Five French films and TV shows for May

With the Cannes film festival fast approaching, May can be a great time to get down to the cinema to see some of France’s domestic releases.

Watching film and TV is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve your language skills; it introduces modern and everyday spoken language into your vocabulary; it helps to develop key skills like listening which can otherwise sometimes feel tedious to work on and it offers a helpful cultural insight, allowing you to expand your overall knowledge of French life and humour. 

Most shows and films can be watched by learners of all levels - even early beginners will be pleasantly surprised by how much they can understand. 

If your level is lower, start by watching an episode a few times over - pause when you are trying to get your head round a particular turn of phrase and even take vocabulary notes. 

For more advanced learners, watching TV or a film can feel like a cheat’s method of practicing; it allows you to absorb vocabulary and pronunciation by osmosis rather than active learning. 

Ad Vitam 

Ad Vitam is the French thriller becoming a worldwide hit. It follows the story of a former elite agent, who after surviving attempted murder, must attempt to rescue his pregnant wife from a group linked to his days of fighting crime. 

To complicate things further, he becomes the main suspect in a conspiracy, forcing him to try and solve the mystery while being hounded by police himself. 

With the characters facing many stressful situations, it is a good opportunity to test your ear to real life, fast spoken French. However, with the straight-to-the-point plot that it is easy to follow, it is accessible to a whole host of learners. 

Ad Vitam is on Netflix.

C’est quoi l’amour

Set for release in cinemas on May 6, C’est quoi l’amour is a romantic comedy exploring the aftermath of the breakdown of a marriage. 

Fred wants to remarry following his divorce from Marguerite, but first he must annul their religious marriage. At first a seemingly bureaucratic task, it quickly evolves into a trip down memory lane as unresolved emotion surface and new partners are dragged into the drama. 

The film has already seen success on the smaller festival circuit, winning prizes at the Alpe d’Huez Comedy Festival. 

Paris Police 1900 & Paris Police 1910

The second series of Paris Police (1910) is currently streaming on Canal+, but fortunately there is already the first series to get stuck into.

The historical crime saga’s first instalment is set in the French capital in 1899, just before the turn of the century, when political tensions are rising and criminal networks are growing in number and strength. 

High level corruption and a wavering lack of public trust in government institutions, means that as we join the series, the police are struggling to maintain control of the spiralling situation. 

The series draws on multiple perspectives to portray Paris in this key period of transition, as it slowly moves to a more modern standing. 

In Paris Police 1910, the early tensions that ultimately lead to the outbreak of World War One are explored, as the city continues to struggle to adapt to the rapid modernisation. 

Quand l’histoire fait date - Le 1er Mai

With the Fête du Travail celebrated on May 1 every year in France, this documentary - available on YouTube and Arte.tv - demonstrates how this day became a national holiday.

It uses archival footage and is part of the historical documentary series Quand l’histoire fait date. 

The jour ferié dates back to 1889, and, as the episode explains, it is one of the few bank holidays in the calendar that is not linked to a religious event.

If you enjoy the 26-minute episode, there are many more available on YoutTube spanning all sorts of events in history. 

La Boum

Viewing French cult classics is just as important for developing your French as the newer shows, as it allows you to build a cultural backdrop by which to understand humour and the art that has been made in response and in continuation over the years. 

With this in mind, La Boum is certainly one to add to the list. 

Branded as one of the coming of age films of the 1980s, the story revolves around Vic, a 13-year-old Parisian school girl dealing with teenage life in the French capital. 

The film made Sophie Marceau an overnight star and paired with the soundtrack and the fact that it was the first time French cinema had put a teenager right at the heart of the story, it quickly became a cult film in France that every household has seen. 

It provides a snapshot of French teenage life in the early 80s, which for people who have come to France as adults, can help to develop an understanding of the French psyche. 

It is available to purchase on most streaming platforms. 

Bonus: Les Yeux dans les Bleus

With the World Cup set to commence next month, why not hark back to France’s glory days in 1998, when les Bleus took home the coveted trophy for the first time. 

The documentary follows the French team throughout the tournament, showing the experiences of everyone from the players to the team staff. 

Director and cameraman Stéphane Meunier immersed himself in the French team’s schedule for the duration of the memorable World Cup, in order to show the public what it would really take to become champions of the world. 

Watching sports can be a really good way to improve your French skills - listening to commentary accompanied by the fairly abstract picture of what is happening on a pitch or court can be useful in tuning your brain to rapid fire French, as well as developing vocabulary subconsciously as you take in the description of the play on pitch. 

Les yeux dans les Bleus often becomes available to watch on platforms like Canal+ around World Cup time, so keep an eye out!