Books by Jonathan Ervine
This timely study sheds new light on debates about humour and identity in France, and is the firs... more This timely study sheds new light on debates about humour and identity in France, and is the first book about humour and identity in France to be published in either English or French that analyses both debates about Charlie Hebdo and standup comedy. It examines humour, freedom of expression, and social cohesion in France during a crucial time in France’s recent history punctuated by the Charlie Hebdo attacks of January 2015. It evaluates the state of French society and attitudes to humour in France in the aftermath of the events of January 2015. This book argues that debates surrounding Charlie Hebdo, although significant, only provide part of the picture when it comes to understanding humour and multiculturalism in France. This monograph fills significant gaps in French and international media coverage and academic writing, which has generally failed to adequately examine the broader picture that emerges when one examines career trajectories of notable contemporary French comedians. By addressing this failing, this book provides a more complete picture of humour, identity, and Republican values in France. By focusing primarily on contemporary comedians in France, this book explores competing uses of French Republican discourse in debates about humour, offensiveness, and freedom of expression. Ultimately, it argues that studying humour and identity in France often reveals a sense of national unease within the Republic at a time of considerable turmoil.
This book analyses contemporary French films by focussing closely on cinematic representations of... more This book analyses contemporary French films by focussing closely on cinematic representations of immigrants and residents of suburban housing estates known as banlieues. It begins by examining how these groups are conceived of within France's Republican political model before analysing films that focus on four key issues. Firstly, it will assess representations of undocumented migrants known as sans-papiers before then analysing depictions of deportations made possible by the controversial double peine law. Next, it will examine films about relations between young people and the police in suburban France before exploring films that challenge cliches about these areas. The conclusion assesses what these films show about contemporary French political cinema.
Papers by Jonathan Ervine
Australin Journal of French Studies, 2022
This article will discuss questions of identity, belonging and cultural visibility in French stan... more This article will discuss questions of identity, belonging and cultural visibility in French stand-up comedy by focusing on comedians of East Asian descent. It will primarily study the Franco-Cambodian comedian and actor Frédéric Chau and the paradoxes of his career. Chau sought to distance himself from Chinese culture when growing up, yet his comedy routines often concentrated on the forms of culture and traditions that he had previously rejected. In addition, this article will also examine what comedians such as Bun Hay Mean, Luigi Li and Sony Chan demonstrate about representations of the lived experiences of people of East Asian descent in France. Their performances will be shown to symbolize the increasing cultural visibility and confidence of East Asian comedians in France and to mirror the increasing confidence and visibility of East Asians in French society.
French Politics, Culture, and Society, 2021
The cycling world hour record for riders over 105 years old set in
2017 by Robert Marchand was mu... more The cycling world hour record for riders over 105 years old set in
2017 by Robert Marchand was much discussed in France in a context of neoliberal discourses about work and retirement. Within a debate about work characterized by desires to encourage “active aging,” Marchand’s sporting athletic effort was variously perceived as exemplary hard work and productive old age, or as an obscene abuse of athleticism. This article examines the reception of Marchand’s record within the wider context of contemporary neoliberal trends in French politics, culture, and society. It considers Marchand’s working life, active sporting retirement, and left-wing politics. It shows how media coverage and public discussion of the sporting “work” of his “performance” exemplified competing discourses in France’s national discussions about neoliberalism.
Contemporary French Civilization, 2019
France’s major role in shaping the history of international football – both via the performances ... more France’s major role in shaping the history of international football – both via the performances of its national teams and its role in organizing the sport – is mirrored by its importance within the development of videogames. However, videogames – like sport – remain an understudied aspect of French culture with French studies. This article explores significant debates about the cultural capital of videogames in France that feature contrasting reactions such as skepticism and celebration. It argues that interactions between football and videogames are increasingly blurring the boundary between the sport of football and the world of videogames. The world of e-sports (professional videogaming) will be shown to be a domain where leading French football teams and politicians are particularly keen to harness the cultural, economic, and political importance of videogames.
Le rôle majeur de la France dans l’histoire du football international – à la fois grâce aux performances de ses équipes internationales et son rôle dans l’organisation du sport – va de pair avec son importance dans le développement des jeux vidéo. Néanmoins, les jeux vidéo – tout comme le sport – manquent de visibilité dans les French studies. Cet article examine des débats importants sur l’importance culturelle des jeux vidéo en France où l’on voit souvent entre des réactions contrastées qui oscillent entre le scepticisme et la célébration. Nous verrons que les relations entre le football et les jeux vidéo rendent la frontière entre le football en tant que sport et le monde des jeux vidéo de moins en moins perceptible. On montrera notamment que les eSports constituent un domaine où les principales équipes de football françaises et les hommes politiques font preuve d’une volonté frappante de tirer profit de l’importance culturelle, économique, et politique des jeux vidéo.
Contemporary French Civilization, 2019
Contemporary French Civilization, 2013
In 1995, Georges Vigarello, the celebrated historian of culture and one of the pioneers of the ac... more In 1995, Georges Vigarello, the celebrated historian of culture and one of the pioneers of the academic study of sport in France, wrote that the anthropological approach was extending our understanding of the "imaginary" of sport in France:
The International Journal of the History of Sport, 2017
Several decades on from Tommie Smith and John Carlos’s iconic Black Power salute at the 1968 Olym... more Several decades on from Tommie Smith and John Carlos’s iconic Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, sociologists such as Douglas Hartmann and Ben Carrington argue that contemporary debates about sport, race, and protest are becoming ever more complicated. Within this context, the quenelle salute given by footballer Nicolas Anelka whilst playing for West Bromwich Albion in December 2013 merits analysis. The controversial and complicated gesture led to disciplinary action from the Football Association and his club, and ultimately to the end of his playing career. Due to its association with controversial French comedian Dieudonné, the quenelle is widely seen as anti-Semitic, although some argue that it is merely anti-system. Despite this potential ambiguity, it will be shown that the quenelle remains a protest gesture. In order to interpret Anelka’s actions, it is important to examine the quenelle’s roots and when he performed the gesture. Such analysis needs to be placed within the context of contemporary footballers’ engagement (or lack of engagement) with socio-political issues, and provides a means of assessing the relationship between football, politics, and protest in contemporary Europe.
Le Temps des médias, 2017
Cet article analysera ce que l’humour et ses rapports avec l’Islam peuvent nous apprendre sur les... more Cet article analysera ce que l’humour et ses rapports avec l’Islam peuvent nous apprendre sur les représentations médiatiques des Arabes en France. On se concentrera sur les sketches humoristiques du site-web À part ça tout va bien – qui a pour slogan « qui a dit que les musulmans n’avaient pas d’humour » – que l’on comparera aux spectacles du trio américain Allah Made Me Funny. On examinera jusqu’à quel point ces projets sont à l’origine d’une sorte de rire libérateur plutôt qu’un rire communautaire, et les leçons que l’on peut tirer concernant les discours médiatiques sur les Arabes.
This article analyses what the relationship between humor and Islam demonstrates about media representations of Arabs in France. It concentrates on the humorous French website À part ça tout va bien – which has the slogan « who said that Muslims did not have a sense of humor » – and compares it to the performances of the American trio Allah Made Me Funny. It will examine to what extent these projects are a source of a liberating form of laughter rather than a community-specific laughter, and the conclusions that one can draw from them about media discourses concerning Arabs.
This special issue deals with a range of sporting activities and discourses and discusses structu... more This special issue deals with a range of sporting activities and discourses and discusses structural evolutions in media − specifically how these evolutions have influenced the development of sports as practice and spectacle. Moreover, these articles consider how different forms of media have contributed to the construction of identities of sportswomen and sportsmen in France and the Francophone world, and also how media representations of sport and sporting icons have contributed to and been influenced by wider debates about (national) identity and ideas of community. This collection will analyse local, national and transnational contexts in which relations between sports media and identity have evolved, and are still evolving, in France and the Francophone world.
Focusing on the French national football team during the period 1998–2013, this article will trac... more Focusing on the French national football team during the period 1998–2013, this article will trace the evolution of political and media discourses about sport and society in France. It will analyse how the team, and its relationship to France’s banlieues and French society as a whole, has been perceived by journalists, politicians, public intellectuals and sociologists after both notable successes and significant failures. Although the World Cup victory of 1998 and spectacular failure at the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 may initially seem to occupy different ends of a spectrum, it will be argued that there are also important continuities in the period 1998–2013 that illuminate the study of relations between sport, media, and the political and intellectual elites in France.
In 1995, Georges Vigarello, the celebrated historian of culture who has been one of the pioneers ... more In 1995, Georges Vigarello, the celebrated historian of culture who has been one of the pioneers of academic study of sport in France wrote that the anthropological approach was extending our understanding of the "imaginary" of sport in France:
Over the last few years, humour has provided many Muslims with a means of seeking to establish a ... more Over the last few years, humour has provided many Muslims with a means of seeking to establish a positive sense of self-identity, as well as a means of challenging misconceptions and fears of Islam in a wide variety of countries on both sides of the Atlantic. This article brings together two interviews with performers who use comedy to engage with perceptions of Islam and (re-)present Muslims in a generally non-threatening and everyday context. It compares and contrasts atrio of American stand-up comedians who tour under the name ‘Allah Made Me Funny’ and the two French performers who created ‘À part ça tout va bien’/‘Apart from that everything’s fine’, a humorous web series in France. The interviews provide an insight into processes of identity negotiation and (re)presentation by performers based in countries with very differing approaches to multiculturalism and diversity.
Drawing on a wide range of Francophone and Anglophone writing by critics such as Bazin (1995), Bo... more Drawing on a wide range of Francophone and Anglophone writing by critics such as Bazin (1995), Boucher (1998), Huq (2006) and Mitchell (2001), this article explores how the music of the multi-ethnic French band Zebda examines issues of citizenship and belonging in suburban France. It focuses on local, national and transnational identities as well as issues of difference, discrimination and exclusion. Zebda's music in general will be situated in relation to relevant musical and sociological contexts, before a specific song is analysed in depth. The song in question is J'y suis j'y reste (" I'm here I'm staying here "), which exemplifies how Zebda's music has engaged with issues such as discrimination, racism and integration. The article shows how the song's lyrics and music reflect Zebda's hybrid identities and a desire to challenge French Republican concepts of nationhood. It argues that J'y suis j'y reste highlights several of the key issues that gave rise to the autumn 2005 unrest in suburban France, and provides a vibrant example of political engagement within contemporary French popular music.
This article analyses the success of Kamini's single Marly-Gomont in 2006, and especially the rol... more This article analyses the success of Kamini's single Marly-Gomont in 2006, and especially the role of web sites such as YouTube in his rise to fame. His rapid rise to fame occurred largely thanks to a video of him rapping about being from the only black family in rural Picardie appearing on the web. This article argues that new media technology created a new space in which Kamini challenged clichés about race, rurality and rap music. It compares Kamini's evocation of racial issues within the song and his downplaying of this theme in media interviews. It will conclude by analysing how his success can be in part explained by the socio-cultural climate in France at the time and argue that it also challenges conventions in the record industry regarding the production and distribution pop videos.
Cet article analyse la réussite du tube de Kamini Marly-Gomont en 2006, et surtout l'importance du rôle joué par des sites-web tels que YouTube. Cet artiste est devenu célèbre notamment grâce à la mise en ligne d'un clip rap où il évoque le fait qu'il vienne de la seule famille noire d'un village picard. L' article affirme que les nouveaux médias ont créé un espace nouveau où Kamini a pu s'attaquer à des visions stéréotypées de la race, la ruralité et la musique rap. Il compare l'évocation de questions raciales dans sa chanson et pendant ses interviews avec des journalistes. Il terminera en soutenant que sa réussite s'explique en partie par le contexte socioculturel français de l'époque et de plus qu'elle remet en question des pratiques habituelles dans l'industrie du disque par rapport à la production et la distribution des clips.
This article will analyse how cinema can be used to challenge dominant representations of war by ... more This article will analyse how cinema can be used to challenge dominant representations of war by comparing two French coordinated portmanteau films, and examine the role of the film-makers as public intellectuals in France. Its starting point will be Chris Marker's Loin du Vietnam (Far From Vietnam, 1967), which was primarily about America's war in Vietnam. This film will be compared with Alain Brigand's 2002 film 11'0901 September 11 (known in French under the title 11 minutes 9 seconds 1 image), which uses the portmanteau format as a means of exploring representations of the 2001 World Trade Center attacks and the ensuing War on Terror. It will be shown that both works share several cinematic and political preoccupations, notably concerning the use of images in justifying and opposing war. It will be concluded that both films demonstrate how challenging representations of war can provoke a great deal of aesthetic as well as political debate on both sides of the Atlantic.
French Studies Bulletin, 28(104): 64-7 , 2007
des sans-papiers : dix ans après Un élément incontournable du renouvellement du cinéma politique ... more des sans-papiers : dix ans après Un élément incontournable du renouvellement du cinéma politique en France depuis 1995 est sans doute l'engagement des cinéastes en faveur des sans-papiers. Pour aller au-delà de la solidarité à travers des pétitions et des articles dans la presse écrite, plusieurs cinéastes ont tourné des filmsdes documentaires et des fictionsqui retracent ou replacent la lutte des sans-papiers dans son contexte. Côté fictions, L'Afrance d'Alain Gomis (2001) et Code inconnu de Michael Haneke (2000) ont évoqué différemment la situation des sans-papiers. Le film de Gomis concerne un étudiant sénégalais à Paris qui devient sans-papiers, tandis que celui de Haneke se compose de nombreuses histoires qui se mêlent, dont une sur une mendiante roumaine à Paris qui est également sans-papiers. Côté documentaire, le (très) court métrage collectif Nous sans-papiers de France (1997) a notamment montré en plan fixe Madjiguène Cissé (porte-parole des sans-papiers) lisant le manifeste des sans-papiers publié dans Libération le 25 février 1997 et, plus récemment, Parmi Nous : sanspapiers, sans visages sans paroles (2006) de Carole Sionnet a retracé l'histoire de deux sans-papiers à Angoulême. Dans cet article, il sera question d'analyser un autre documentaire qui suit le mouvement des sans-papiers de l'intérieur à travers un entretien avec Mogniss Abdallah, fondateur de l'agence IM'média. 1 Pour Mogniss Abdallah, le documentaire La Ballade des sans-papiers (1997) était dans 'la suite logique des activités d'IM'média'. IM'média, agence de presse spécialisée en immigration et culture urbaine, existe depuis 1983 et a accompagné la montée du mouvement beur de l'époque. C'est donc dans le cadre d'une 'logique de couverture d'actualité' dans la longue durée que de nombreuses personnes ont filmé
Analysis of discourses about race, identity and social cohesion following France's victory in the... more Analysis of discourses about race, identity and social cohesion following France's victory in the 1998 Football World Cup.
Book Chapters by Jonathan Ervine
Trasnational French Studies, 2023
Videogames constitute an important element of contemporary French and Francophone culture. The vi... more Videogames constitute an important element of contemporary French and Francophone culture. The videogames industry is significant to France economically, technologically, linguistically and politically and is an element of France's soft power worldwide. French public policy towards videogames has become more supportive of a cultural form often previously judged of little value, within the context of more pluralist definitions of culture and growing recognition of its technological and economic value. Similarly, the place of videogames within French and Francophone studies is slowly expanding. The production, content and playing of Francophone videogames is increasingly globalised and transnational, with French companies collaborating worldwide to produce French- and English-language games, and e-sport, for example involving real-time interactions across the globe.
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Books by Jonathan Ervine
Papers by Jonathan Ervine
2017 by Robert Marchand was much discussed in France in a context of neoliberal discourses about work and retirement. Within a debate about work characterized by desires to encourage “active aging,” Marchand’s sporting athletic effort was variously perceived as exemplary hard work and productive old age, or as an obscene abuse of athleticism. This article examines the reception of Marchand’s record within the wider context of contemporary neoliberal trends in French politics, culture, and society. It considers Marchand’s working life, active sporting retirement, and left-wing politics. It shows how media coverage and public discussion of the sporting “work” of his “performance” exemplified competing discourses in France’s national discussions about neoliberalism.
Le rôle majeur de la France dans l’histoire du football international – à la fois grâce aux performances de ses équipes internationales et son rôle dans l’organisation du sport – va de pair avec son importance dans le développement des jeux vidéo. Néanmoins, les jeux vidéo – tout comme le sport – manquent de visibilité dans les French studies. Cet article examine des débats importants sur l’importance culturelle des jeux vidéo en France où l’on voit souvent entre des réactions contrastées qui oscillent entre le scepticisme et la célébration. Nous verrons que les relations entre le football et les jeux vidéo rendent la frontière entre le football en tant que sport et le monde des jeux vidéo de moins en moins perceptible. On montrera notamment que les eSports constituent un domaine où les principales équipes de football françaises et les hommes politiques font preuve d’une volonté frappante de tirer profit de l’importance culturelle, économique, et politique des jeux vidéo.
This article analyses what the relationship between humor and Islam demonstrates about media representations of Arabs in France. It concentrates on the humorous French website À part ça tout va bien – which has the slogan « who said that Muslims did not have a sense of humor » – and compares it to the performances of the American trio Allah Made Me Funny. It will examine to what extent these projects are a source of a liberating form of laughter rather than a community-specific laughter, and the conclusions that one can draw from them about media discourses concerning Arabs.
Cet article analyse la réussite du tube de Kamini Marly-Gomont en 2006, et surtout l'importance du rôle joué par des sites-web tels que YouTube. Cet artiste est devenu célèbre notamment grâce à la mise en ligne d'un clip rap où il évoque le fait qu'il vienne de la seule famille noire d'un village picard. L' article affirme que les nouveaux médias ont créé un espace nouveau où Kamini a pu s'attaquer à des visions stéréotypées de la race, la ruralité et la musique rap. Il compare l'évocation de questions raciales dans sa chanson et pendant ses interviews avec des journalistes. Il terminera en soutenant que sa réussite s'explique en partie par le contexte socioculturel français de l'époque et de plus qu'elle remet en question des pratiques habituelles dans l'industrie du disque par rapport à la production et la distribution des clips.
Book Chapters by Jonathan Ervine
2017 by Robert Marchand was much discussed in France in a context of neoliberal discourses about work and retirement. Within a debate about work characterized by desires to encourage “active aging,” Marchand’s sporting athletic effort was variously perceived as exemplary hard work and productive old age, or as an obscene abuse of athleticism. This article examines the reception of Marchand’s record within the wider context of contemporary neoliberal trends in French politics, culture, and society. It considers Marchand’s working life, active sporting retirement, and left-wing politics. It shows how media coverage and public discussion of the sporting “work” of his “performance” exemplified competing discourses in France’s national discussions about neoliberalism.
Le rôle majeur de la France dans l’histoire du football international – à la fois grâce aux performances de ses équipes internationales et son rôle dans l’organisation du sport – va de pair avec son importance dans le développement des jeux vidéo. Néanmoins, les jeux vidéo – tout comme le sport – manquent de visibilité dans les French studies. Cet article examine des débats importants sur l’importance culturelle des jeux vidéo en France où l’on voit souvent entre des réactions contrastées qui oscillent entre le scepticisme et la célébration. Nous verrons que les relations entre le football et les jeux vidéo rendent la frontière entre le football en tant que sport et le monde des jeux vidéo de moins en moins perceptible. On montrera notamment que les eSports constituent un domaine où les principales équipes de football françaises et les hommes politiques font preuve d’une volonté frappante de tirer profit de l’importance culturelle, économique, et politique des jeux vidéo.
This article analyses what the relationship between humor and Islam demonstrates about media representations of Arabs in France. It concentrates on the humorous French website À part ça tout va bien – which has the slogan « who said that Muslims did not have a sense of humor » – and compares it to the performances of the American trio Allah Made Me Funny. It will examine to what extent these projects are a source of a liberating form of laughter rather than a community-specific laughter, and the conclusions that one can draw from them about media discourses concerning Arabs.
Cet article analyse la réussite du tube de Kamini Marly-Gomont en 2006, et surtout l'importance du rôle joué par des sites-web tels que YouTube. Cet artiste est devenu célèbre notamment grâce à la mise en ligne d'un clip rap où il évoque le fait qu'il vienne de la seule famille noire d'un village picard. L' article affirme que les nouveaux médias ont créé un espace nouveau où Kamini a pu s'attaquer à des visions stéréotypées de la race, la ruralité et la musique rap. Il compare l'évocation de questions raciales dans sa chanson et pendant ses interviews avec des journalistes. Il terminera en soutenant que sa réussite s'explique en partie par le contexte socioculturel français de l'époque et de plus qu'elle remet en question des pratiques habituelles dans l'industrie du disque par rapport à la production et la distribution des clips.
However, this chapter will show that some in the French media overly simplified the Jamel Comedy Club’s relationship with urban culture, and this chapter will argue for a more nuanced approach. In particular, it will demonstrate that insufficient attention has been devoted to the fact that several of the on the show mocked rather than celebrated forms of urban culture such as hip-hop. This chapter will also suggest that the evolution and increasing diversity of the French stand-up comedy scene has not necessarily been accompanied by a changing mentality towards performers from all minority groups in France.
To begin with, it will be shown that there are ways in which football videogames can be seen as a logical next step in processes identified by social theorists who have discussed the commercialisation and commodification of football. However, this chapter will argue that videogames such as Football Manager are also paradoxically playing a role in re-defining football culture by providing an outlet for fans who may feel disillusioned by top-level football.
Ultimately, this chapter shows that it is growing ever more appropriate to categorize football videogames as occupying an important place within football culture rather than seeing them as a niche pursuit.
***This is a book version of an article of the same title that I published in the February 2017 edition of The International Journal of the History of Sport
Article originally appeared in 'The Conversation' at the following web address: https://theconversation.com/five-years-on-from-the-charlie-hebdo-attack-je-suis-charlie-rings-hollow-129151
For a summer of the key points in English, please see the following thread on my Twitter account (@j_ervine): https://twitter.com/j_ervine/status/1128600307905257472
Initially, it is tempting to see football videogames as having more in common with the highly commercialized and commodified world of ‘football as spectacle’ described by Bourdieu. The almost aggressive consumerism of this form of football is at times anathema to fans who fear that the beautiful game is losing touch with its traditional roots. This notion will be explored when analysing reasons why some coaches and journalists are highly dismissive of footballers who play football video games.
However, the second part of this paper will examine recent academic literature on videogames and show that football videogames can also be seen as blurring the boundaries between ‘football as practice’ and ‘football as spectacle’. Videogames such as Football Manager are now tools that are exploited by practitioners involved in the professional game. Furthermore, games researchers such as Ian Bogost argue that ‘sports videogames are not simulations of sports but variants of sports’.
It will also be shown that videogames-like technology, such as virtual reality devices, may well provide new ways of experiencing football as a spectator as well as a participant. This could increase football’s inclusivity by reaching out to new types of spectators but also risks alienating traditionalists. Overall, this paper will demonstrate that videogames have the potential to re-shape both ‘football as practice’ and ‘football as spectacle’.
By exploring this shift in a French context, I will suggest that the transition described above provides evidence of the growing divide between what Bourdieu termed ‘football as practice’ and ‘football as spectacle’. I will also examine the argument put forward by games studies scholar Ian Bogost that this transition means that ‘sports videogames are not simulations of sports but variants of sports’.
Although increasingly realistic and detailed video games provide new ways for fans to engage with football in countries such as France, I will conclude by arguing that the increasing transition from seeing followers of a team as consumers rather than fans is one that has also resulted in some people becoming increasingly dissatisfied with modern football in France.
Among the footballers implicitly criticized by Cherfi was Nicolas Anelka, who grew up on a housing estate to the west of Paris. Although Anelka may not initially appear to be politically engaged, I will examine the extent to which his quenelle goal celebration while playing for West Bromwich Albion can be seen as an act of political protest. The controversial gesture that he dedicated to the French comedian and polemicist Dieudonné led to Anelka being fined and suspended by the Football Association and appears to have brought an ignominious end to his top level playing career.
In this paper, I will examine why Anelka was punished for performing a gesture that other sportspeople have displayed without receiving such a sanction and analyze what this ‘affaire Anelka’ reveals about the relationship between sport and protest.
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This article analyses what the relationship between humour and Islam demonstrates about media representations of Arabs in France. It concentrates on the humorous French website À part ça tout va bien – which has the slogan « who said that Muslims did not have a sense of humour » – and compares it to the performances of the American trio Allah Made Me Funny. It will examine to what extent these projects are a source of a liberating form of laughter rather than a community-specific laughter, and the conclusions that one can draw from them about media discourses concerning Arabs.
Available online at: https://soundcloud.com/thefootballcollective/10-x-10-jonathan-ervine-on-philippe-auclairs-cantona