1. La Haine (1995)
After a chaotic night of rioting in a suburb of Paris we follow three young friends as they wander around the city waiting for news about the state of health of a mutual friend who has been seriously injured when confronting the police.
La Haine by Mathieu Kassovitz is commenting on the police brutality in France during the 90s. In 2024 a hiphop musical adaptation was made showing it's relevance today.
I like the form of the film. It's mostly character and script driven following three friends during 24 hours. It doesn't follow a classic dramaturgy where the characters have a clear objective but is more of a "hangout film" where we are given the characters perspective on the state of France during this time period.
2. Belleville Baby (2013)
Belleville baby by Swedish director Mia Engberg is by far my favourite documentary.
One day Mia gets a call from a french lover from her youth. She thought he was dead but in reality he had spent the 8 years in prison. He wants her to help him remember the good parts of his life, the time he spent with her.
The film is poetic in every way and shows us how one story can tell a bigger story of our time and age. She builds the film with sound and works experimentally with the visuals.
The film is part of a trilogy with two following films Lucky One (2019) and Hypermoon (2023)
She also made a book where she writes about her process making the film.
3. Climax (2018)
Climax by Gaspar Noé is a musical turned thriller and have me hooked, which is funny because I don't usually like thrillers. You just have to watch it!
4. Flee (2021)
Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen is a documentary that I can't stop thinking about.
Recounted mostly through animation to protect his identity, Amin looks back over his past as a child refugee from Afghanistan as he grapples with a secret he’s kept hidden for 20 years.
When it comes to portraying war, we rarely get to see the whole story. The choice of animation makes it possible to enter memories and recreate Amin's story from his point of view and I think that's what makes this film so special.
5. The Intouchables (2011)
When I say I was raised by this film I mean it.
"Somtimes you have to reach into someone else's world to find out what's missing in your own"
The Intouchables by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano is a true story of two men who should never have met – a quadriplegic aristocrat who was injured in a paragliding accident and a young man from the projects.
Growing up in France this film was my dads favourite film and together with Mamma Mia (2008) it was the most frequently played DVD in the Edén household.
Watching it today it not only reminds of my childhood but it's also a beautiful portrait of french culture and how this film was my family's way into it.