Films to use in the teaching of French culture

Here are a few good, fairly recent French movies for teachers or anyone interested in contemporary French culture.

Teachers: if you haven’t already done so, show your students the award-winning movie The Class (rated PG13 so perhaps high school and above). This 2008 film, Entre les murs, is directed by Lauren Cantet and based on the semi-autobiographical novel written by middle school teacher François Bégaudeau. The fact that the teacher and many of his students star in the movie makes it especially compelling. The DVD includes an interesting Making-of Featurette as well as added commentaries which could also be used in class. Lesson plans are even available online! Go to the TV5Monde website athttp://www.tv5.org/TV5Site/publication/publi-119-Entre_les_murs.htm

Advanced French classes could read the book and compare and contrast it to the movie.

Two movies on the theme of the family are Potiche (Trophy Wife) and Un Air de famille (Family Resemblances). Potiche(2010), by François Ozon is a lighthearted comedy set in 1977 about a stay-at-home wife who ends up running her husband’s umbrella factory starring none other than Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu! Just see it for the joy of watching those two together (again!). Rated R for its bawdy humor, so may not be appropriate for students.

Un air de famille (1998) by Cédric Klapisch is a much darker portrayal of the French family with Jean-Pierre Darroussin and Catherine Frot (the latter providing some much needed comic relief). The movie focuses on the intense and sometimes troubling relationships which exist between family members and takes place entirely within the claustrophobic confines of a café. What’s fascinating is that by the end of the film you’ll immediately want to watch it again. You’ll see why! Unrated but may be R for language….and yelling.

Do these three films realistically depict modern day French life? A vous de décider!