Online temporary resources in French
24 Apr '20 by Pauline Boucherie
During this time of confinement, thousands of initiatives are popping up on the Internet to entertain us from home. The involvement of the
media and cultural institutions is impressive, and a lot of platforms feature free online resources in French. However, some of them are
available only for a short time, due to the current context. Find in this article a list of cultural resources available temporarily, to
carry on enjoying French and Francophone culture this weekend! This article especially features opera, dance and film resources.
Until April, 27th
“My French Film Festival”
This short film festival launched its “Stay Home edition” and broadcasts more than 70 French short movies from its past 10
editions. This is an amazing platform where the movies are available for free until April 27th. Find a lot of different genres, for both
adults and children, subtitled in many languages.
https://www.myfrenchfilmfestival.com/en/
Until May, 21st
“Cendrillon” (ballet)
The Paris Opera website features regular reruns of
major works that were performed there.
Only between April 18th and May 21st, watch the ballet “Cendrillon” (“Cinderella”). This ballet by Rudolf Noureev
was performed between November 2018 and January 2019 at the Opéra Bastille, Paris. The show lasts 2 hours and the video is available in the
US. However, a lot of other videos broadcast on this platform are not. On April 27th, find the next rerun: the opera for adults
“Carmen”. Keep an eye on their website to discover new reruns each month!
Until June
Comic opera for children
Two comic operas aimed at children 6 years and older are available for free on Opéra comique’s website.
- “La Princesse légère”, by Violeta Cruz
The video lasts 1 hour 30 min and was created in 2017. The play is divided into two parts, and it is inspired by a tale from the British
writer George Macdonald. It is about a princess who was condemned by a witch to be always “light”, both physically and mentally,
which means she is ignorant about important topics. This is a fun opera that explores the way children face important issues. The video is
available until May, 31st.
https://www.opera-comique.com/fr/saisons/saison-2020/princesse-legere-replay
-
“Le mystère de l'écureuil bleu”, by Marc-Olivier Dupin and Ivan Grinberg
This is a mix between a mystery for children and a discovery of lyrical art. This opera was created on the Internet and then shot in 2016.
It lasts 1 hour 30, and it is available until June, 15th. This is the story of a comic opera theatre where the lead singer’s blue
squirrel is found murdered.
https://www.opera-comique.com/fr/saisons/saison-2020/mystere-l-ecureuil-bleu-replay
Every Wednesday: movies
“MK2 Curiosity”
This is an initiative from MK2, a French film distributor, and Trois Couleurs, a film magazine, aimed at curious people. Every
Wednesday, they release several free movies
that they consider “hidden treasures, rare and bizarre movies”, though important in international film history. Most of the
time the movies are in French, without subtitles. However you can sometimes find movies in English or with French subtitles.
This week, the 5 movies available talk about freedom, identity and revolution:
- “Sur la Route”, Walter Salles, 2012
This 2-hour movie is an adaptation of the novel “On the Road” written by Jack Kerouac. It is in English, with French
subtitles.
- “Black Panthers”, Agnès Varda, 1968
This is a 28-minute documentary in French, shot during the trial of one of the Black Panther’s leaders. It is dedicated to their
Movement.
- “Plein Sud”, by Sébastien Lifshitz, 2009
This movie about a group of friends lasts 1 hour 30 min. Its main topic is body freedom.
- “Sydney, l’autre Chaplin”, by Éric Lange and Serge Bromberg, 2017
This documentary in French about Charlie Chaplin’s brother lasts 55 minutes.
-
“Commentaires de Fanny Ardant et Gérard Depardieu sur quelques scènes de “La Femme d’à côté” de François
Truffaut”
These two actors comment on François Truffaut’s movie. The video lasts 26 minutes.
https://www.troiscouleurs.fr/curiosity-by-mk2/
Entertain yourself, and carry on enjoying French language! We hope that these resources will help children, adults, Francophones and
Francophiles put up a bit more with the quarantine.