For this advanced French course, you will watch a film at home (available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Canal Plus, Orange, YouTube and other platforms) before a lively and engaging discussion in class. Each week a new film provides a basis for an immersive lesson with authentic spoken language and cultural reference points. Watching films is entertaining and enjoyable which breaks through psychological barriers that can arise in traditional language learning.
If you love movies, there’s no more enjoyable way to increase vocabulary, improve conversational skills, and deepen your understanding of French culture. You can expect to view a wide range of films from the classic to the contemporary in many different genres. Here are the films under consideration for the spring trimester:
Du Rififi chez les hommes (1955). Thriller, drame de Jules Dassin, avec Jean Servais, Robert Manuel.
Petite nature (2022). Drame et comédie de Samuel Theis, avec Aliocha Reinert, Antoine Reinartz, Mélissa Olexa.
Edmond (2019). Comédie historique d’Alexis Michalik, avec Thomas Solivérès, Olivier Gourmet, Mathilde Seigner.
Journal d’un curé de campagne (1951) de Robert Bresson, avec Claude Laydu, André Guibert, Marie-Monique Arkell.
Petit Paysan (2017) d’Hubert Charuel, avec Swann Arlaud, Sara Giraudeau, Bouli Lanners.
La source des femmes (2011) de Radu Mihaileanu, avec Leïla Bekhti, Hafsa Herzi, Hiam Abbass.
Marie-Octobre (1959) de Julien Duvivier, avec Danielle Darrieux, Paul Guers, Bernard Blier
Un coeur en hiver (2003) de Claude Sautet, avec Daniel Auteuil, André Dussollier, Emmanuelle Béart.
Coup de foudre (1983) de Diane Kurys, avec Miou-Miou, Isabelle Huppert, Guy Marchand.
La Belle équipe (1936) de Julien Duvivier, avec Jean Gabin, Charles Vanel, Raymond Aimos.
Sage Femme (2017) de Martin Provost, avec Catherine Frot, Catherine Deneuve, Oliver Gourmet.
Chacun cherche son chat (1996) de Cédric Klapisch, avec Garance Clavel, Romain Duris, Renée Le Calm.
About the Instructor
Valérie Brosbrann grew up in Paris and moved to the US in 1981 where she lived for 38 years in New York City, Washington, D.C and Boston. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University. She has been teaching French since 1986. She taught adults with the US State Department, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Afterwards, she taught at private high schools in Manhattan. She has taught all levels of French including Advanced and AP classes. She returned to Paris for retirement in 2018 and has been volunteering with WICE for four years.
