Marion Cotillard was not a superstar when she landed the role of Edith Piaf in La Môme. But, already a formidable actress, she had an impressive set of roles under her belt, and the film’s director had no doubt she was “the one.” He was right: Marion took home the Oscar for best actress in 2008.

An interesting note: The USA release title for the film – in French, ironically enough – is La Vie en Rose, the name of a famous Piaf song, which basically means, “life through rose-colored glasses.” The French title comes from Piaf’s nickname: “La Môme Piaf,” which can be translated as “the little sparrow,” but also means “little kid Piaf.”

The “ch’ti” dialect and way of life of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France is the subject of the movie Bienvenue chez les ch’tis, number two on the all-time French box office list and the first French movie on the list. Actor-director Dany Boon knew just the right mix of ingredients to make it stick.

It’s common to see photos of celebrities aged forty and up happily pregnant or pushing a pram. But according to most doctors, a woman’s chances of conceiving drop dramatically after age thirty-eight or so. Of course there are exceptions. Modern medical fertility treatments allowed a sixty-six-year-old Romanian woman to give birth to twins in 2005. But unless we’re willing and able to procure such treatments, which can be financially, emotionally, and physically draining, those who want to wait until their forties to have kids will have to take their chances.

Youssef Ben Amar is a rapper and political activist who is running for office in the fourth legislative district of the Sarthe department. He shares his views and urges people to take an interest in politics, which he believes is something that all people do every day.

In this video, you'll learn how to make delicious sablés, a type of buttery shortbread, for the holidays. They keep for about three weeks, in case you don't eat them all at once...

Will the French have to dine on cod liver or other such delicacies during this coronavirus pandemic? Can the food industry cope with the extra demand in supermarkets? Watch this video to find out.

Where will you find two thousand three hundred and nine movie theater seats, twenty exhibition halls, and twenty-five projection rooms? At the Cannes Film Festival, of course! Watch this video to learn about the history and impact of this major annual event.

A wildlife hospital near Montpellier in the south of France treats injured birds and other animals. Unfortunately, a lot of those injuries are caused by human actions.

In part two of this video on wildlife rescue, you will watch birds being released back into the wild, a cause for celebration among locals and an opportunity for the public to be educated about protecting these animals.

In 1983, the Marche des Beurs highlighted the problem of anti-Arab racism in France. Forty years on, the country is still feeling its effects.

On October 15, 1983, a dozen people set out from Marseille to march against racism and police violence. En route to Paris, they met many people who, to their surprise, were sympathetic to their cause.

In 1983, the murder of an Algerian immigrant on a train galvanized a massive anti-racism protest that led to significant government reforms. But racism remains a serious problem in France to this day.

Stéphanie is responsible for rehousing people who are in precarious situations. The arrival of millions of tourists for the Paris Olympic Games has driven up housing prices, making it difficult for low-income residents to find a place to live.

In the first episode of this documentary on Quebec, a young Frenchman shares his impressions on Canada. As the interviewees in the film demonstrate, the Quebecois have conflicting attitudes toward the French—some see them as "snobs," while others see them as just "polite."

In the second episode of Le Québec parle aux Français, we learn more about the complex relationship between the French and the Quebecois throughout history. We also learn about the evolution of the French language in Quebec—according to a former Prime Minister of Quebec, the province even "spoke French before France"!