French Movies to Watch for Kids
Watching and consuming French media can be a fantastic way to improve your listening, comprehension and vocabulary skills. Additionally, watching original French movies can provide insight on French culture, politics and events. Here is our list of family-friendly French movies:
- Belle et Sébastien, 2013
- Based on the classic children’s novel from 1966 by Cecile Aubry. This is a timeless story about a young boy named Sebastien and his beautiful Great Pyrenees dog, Belle who live together in a small village nestled in the French alps. The movie is best for slightly older children as it deals with complex themes such as war, family, and loss.
- Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot, 1953
- Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot is a hilarious comedy classic from 1953, starring and directed by the comedic legend, Jacques Tati. The film follows the titular character and his misadventures as he tries to enjoy his summer vacation at a seaside resort. This film is perfect for the entire family, and remains a staple in French comedy, almost 70 years later.
- L’Ours, 1988
- L’Ours is a 1988 French adventure family film that follows the story of an orphaned bear cub, who finds an unlikely companion in an adult grizzly. Filmed in the beautiful Italian dolomites, the scenery is reason enough to watch this. L’Ours deals with themes such as orphanhood, resilience and protection.
- Une Vie de Chat, 2010
- This animated adventure crime comedy movie tells the story of a young Parisian girl and her cat, who leads them both into a life-changing adventure over the course of a single night. The animation style is exquisite, and earned the film an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature, as well as a Cesar nomination for Best Animated film.
- Le Ballon Rouge, 1956
- This suggestion is slightly different, as it’s a short film at only 35 minutes long. This featurette was written, produced and directed by Albert Lamorissse, and he cast his own children to star in the film. The premise is ostensibly simple: Pascal, a young boy, finds a red helium-filled balloon, which leads him on a series of adventures around Paris. However, the short deals with themes such as hope in postwar Paris, religion and philosophy.
