Learning French: can you guess the film behind these translated titles?

The 24th edition of Paris' Nuit Blanche (June 7) highlights the world of cinema and its 130-year history. Visitors to the city will have the opportunity to experience a range of artistic projects, concerts and cinema screenings late into the night. 

To mark the occasion, we take a look at some of the translation choices made when marketing English-language films to a French-speaking audience. 

Film titles in France

Mystified by the name of the Beatles’ “mockumentary” film A Hard Day’s Night , the French translators gave up and called it Quatre Garçons dans le Vent (Four Trendy Boys).

These days the French distributors of English-language films often do not even make as much effort as that: increasingly they just assume their audiences know enough English to cope without them bothering at all. 

For example Fantastic Mr Fox and Kick-Ass left untranslated, or token efforts like Mytho-Man: The Invention of Lying (a mythomane is a compulsive liar), where something was added to the English name.

Read also: A French ‘cop thriller’ film recommendation

At other times a title is left in English but modified because of a tricky expression, cultural reference or word (Harsh Times = Bad Times, Step Up =Sexy Dance, The Hangover = Very Bad Trip, Made in Dagenham = We Want Sex Equality), or a possible unfortunate connotation in French (Capote = Truman Capote).

Then some film titles are translated fairly literally into French, such as La Guerre des Etoiles (Star Wars) or Autant en Emporte le Vent (Gone with the wind).

Others, however are less obvious.

Read also: Ten French film titles that differ (widely) from English originals

Can you guess the film or series behind these translated titles?

1. Agence Tous Risques (literally: “the all-risks agency”, from assurance tous risques, comprehensive insurance)

2. L’Or se Barre ( literally: “the gold clears off”, a pun on se barrer and une barre, a [gold] bar)

3. Maman, j’ai Raté l’Avion (literally: “Mum, I missed the plane”)

4. S.O.S Fantômes (literally: SOS ghosts)

5. Chapeau Melon et Bottes de Cuir (literally: “bowler hat and leather boots”)

6. Les Dents de la Mer (literally: “the teeth of the sea”)

7. Docteur Folamour

…and a couple that were only used in Quebec (which tends to be stricter on avoiding anglicisms than France):

8. Du Soleil Plein la Tête (literally: “a head full of sun”)

9. Mon Fantôme d’Amour (literally: "my ghost of love)

Read also: Films dubbed into French: meet France’s Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise