European TV and cinema are having somewhat of a renaissance in cinemas and on streaming platforms, as a desire to consume content from different cultures continues to blossom.
As a result, it has never been a better time to sink your teeth into some French film, all while improving your French language and cultural references.
As children in France go back to school, it is a great time to do some learning or brushing up of your own.
It can be easy to forget, but understanding a culture goes a long way to improving your knowledge of a language.
This can be why some learners who focus solely on language-learning apps can struggle when it comes to actually using the skills they have learned, because they do not understand them against the language’s cultural backdrop.
It is for this reason that consuming TV, books and podcasts in French can be a vital tool in your language learning kit.
While it might sometimes feel like ‘passive learning’, what you are actually doing is laying the foundations to build a diverse and accurate landscape of the target language.
By understanding how people make jokes, different tones of voice and where certain words are used, your brain will start to compute how you in turn can use this when speaking.
Even simple things like having the knowledge of French singers and actors in the cultural milieu will take you a long way in boosting your conversation skills.
For early learners, watching with French audio and French subtitles is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the language.
Although it can feel difficult to begin with, this allows you to process the context of what is happening on screen, and piece together anything you miss from the dialogue.
Meanwhile, for more advanced learners watching without subtitles from time to time can be a great way to test yourself.
Below are six recommendations to watch this September, covering new releases and recent classics.
Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan
Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan stars two of France’s most prominent actors at the moment, Jonathan Cohen and Leila Bekhti.
Having previously worked together on comedy shows La Flamme and Flambeau, 'Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan' sees the duo take on a more touching story line than Cohen’s bizarre comedy series.
Based on the autobiography of the same name by Roland Perez, it revolves around the relationship between Perez and his mother after he is born with a club foot that initially prevents him from standing.
His mother, depicted by Bekhti, promises her son this will not stand in the way of him walking like other children.
The film follows the pair throughout the years, from the 1960s to the present day, and explores the power of a mother’s love when paired with artistic passion - in this case for Bulgarian-French singer, Sylvie Vartan.
Having premiered in cinemas in March this year, it is now available to watch on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
French Lover
Set to hit Netflix on September 6, French Lover stars one of France’s most prominent actors Omar Sy.
Sy is best known for his performance in Les Intouchables and Lupin, both of which brought French cinéma and TV to a global audience.
As the title suggests, the film tells the unlikely love story between a famous actor and a waitress and takes place in Paris.
It is expected to be an international hit.
Le Chalet
If you like thrillers, Le Chalet – available on Netflix and Amazon Prime – is a good option.
The film follows two storylines set 20 years apart in a small Alpine village.
The first thread sees a family relocate to the area from Paris in a bid to counter the father’s writing block, but they fail to receive a warm welcome.
The second sees a group of friends return to the same village for a wedding 20 years later, only to find themselves cut off from the outside world following a landslide that blocks the only exit, and all forms of communication disrupted.
A long list of characters that can take a bit of time to get to grips with does not diminish any gasps from the gruesome twists and turns.
Fils de…
Fils de… is among a few new releases in French cinema this month but has received praise from film critics.
The political comedy follows the story of a young parliamentary aide whose career is thrown into disarray when a financial scandal rocks the prime minister’s office.
The film has a touching family spin, as Nino, the attaché to the prime minister, has to encourage his father to join the cabinet, despite not speaking in years.
Within 24 hours, Nino must try to salvage his career as well as his relationship with his father.
It is the debut film from director Carlos Abascal Peiro, and his experience as a media correspondent helps bring some biting political satire.
It opens in cinemas across France on September 3.
Mytho
A popular drama series you can turn to is Mytho, French slang for a liar (or in some cases a compulsive liar or ‘bullshitter’).
It follows the story of a burned-out mother who suspects her partner of cheating.
In order to win back his attention, she tells a lie that will shake the family, reverberating across the entire family.
There are two series of the show, both of which are available to watch on Netflix.
The show explores family dynamics within a failing relationship, and how individual turmoil can have a knock on effect, and both seasons received rave reviews.
Frantz
Frantz is a Franco-German film starring Pierre Niney, set in the aftermath of World War One.
It follows a young French soldier who struggles to overcome the guilt of killing a German soldier in combat on the front lines.
Tracking down the German soldier's family under the guise they were close friends, he grapples with his guilt, and complications arise as Niney’s character grows close to the family of his victim.
The film, shot in 2017, is hailed for its political significance and has continued to be well-received in the years since its release.
The film is available to download from Arte Boutique or Amazon Prime.
