A lesson in French cinema

“With approximately 40 Year 9 students, we embarked on a journey to the British Film Institute, on London’s South Bank, where we immersed ourselves in the world of French cinema.

For the first part of the visit, we watched a series of interesting short films, known as ‘courts-métrages’, that addressed societal issues such as mental health, the environment and diversity. A seasoned French teacher at the Institute guided us through the material in each film, giving us lots of explanation, and during this experience we found ourselves expanding our French vocabulary, which was great! We also discussed the films with our classmates, and everyone very much enjoyed hearing each other’s opinions on the films, as well as their understanding of them.

Following lunch, which we had while enjoying amazing views of London, we returned to the film institute, and watched a French drama masterpiece called Belle et Sebastien – arguably one of the greatest French films of all time! It is the story of a ‘feral’ dog and an orphan in the French Alps during World War II, living through the hardships of Vichy France. They try to foil a Nazi plan to capture French resistance fighters. Their adventures are very emotional, and we were all very captivated! To everyone, allez voir le film! (watch the film!)

Overall, the day proved to be an unforgettable experience, enhancing our grasp of the French language and culture.” Rishi (9WA) and Lucas (9AHJ) n