is a subject of endless rumination.
But one cannot live on escargot and vin de table alone. France's North African and Asian populations have contributed to the pot bringing spice and colour to many dishes. A typical day's eating begins with a croissant and a thin loaf of bread smeared with butter and jam. History Human presence in what is now France dates from the Middle Palaeolithic Age, about 90,000 to 40,000 years ago. These first inhabitants were followed by the Stone Age Cro-Magnon people who appeared on the scene around 25,000 BC, and were superseded some 16,000 years later by the Neolithic take on civilisation.