Five contemporary French documentaries you should watch right now

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Fancy watching a French documentary?

Here are five of the best recent releases, with everything from ballet to cinema.

1. Tomorrow (Demain) – 2015 directed by Cyril Dion and French actress-filmmaker Mélanie Laurent

This was the first optimist documentary film about ecology that’s more focused on solutions than problems; it raises awareness and warns us without being defeatist. The film helps us understand all the pieces that need to fit together in order to ensure a greener and more sustainable world.

The film crew travel through the US, Denmark, India, and Switzerland and meet different people along the way who are all leaving their individual positive marks in life, whether it be in agriculture, energy, the economy, democracy or education… proving that in order to change the world, you need to start individually and locally. This film should be screened in every school!

2. Lumière (Lumière! L’aventure Commence) – 2016 directed by Thierry Frémaux

Lumière reintroduces some of cinema’s early moments through restored short films from the Lumière Brothers, showcasing an historic period in the history of France and the cinema world. Fremaux’s engaging expert commentary is the perfect companion to these short films, which effectively capture the birth of cinema.

The short films themselves are fun to watch and are historically informative – depicting Paris in the early 1900s – with an amazing job being done in restoring them. Lumière is a wonderful tribute for anyone interested in the history of cinema and the power of the filmed image.

3. Little Gems (Les Pépites) – 2016 directed by Xavier de Lauzanne. 

Les Pépites follows a couple of French retirees who launched a school for young children living in an underprivileged area of Phnom Penh, in Cambodia. The couple started their association PSE – For a Child’s Smile – in 1996, shortly after retiring.

The film is filled with humility, reminding us that you don’t not need to be a superhero to achieve great things, and that our power is in the humanity that we put into our actions. Despite being a documentary, the director manages to create a film which feels like it was made for the best of cinemas with its panoramic image and seamless rhythm. Les Pépites is the perfect mix of enlightening and entertaining thanks to its incredible use of humor – it’s an absolute must-see!

4. Reset (Relève : Histoire d’une Création) – 2015 directed by Thierry Demaizière & Alban Teurlai. 

Relève documents the creation of the charismatic Benjamin Millepied’s (choreographer of Black Swan, the film where he met his wife Natalie Portman) first ballet upon taking on the role of Artistic Director of the Paris Opera Ballet – the oldest and one of the most prestigious national ballet companies in the world.

The film provides fascinating insights into what goes on behind the curtains, revealing the relationship between music and movement and showing the creative process that goes into making such masterpieces of ballet. Be warned: Millepied’s enthusiasm is infectious!

5. Journey Through French Cinema (Voyage à Travers le Cinéma Français) – 2016 directed by Bertrand Tavernier.

This is Bertrand Tavernier’s (a Godfather of French cinema) personal journey through French cinema, with the greatest of French actors and directors.

The 190-minute documentary really is a journey, starting in the 1930s and all the way through to the 1970s, highlighting important films and scenes while also showcasing hundreds of film that Tavernier comments on with historical insight and aesthetic precision. No one could have done a better job of this documentary than Tavernier thanks to his unparalleled knowledge, experience and enthusiasm. Bravo!

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The five most romantic French films of all time

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No one makes romantic films like the French do – here are five of the best. And no, Amelie is not one of them.

In the mood for a cosy movie night? Here are your best options, from the masters of French film (with English subtitles), Lost in Frenchlation.

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A musical fairy tale, starring Catherine Deneuve (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) who is at her most beautiful in this film, and Jean Marais (Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast). Peau d’Âne is about a widowed king who insists that his second wife be as beautiful as his first.
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As with all good fairytales, the film has its dark side… incest being its main theme. Yet somehow, it still manages to maintain its charm through its genius artistic design, use of colour, and memorable songs. You will either hate it or love it, but you won’t be able to get the haunting main theme song (from the great film score composer Michel Legrand) out of your head.
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A drama/teen flick about 13-year-old Vic who is trying to fit in at her new school, but is roadblocked by her parents who won’t let her go to the “boum” (big party). With some help from her grandma, she manages to get there anyway and meets the love of her life, Matthieu…  
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The film captures the mood of teenage love while avoiding the sentimentality that takes over in American films with similar story lines. Its honesty and depiction of first love, friendship, and family troubles make it something that everyone can relate to. It’s a “classic” for those who grew up in the eighties, and equally loved by people from all generations.
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A romantic comedy starring Romain Duris (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) who runs a business designed to break up relationships. The immoral firm is hired to break up the wedding of a rich client’s daughter (Vanessa Paradis), a strong-minded businesswoman about to marry a charming English man (Andrew Lincoln).
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Look out for the darkly funny and brilliant prologue at the beginning of the film which sets the story’s tone, as well as the Dirty Dancing scene which is another must-see. It’s the kind of thing Hollywood loves to copy but never manages to do with the required French lightness and elegance.
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Another romantic comedy about an under-40 fashionista (Virginie Efira) who falls for an appealing yet clumsy student (Pierre Niney). Despite the 20-year age difference (as suggested by the French title), the chemistry between them is perfect. The movie is filled with hilarious scenes about the mismatches in all kinds of life experiences (especially the scene of the couple’s first, quite awkward sexual encounter) and plays to the French stereotype that cougars are both sexy and cool.
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A drama about how a tax inspector (Benoît Poelvoorde), his new bride (Chiara Mastroianni) and her sister (Charlotte Gainsbourg) become caught up in a love triangle (a not-so-uncommon experience in France… according to another stereotype).
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Featuring amazing performances from the actors, it’s a strong film about love, passion, and chance. This sentimental thriller’s cruelness and tenderness will pull you in two directions at once, making it a movie that needs to be on your list of things to watch.

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Five must-see French films for 2017

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Looking to watch a French film this year? These films will be the cream of the crop, say the masters of French film (with English subtitles), Lost in Frenchlation.

1. Demain tout Commence (Two Is A Family) – 2018

Directed by Hugo Gélin and starring Omar Sy from the hit ‘Intouchables’, this film has already garnered 4.4/5 stars on Allociné (the French cinema bible).

It sees Sy’s character, Samuel, partying hard in Marseille, only to be awoken one morning by a woman carrying a baby she claims is his. He chases her to London where he finds work and raises the child alone. It’s sure to be a film to remember.

2. Dalida – 2016

This biography was directed and written by Lisa Azuelos and stars Sveva Alviti as the iconic Dalida, who was famous in the 60s, singing in French, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, German, Italian.

In real life, Dalida recorded 500 French songs and is well loved by the French, so many will be hoping this film lives up to expectations.

3. Rock’n Roll – 2017

Guillaume Canet plays an actor who is told by a young co-star that he’s no longer ‘Rock’n’ Roll’ and can’t sell films anymore. He then tries to prove her wrong and gets help from his girlfriend, who’s played by Marion Cotillard.

The pair are a couple in real life and met during the filming of ‘Jeux d’Enfants’ (‘Love me if you dare’). The chemistry between them on the screen is perfect, like in ‘Les Petits Mouchoirs’ (‘Little White Lies’) which we highly recommend. This one should be just as good.

5. Le Secret de la Chambre Noire – 2017

Directed by horror master Kiyoshi Kurosawa, this film sees a photographer’s assistant enter into a frightening world and family of his employer.

It is a Kurosawa ghost story — but in French, starring ‘Un Prophète’ star Tahar Rahim. It’s Kurosawa’s first project abroad, his first in another language, and his first with a European crew. It should be very interesting.

6. Monsieur & Madame Adelman – 2017

A romantic comedy directed by the hilarious actor and comedian Nicolas Bedos, 36, marking his first attempt behind the camera. The movie tells of a 50-year long love story and stars Bedos himself with Doria Tillier.

It’s the first French ‘rom-com’ of the year, and appears to be very unusual and promising.

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Why do the French have such ‘crazy’ and ‘sexy’ movie titles?

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WE’VE COLLECTED 21 OF THE MOST BIZARRE, SEXIEST, AND CRAZIEST EXAMPLES OF WHEN THE FRENCH HAVE RENAMED ENGLISH MOVIE TITLES… IN ENGLISH. BUT WHY DO THEY DO IT?
The French have a strange habit of changing English-language movie names to different English-language titles.

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So, for example, The Hangover became Very Bad Trip for its France release:

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Strange, sure. But far from the strangest.

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So Euro Trip, for example, became Sex Trip.

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In fact, we noticed that the French translation team seems to have an unusual affinity for the word “sex”.

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Wild Things, meanwhile, became Sex Crimes.

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Sometimes the translators didn’t even really try…

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… at all.

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But it’s not just “sex”. The French movie re-namers also seem to love the word “crazy”, as seen below.

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And Trainwreck became Crazy Amy…

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Sometimes it goes a step further and brings in full-blown orgies.

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So why are the French doing this?

Our theory is that many of the renamed films are destined to be Z-list flops, and that the French teams are desperate to “sex them up” to improve the sales.
French film expert Judith Prescott, who runs the site French Cinema Review, says she thinks the new titles are there to tell the French market “what to expect in three words or less”.
“Sex sells and so it’s not surprising that so many movies include ‘sex’ in the title,” she tells The Local.
“In the same way, putting the word ‘crazy’ in the title signals to French audiences a madcap, fun, romp of a movie, likewise the word ‘very’ suggests cool, funny, buddy movie like Very Bad Trip for The Hangover or Very Bad Cop for The Other Guys.
“It’s a form of cinematic shorthand, but the French should shy away from reinforcing national stereotypes n’est-ce pas?”
Indeed.

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Manon Kerjean, meanwhile, who runs the Lost in Frenchlation movie screenings in Paris, says the changed titles reflect French people’s approach to the English language.
“I think it’s funny although it proves that the French are a little bit lazy with English and with languages in general,” she tells The Local.
“I think it’s good if it makes French people identify more easily with the film and if as a result they go to the cinema more.
“But I think it’s also a little bit embarrassing in the sense that they need to modify the language to be able to understand it instead of opening up to the English culture and learning the language more thoroughly.”
Explain it however you like, but there’s no denying that there is a strong tendency to get sex in movie titles.
Like this one:

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Or this…

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Even the cover image of the film below got extremely sex-ified.

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And why call a movie “Shortcut to Happiness” when you can call it “Sexy Devil”?

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Sometimes it seems the French just take out words to add “sex” instead.

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The film below went for “Sexy Therapy” instead of the more predictable “Sex Therapy”…

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But that’s only because Sex Therapy existed…

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Anyway, as we said, it’s not all sex and craziness. Sometimes the French have just picked some interesting choices for new film names. Here are a few favorites:

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But who are we kidding? The best ones are the ones with a random “sex” in the title.

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The Must-See French Films of the Millennium

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Here are eight of the best and newest French films to see before you die (or when you get some spare time):
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1. Jeux d’enfants(Love me if you dare)
directed by Yann Samuell, 2003
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At age 7, Julien and Sophie start a game which will last for their lifetimes: “Cap/Pas cap” (Game on or not?). The game will determine every decision they make together, turning the rest of their lives into a series of tumultuous bets.
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The chemistry between the stars Guillaume Canet and Marion Cotillard is clear, and the two ended up getting married in real life. Julien’s monologue as he is driving before the accident is a must-see – every romantic French person knows it.
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2. Paris, je t’aime(Paris, I love you)
directed by 22 directors including Gus Van Sant, Joel and Ethan Coen, Wes Craven, and Alfonso Cuaron, 2006
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This film is a collection of short movies from every neighborhood in Paris, culminating in a creative and unique puzzle. Each director brings their own perspective for this wonderful homage to the City of Lights. And what better way to start the movie than with Montmartre…
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3. Le nom des gens (The names of love)
directed by Michel Leclerc, 2010
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This is a film about a young and enthusiastic left-wing activist who employs an unorthodox method of recruiting people for her cause: sleeping with as many right-wingers as possible. It’s one of the most original French comedies around.
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4. La guerre est déclarée (Declaration of war)
directed by Valérie Donzelli, 2011
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Director Donzelli wrote the movie with the father of her son, Jérémie Elkaïm, and both actors star in the moving film which was inspired by their own personal experiences. It’s about a child who is diagnosed with a brain tumour and how his young parents, Roméo and Juliette, must come together to fight for his survival.
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Both actors give poetic performances and the film looks at the family bond as a beautiful declaration of love rather than war. Be ready for the Vivaldi music (Four Seasons – Winter) to keep playing in your head for a while too…
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5. Camille redouble (Camille rewinds)
directed by Noémie Lvovsky, 2012
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Bitter-sweet comedy meets science-fiction as the main character (Lvovsky, the director) time travels back into her past as a 16-year-old the 80s. Fans of the 80s will love how Lvovsky pays an incredible amount of attention to detail with the use of era-appropriate accessories, clothes and expressions.
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But be prepared, there are some heartbreaking scenes… you might need some tissues for this one.
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6. De rouille et d’os (Rust and bone)
directed by Jacques Audiard, 2012
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In his typical style, Oscar-nominated director Jacques Audiard uses very strong characters which must fight their way through life against challenging obstacles. The film is about a relationship between an emotionally handicapped man and a physically handicapped woman. Although their characters are polar-opposites, they can relate to one another because they both do not fit into mainstream society. The actors give remarkable performances having been led by an incredible director. It’s a masterpiece.
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7. Mon roi (My king)
directed by Maïwenn, 2015
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This film sees Tony (Emmanuelle Bercot) reflecting on her passionate and volatile relationship with her ex-husband (Vincent Cassel) after she was involved in a skiing accident. The actors deliver incredible performances with Bercot taking home the Best Actress Award at Cannes. It’s a powerful, at times violent story that is kept upbeat by one-liners from Tony’s hilarious brother. This movie is a must-see, but be warned that it is emotionally draining
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directed by Houda Benyamina, 2016
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Divines is set in the often overlooked and harsh suburbs of Paris, but the underlying subjects of the film are friendship and hope. You might feel like the images or dialogues challenge you somewhat, but the movie still manages to be an amazing mixture of fun, laughter and tears. To put it bluntly, you’ll feel like you’ve just been punched in the face after watching Divines, but that’s a fair price to pay for experiencing this piece of genius. This is another one you’ll need the tissues for… Here’s to hoping that we have more films like this coming out of France.

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