Difficulty: Intermediate
Canada
Georges Laraque, one of the most renowned hockey players in the NHL, tells us about an innovative project: vertical farming, whose technology will limit the use of natural resources needed to grow plants.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
After multiple organizations refused to finance his film Un frère comme moi (A Brother Like Me), Alain Etoundi decided to speak out by making a short film called Allez tous vous faire enfilmer! (Go Film Yourselves!). He criticizes the French film industry for not doing justice to suburban black communities, preferring instead to churn out films with stereotypical black characters.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
A black mother who joined the film project launched by Alain Etoundi is critical of movies that don't portray black people accurately and perpetuate stereotypes. She says there's a dearth of good movies with positive role models for young black people.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
In the final segment of Alain Etoundi's Allez tous vous faire enfilmer! (Go Film Yourselves!), Etoundi denounces the French criminal justice system, which tends to punish poor people of color more heavily than affluent white people who commit similar crimes.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Bicloune is a unique bicycle shop in Paris with a wide variety of models, from antique bikes from 1905 to contemporary foldable ones. Audrey Hepburn supposedly used to ride a bicycle like one found in this store.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Canada
Montreal is famous for hockey, but who cares about hockey when you can have chocolat? Edith Gagnon, owner of La Maison Cakao, shows us the magic behind her charmants chocolates.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Cyril Dion, Mélanie Laurent, and their crew set out to discover how people are trying to make the world a better place. They travel to Reunion Island, Finland, Belgium, India, Great Britain, the United States, Switzerland, Sweden, and Iceland for their documentary Demain (Tomorrow).
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Have you ever wondered where the wool from your luxurious angora sweater comes from? At the Ferme de la Croix, a lovely lady breeds angora rabbits and goats on her farm. She explains the shearing process and how she cares for her pets. We learn that one rabbit can yield forty balls of angora wool every hundred days. That's a lot of sweaters!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the second episode of Ferme de la Croix de Pierre, the goat breeder gets all warm and cuddly with one of her baby goats, which become like plush toys when bottle-fed. She'll teach you all you need to know about caring for these adorable animals.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
After the farm visit, it's time for our angora rabbit and goat breeder to show us around her boutique, where you can stock up on fluffy angora wool sweaters and super light and warm socks to help you enjoy the winter in comfort.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Gilles Martineau is a craftsman who makes beautiful objects out of concrete. Using 3D software, he first designs a mold that he prints himself with a 3D printer. Then he pours concrete into the mold to create his art.
Difficulty: Advanced
France
Giulia has been a jewelry maker since 2012, when she launched her Desidero brand. You can see and buy her creations in her boutique and studio located in Paris.
Difficulty: Newbie
France
Joanna just moved into a new apartment, which is slightly bigger than her old one, and she invited us inside to show us around. She uses some essential household-related vocabulary in her tour, so keep your eyes open for any words you don't already know!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Being born premature is risky, but thanks to modern medical techniques, six out of ten babies who are born greatly premature will grow up to be perfectly healthy children.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Josephine Baker, the legendary singer, actress, and cabaret dancer, played a very active role in World War Two in France. Using her celebrity as a cover, she helped with counterintelligence efforts during the French Resistance.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Josephine Baker was inducted into the Pantheon in recognition of her outstanding service during World War Two. Yet scholars have only just begun to study her contributions to the war effort.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Paris would be an entirely different city today if the architect Le Corbusier had carried out his ambitious project for the capital. But Minister of Culture André Malraux put a stop to this and set out to preserve the historic heritage of Paris by introducing a new law. Find out what Paris could have looked like in this video!
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: 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
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, France
One might think that the push to remove anglicisms from the French language would be stronger in France, but the larger movement to "purify" French is actually happening in Quebec. Many Québécois worry that the French language is endangered in Canada, and the Quebec government has taken measures to preserve it by inventing new words instead of borrowing from English. That's why an email is still un email in France, but un courriel in Quebec.
Difficulty: Advanced
Canada, France
French Canada is a cultural mosaic that is still exploring its identity. Some French Canadians feel more American than French, while others feel more of an allegiance to their French roots. Somehow, a Quebecois nation is emerging out of all this, but not without some growing pains.
Difficulty: Advanced
Canada, France
In part 6 of Le Québec parle aux Français, the interviewees compare and contrast the immigrant situation in France and Quebec. France, being a smaller country, creates additional pressure for immigrants, while in Quebec, immigrants do rather well. Later, Olivier treats us to a little song he wrote himself.
Difficulty: Advanced
Canada, France
In part seven of this series on Quebec, Olivier focuses on something that is dear to the hearts of many Québécois: the majestic Saint Lawrence River. He also explores their relationship with money and the way they conduct business. Olivier asks whether it's easier to do business in Quebec or in France. Quebec, it seems, offers more opportunities for companies, with fewer regulations and restrictions, while France remains a very productive country despite the thirty-five-hour workweek.
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