The World Cup and National Unity

And Their Children After Them

This flow traces how France’s 1998 World Cup run creates a temporary feeling of collective belonging without resolving local divisions.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Tournament Begins The Tournament Begins from "And Their Children After Them". A Shared Spectacle Football fills ordinary life Television, conversation, and retail promotions turn the World Cup into a common subject across Heillange.

The Tournament Begins from "And Their Children After Them". A Shared Spectacle Football fills ordinary life Television, conversation, and retail promotions turn the World Cup into a common subject across Heillange.

A Shared Spectacle Football fills ordinary life Television, conversation, and retail promotions turn the World Cup into a common subject across Heillange. Residents follow the French team while daily routines continue around the matches. A national mood emerges The tournament offers people a way to share excitement despite differences in work, class, and background. Its emotional force grows because ordinary life provides few comparable occasions for hope.

The Semifinal Gathering The Semifinal Gathering from "And Their Children After Them". A Town Watches France faces Croatia Anthony watches the semifinal with his cousin before they hurry to L’Usine.

The Semifinal Gathering from "And Their Children After Them". A Town Watches France faces Croatia Anthony watches the semifinal with his cousin before they hurry to L’Usine.

A Town Watches France faces Croatia Anthony watches the semifinal with his cousin before they hurry to L’Usine. Hacine arrives separately, and the former enemies find themselves inside the same crowded room. A goal changes the room Croatia scores first, briefly silencing the crowd. The reversal intensifies the match into a shared emotional crisis rather than merely a sporting event.

Thuram’s Equalizer Thuram’s Equalizer from "And Their Children After Them". Relief Becomes Celebration A sudden response Lilian Thuram equalizes, and the bar erupts.

Thuram’s Equalizer from "And Their Children After Them". Relief Becomes Celebration A sudden response Lilian Thuram equalizes, and the bar erupts.

Relief Becomes Celebration A sudden response Lilian Thuram equalizes, and the bar erupts. Anthony and Hacine shout and celebrate alongside people who have little reason to trust one another outside the match. Contact without explanation Their brief shared excitement suspends the motorcycle feud. The moment does not settle the past, but it allows them to meet without immediately repeating it.

France Reaches the Final France Reaches the Final from "And Their Children After Them". A Collective Rush The town erupts Cars honk, flags appear, and strangers embrace as France advances.

France Reaches the Final from "And Their Children After Them". A Collective Rush The town erupts Cars honk, flags appear, and strangers embrace as France advances.

A Collective Rush The town erupts Cars honk, flags appear, and strangers embrace as France advances. For a short time, residents describe themselves as part of a common victory. Exclusions remain The celebration creates an image of national unity, but it does not erase local class resentment, racism, or private grief. The shared feeling is powerful precisely because it is temporary.

A Ride After the Match A Ride After the Match from "And Their Children After Them". The Past in Motion A borrowed motorcycle Anthony persuades Hacine to let him ride the Suzuki.

A Ride After the Match from "And Their Children After Them". The Past in Motion A borrowed motorcycle Anthony persuades Hacine to let him ride the Suzuki.

The Past in Motion A borrowed motorcycle Anthony persuades Hacine to let him ride the Suzuki. He circles Hacine in a deserted commercial zone, enjoying the speed and ignoring the instruction to stop at the far end. A new departure Rather than returning the bike immediately, Anthony rides to Stéphanie’s house. The national celebration gives way to his private longing, and the shared victory cannot supply the future he wants.

June 1998

July 8, 1998

The second half of the semifinal, July 8, 1998

Final whistle of the semifinal, July 8, 1998

Late night, July 8, 1998