A terrible tragedy struck Nice on what should have been a celebration of Bastille Day, France's national holiday. A driver crashed his truck into a crowd of people who came to watch the fireworks on the famous Promenade des Anglais. The city is in mourning, but the people of Nice are determined not to be defeated by this tragedy.

Lionel stays in Verdun for part two of this series. You will see the remains of the famous Battle of Verdun, which took place in 1916 and lasted ten months. The French soldiers were called poilus or "hairy men" because of their unshaven faces. Verdun also has a magnificent cathedral with stained glass windows.

In this video, you will learn the history of the French flag. Once it was completely white, the color of the French royalty, and now it's blue, white, and red. The French flag has recently been tainted with controversy by nationalist groups who have appropriated it as a symbol of their own causes.

Lionel tells us about the Seine's recent flooding, caused by severe weather conditions in Paris and surrounding areas. A statue of a French soldier below the Pont de l'Alma acts as an indicator of the river's water level.

Lionel discusses the French government's recent decision to invoke Article 49-3 of the Constitution in order to push through a controversial labor bill without a parliamentary vote. He also gives a brief description of the differences between the two houses of the French Parliament, the Senate and the National Assembly.

Lionel L introduces a new social phenomenon called "Nuit Debout" ("Up All Night" or "Rise Up Night"). It's a protest movement born from a general discontent regarding politics, labor laws, and other issues. At 6 p.m. every day, people take to the streets of Paris to discuss ideas and air their grievances. The movement is gathering momentum in other cities and countries as well.

In the first episode of "Mon Village" (My Village), Olivier takes us to Malicorne, a small town of two thousand inhabitants where exciting and innovative events happen all the time. You'll meet the enthusiastic mayor extraordinaire of Malicorne who can tread on water! Be sure to catch the very last caption to find out how it's done.

According to Lionel, we hear far too much about Charlie Hebdo and not enough about Le Canard Enchaîné, which is about to celebrate its centenary in 2016. This quality satirical newspaper is in a similar vein to Charlie Hebdo. Both papers even shared the same cartoonist, Cabu, who sadly did not survive the January attack on Charlie Hebdo. Le Canard Enchaîné was no stranger to extremist threats either.

In "Je suis Charlie" (I Am Charlie), Fabien Marsaud a.k.a. Grand Corps Malade commemorates the victims of the devastating attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. As the slam poet notes, "I prefer to pick up a pen because tonight I am Charlie."

When asked about their demands as French citizens, most of the women interviewed in this video call for more gender equality in the workplace and in everyday life. One of the women also stresses the importance of going beyond symbolic celebrations of women's rights (like International Women's Day) toward more concrete political activism.

In this video, a representative at an ecology trade show presents some innovative building materials that are eco-friendly and will allow you to save some money on your energy bills. These materials are made out of gypsum cellulose and are used for insulation.

In the last segment of this Il était une fois... episode on technology, we learn more about what vertical farms can do to help the planet thrive. The first commercial vertical farm recently opened in Singapore.

Our eco-friendly home show representative explains the benefits of cellulose wadding versus fiberglass, two insulation materials commonly used in houses.

The students present the Maestro with various solutions for eliminating pollution on our planet, including vertical farms and biotechnology.

A group of smart young people found revolutionary ways to solve our planet's woes. Electronic books, Internet mail and much more...