The aesthetic of war commemorations in France

The chapter explores the form of the commemoration of “Operation Overlord” as well as its aesthetics and its function as a social and political event that intends to shape and frame both a national and transnational representation of the past. It questions the extent to which the 70th anniversary of D-Day participated in the production of commemorative norms and served new narratives for social and political purposes on an international level. It concludes that the commemoration aimed to ease social tensions by incorporating “victim” narratives; and by emphasizing national and transnational unity.