Gumbo-Oh! La! La! Presents: Richard Guidry, Defender of the Cajun Culture

No documentary on French Louisiana would be complete without the presence of Richard Guidry. Guidry fulfills the role of “institution” for a people who were heretofore denied any institution for the preservation of their language and culture. As a defender of the Cajun language and culture, Richard deconstructs the myths that abound about what it means to be Cajun. As Cajun linguist, Guidry labors to restore an eroding language; this he does with no small amount of typical Cajun hard-headed determination and tough love for those seeking to bring this language and culture into the 21st century.

This video is Episode 1 of "Gumb-Oh! La! La!," a thirteen-part French language documentary TV series produced in the year 2000 by Télé-Vision, Ciné-Mundo, and Louisiane à la carte, directed by André Forcier and presented by Marie-Jo Thério.