Difficulty:
Advanced
Canada
The situation of the French language in Quebec is controversial and complex. Montreal was an English-speaking city until 1920, and it wasn't until the passage of Law 101 in 1977 that French became the official language of Quebec. According to some of the interviewees in this video, Québécois French is in a precarious position once again, with municipal signage and corporate names in Montreal reverting to English, as well as shopkeepers who refuse to speak French.
Difficulty:
Advanced
Canada
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"!
Difficulty:
Advanced
Canada
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."
Difficulty:
Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol visits Fontainebleau, a town south of Paris that many French kings visited. Its magnificent Renaissance style castle was Napoleon's favorite residence.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol shows us around Cabourg in Normandy. There, you'll find a casino and the famous Grand Hôtel, where Marcel Proust stayed and found inspiration for his book In Search of Lost Time.
Difficulty:
Advanced
France, Morocco, West Africa
Our delightful young guide takes the opportunity to explain why she loves her neighborhood of Python-Duvernois. We meet some of the locals, including an aspiring Michael Schumacher and some young footballers.
Difficulty:
Adv-Intermediate
France, Morocco, West Africa
The locals interviewed at the Python-Duvernois neighborhood fair defend the reputation of their area and compete to win a roll of paper towels (or perhaps something a little more prize-worthy).
Difficulty:
Adv-Intermediate
France, Morocco, West Africa
The Python-Duvernois neighborhood, in Paris's 20th arrondissement, is having a block party filled with games, music, and food. There's even a stand on alcoholism prevention, complete with beer goggles!
Difficulty:
Adv-Intermediate
France
Axel gives a tour of his favorite park, the "Gardens of Luxembourg", which remind him of his childhood and teenage years.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
France
First a panorama, then a skating rink, and now a theater. Like many places in Paris, the 19th-century building that houses the Théâtre du Rond-Point has certainly undergone a lot of changes over the years. Lauren tells us why it's one of her favorite spots in the city.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol gives us a tour of Paris’s sixteenth district, where you’ll find the homes of Benjamin Franklin and Honoré de Balzac, among much else.
Difficulty:
Adv-Intermediate
France
In this video, Caroline takes us on a tour of her favorite Parisian street, the rue des Rosiers (“Rosebush Street”). A charming area full of art galleries and old buildings, this rue is also one of Paris’s most well-known Jewish neighborhoods.
Difficulty:
Beginner
France
What do Charles Baudelaire, Simone de Beauvoir, and the architect of the Statue of Liberty have in common? They are all buried in the Montparnasse cemetery, home to the graves of some of the greatest figures in French history. Here are some of its other famous souls.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
France
Michel, co-owner and head chef at Parigot, shows us how to make his very own tuna tartare. We can see why it’s so popular!
Difficulty:
Beginner
France
Come meet the owner of the bistro Parigot (French slang for “Parisian”). This charming restaurant is a French oasis at the intersection of Manhattan’s Chinatown/Little Italy and Soho districts.
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