4 French podcasts to try

Do you listen to podcasts *en conduisant, en marchant ou en préparent le dîner? We do – and we’ve recently introduced a few more *chouchous to their joys 

Whether you love a good yarn, are a newshound, or are simply looking for a new way to level up your French learning, here are four LF-approved podcasts to try. *Bonne écoute!

Duolingo French Podcast

Fans of the popular Duolingo language app will love this podcast aimed at intermediate learners. The easy-to-follow episodes feature a wide range of compelling real-life stories told in clear French, interspersed with English where explanation is needed. The podcast has since wrapped, but it’s well worth working your way through the back catalogue.  

Listen here

Little Talk in Slow French

Hosted by French actress Nagisa Morimoto, this intermediate-friendly podcast is a pleasure to listen to. Covering everything from the French revolution to topics such as how to stay optimistic in *ce monde fou and Nagisa’s *meilleurs conseils pour apprendre des langues, the slow(ish) pace and transcripts help with comprehension.  

Listen here

News in Slow French

Like it says on the tin, this weekly podcast delivers news and current affairs in (truly) slow French. Practice your listening skills while keeping abreast of *l'actualité in under 10 minutes. There are episodes for intermediate and advanced learners.

Listen here (intermediate) and here (advanced)

French Through Stories

If the last thing you need in your life is more news, this podcast provides a welcome respite. Listen to well-paced short stories (or passages) in French, then see how much you understood as the host translates them into English. For beginner (A2) to intermediate (B1) learners.

Listen here 

* while driving, walking or making dinner | *teacher’s pets | *Happy listening! | *this crazy world | *best advice for learning languages |*the news

Two People Exchanging Saliva

If you have a spare half hour, you might want to watch the absurd sapphic tragicomedy Two People Exchanging Saliva – (tied) winner of Best Live Action Short Film at this year’s Oscars. Shot artfully in black and white, largely at Galeries Lafayette (where filmmakers have been invited to film at night since 2021), the film is the vision of Bordeaux-born, Brooklyn-based Alexandre Singh and his Romanian American wife, Natalie Musteata.

Set in a world where kissing is punishable by death and *les achats are paid for with slaps (cue: painting on bruises to suggest wealth), it’s a dystopian diversion that explores themes of consumerism, desire and repression.  

* purchases

Laure Calamy

Born in Orléans in 1975, Laure Calamy is one of France’s best-loved *comédiennes, best known for her breakout role as the lovelorn and libidinous assistant Noémie in the hit Netflix series, Call My Agent!

Equally adept at dramatic and comedic roles, Calamy trained at Paris’s prestigious Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique and began her career in theatre before branching out into TV and film.

Her first big screen nod came in 2021, when she won the César Award for Best Actress for her screwball role in AFFFF favourite Antoinette dans le Cévennes (My Donkey, My Lover & I).

After last year’s moving festival outing in My Everything, playing a single mother of a 30-year-old son with cerebral palsy, Calamy is taking a lighter turn in the comedy *Classe Moyenne (The Party’s Over ).

* actresses | *Middle Class

Le nécessaire à culture

If you’re keen for a French comprehension challenge, *Le nécessaire à culture is a great Instagram account to follow for Culture, Histoire & Savoir (Culture, History & Knowledge.)

From Pourquoi Bordeaux est devenue la capitale du vin? to Boucicaut, l’inventeur du shopping, you’ll learn something new while testing your listening skills.

* The Cultivation Kit | * Why did Bordeaux become the wine capital? | * Boucicaut, the inventor of shopping

Book It: Nouvelle Vague

Putting a chic twist on ‘80s new wave and punk tracks from the likes of Joy Division, The Cure and Depeche Mode, French musical project Nouvelle Vague (New Wave) is headed back to our shores. For one night in only, they’ll bring their bossa nova-style covers to the Tivoli in Fortitude Valley.

Not familiar? Get a taste of their sultry vibe below.

Tickets start at $99, and *les portes ouvriront at 7 pm on October 1st. We’ll see you there

Nouvelle Vague
1 October, 2026
The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley
Grab your tickets

* doors open

QAGOMA Visit in French

Fancy levelling up your next cultural outing and challenging your French listening skills? We have just the thing.

The Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) and Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) offer free gallery highlights tours – conducted *en français. Visit the website for times and brush up on your art vocab before you book.

French Language Guided Gallery Tours
QAG & GOMA, South Brisbane
10:15-11am, selected dates
Book here

* In French

See It: L'Étranger

For lovers of French literature, one of the most anticipated films of the upcoming Alliance Française French Film Festival is undoubtedly L’Etranger (The Stranger) – François Ozon’s take on one of the most-read French novels around the globe.

Ranked number one on Le Monde’s 100 Books of the Century list, The Stranger is Albert Camus’ first foray into absurdism, telling the tale of a mysterious expat, Mersault, who is unwittingly drawn into a murder on an Algerian beach.

Set in 1930s French Algeria and sumptuously shot in black and white, the auteur’s faithful adaptation of the 1942 classic has received numerous accolades, including the awards for best film, best actor (Benjamin Voisin) and best cinematographer at The Lumiere Awards – France’s answer to the Golden Globes.

View session times here.

King & Conqueror

Our chouchous are always full of viewing recs, and here’s another one history buffs (who don’t mind a bit of artistic license) or fans of James Norton might enjoy. King & Conqueror is an epic 8-part series based on the struggle for the English throne that culminated in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Alongside Norton as Harold II, it stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (of Game of Thrones fame) as the conquering William of Normandy, with Emily Beecham and Clémence Poésy as the women in their lives.

Not sure you’re up to the French? *Pas de souci, this one is in English. Reviews are mixed, but you can read all about it here and decide if it’s for you.

Watch it now on SBS on Demand.

*No problem

Worth a Watch: From Rock Star to Killer

Love True Crime? The three-part documentary ‘From Rock Star to Killer’ is the perfect weekend binge watch. Now on Netflix, the series revisits a scandal from the early oughts that’s back in the news – the death of beloved actress Marie Trintignant at the hands of her musician lover, Bernard Cantat, in 2003.

The documentary shines an unflattering light on the victim-blaming nature of the media and public perception at the time – drawing attention to her ‘excesses’ and insinuating her personal choices led to the ‘crime of passion’ – and has prompted the recent reopening of the investigation into the 2010 death by suicide of his ex‑wife, Kristina Rády.

Watch De rockstar à tueur: le cas Cantat on Netflix now.

Échappées belles

Need some inspiration for your next holiday? We recommend you tune in to the fabulous Échappées belles (Great Escapes). Airing weekly on France 5 since 2006, the popular travel and discovery show is akin to a Gallic Getaway – but much more in-depth.

Each 90-minute episode does a deep dive into *une seule destination. Enjoy them at your leisure, with most episodes available to watch free on the official Échappées belles YouTube channel.

Here’s a little taste.

*a single destination

Charles Aznavour’s ‘She’

Penned by beloved French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour and lyricist Herbert Kretzmer in 1974, ‘She’ is an iconic love song with two lives. Originally recorded in English (and later also in French, German, Spanish and Italian), it was the theme tune for a British TV series and reached number one success in the UK and Ireland.

However, the moving ballad didn’t reach nearly the same heights in Aznavour’s homeland, and it wasn’t until Elvis Costello’s cover appeared in Notting Hill that *le monde entier est tombé amoureux.

Learn the ‘She’ story in this instalment of ‘Once Upon a Song.’

And don’t miss the man himself singing the original version below.

*the whole world fell in love

Series: D’argent et de sang

After a French series to keep you glued to *la télé this winter? With 12 gripping episodes, D’argent et de sang (Of Money and Blood) is a stylish crime thriller following “one of the biggest financial swindles of all time”.

Inspired by a book of the same name by investigative journalist Fabrice Arfi, the series is based on true events surrounding a multi-billion-dollar French carbon tax fraud in 2008-9. The story centres on customs inspector and magistrate Simon Weynachter’s obsessive pursuit of those involved in what French media dubbed the scam of the century – a pair of Tunisian criminals from Belleville and a wealthy, charismatic trader.

Watch the trailer below and stream it now on SBS on Demand.

*the TV

Quel est ton roman français préféré?

With the cooler weather (and relentless rain!), now’s the perfect time to settle in with a good book. We know we have plenty of *rats de bibliothèque among our chouchous, so we thought we’d give you some recommendations from *l’équipe. *En français, bien sûr!

(Not up for the challenge? You can also snap up English versions for most of our picks online.)

*Library rats – the French expression for bookworm! | *the team | *In French, of course!

Nuit Blanche

On Saturday, 7th of June, locals and tourists will see the streets and monuments of Paris in a new light as Nuit Blanche (White Night) takes over the city for the 24th year. Launched in 2002 by then-Mayor Bertrand Delanoë, the annual event aims to make contemporary art accessible to the masses, with installations, performances and projections illuminating public spaces and cultural institutions throughout the city.

With actress Valérie Donzelli as Artistic Director, this year’s program focuses on cinema, with nearly 300 free artistic projects popping up across Paris. Included in the lineup are an open-air dance performance at the Institut de France and an “aquatic and musical installation” at the Bourse de Commerce.

*Un grand succès, the Nuit Blanche concept has been adopted around the globe, with over 30 cities now putting their own spin on the all-night celebrations, including our very own Melbourne.  

Nuit Blanche, Paris
7 Juin, 2025
Visit the website

*A big success

French Comedy à Brisbane?

Feeling *courageux about testing your French listening skills? Then add this social outing to your calendar for *un vrai défi. Later this month, French comedienne Tania Dutel will be performing at the Brisbane Comedy Festival with a show that tackles deceit and hypocrisy—entirely in French.

You can sample Tania’s style by watching her in action in Montreal.

Visit the website for more information or to secure your tickets. *Bon courage! 

Tania Dutel at Brisbane Comedy Festival
Sunday 18 May | 5pm
Tickets: From $50
Powerhouse Theatre, New Farm

BOOK NOW

Du Foie Gras sous le Sapin

If you’re looking for something fun to do now the Alliance Française French Festival is over, we have just the thing. Running from 19-21 June, *Du foie gras sous le sapin is the latest offering from Brisbane French Theatre—after a break of nearly three years.  

Performed entirely in French, with English subtitles projected above the stage, the dark comedy, translated as ‘Eat your heart out’, tells the tale of three broke *colocataires faced with a tricky festive dilemma.

December 2025. As France battles an unprecedented winter heatwave, the trio receive bad news: their rent is about to skyrocket. In the midst of a brutal cost-of-living crisis, this blow threatens not only their already fragile budget but, even worse, their beloved Christmas tradition: the annual foie gras marathon!

Faced with their increasingly precarious situation, the trio of misfits find themselves divided over one existential question: how do you respond to a world that’s becoming more dehumanised every day, other than by becoming just like it?

Tickets are on sale now. For further information or to book, visit the website.

DU FOIE GRAS SOUS LE SAPIN
Thursday 19 June - Saturday 21 June 2025
Adult $26 | Concession $21 | Group $21
Ron Hurley Theatre, Seven Hills
BOOK NOW

*Foie gras under the tree | *housemates

Sneak Peek into Le Nid: Quel est ton acteur français préféré?

With the Alliance Française French Film Festival fast approaching, we thought it was the perfect time to reveal our favourite French actors (male and female). From icons to up-and-comers, here are the stars our team adores.

Quel(le) est ton acteur ou actrice préféré(e)?

KATRINA
Sandrine Kiberlain
Film célèbre* : Les patriotes (The Patriots)

Source : Mireille Ampilhac via Wikimedia Commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0

JUSTINE
Adèle Exarchopoulos
Film célèbre: La vie d'Adèle (Blue Is The Warmest Colour)

ALICIA
Agnès Jaoui
Film célèbre: Le goût des autres (The Taste of Others)

Source : Georges Biard via Wikimedia Commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

ANGÉLINE
Guillaume Canet
Film célèbre: Les petits mouchoirs (Little White Lies)

Source : Georges Biard via Wikimedia Commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

ALEXIA
Jean Dujardin
Film célèbre: The Artist

Source : Georges Biard via Wikimedia Commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

MARION
Jean Rochefort
Film célèbre: Le Crabe-tambour (Drummer Crab)

Source : Georges Biard via Wikimedia Commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

* Famous film

Paul Taylor: F*** Me I’m French

We’ve written about the Paris-based comic Paul Taylor before. *Et maintenant, you can hear his tales of life as a British expat *en France when he visits Brisbane *en mai.

A master of “le French bashing”, Taylor typically performs his shows using a mix of French and English. But for his Brisbane Comedy Festival outing, F*** Me I’m French, he’s keeping it 100% English. And judging by the title, you can expect a solid smattering of his signature fruity language. Book *vos sièges now!

Paul Taylor, F*** Me I’m French
Thursday 8 May, 8:30pm
Brisbane Powerhouse
Tickets: $59.50
BOOK NOW

**and now | *in May |*in France |*in English |* your seats (tickets)

French Series: Drops of God

Streaming on Apple TV+ alongside another recent discovery, La Maison, Drops of God (Les Gouttes de Dieu) is a thrilling and delectable French series. Or, rather, French-American-Japanese series.

Premiering in 2023 with *une deuxième série confirmed, the Emmy-award-winning show takes you on a journey through beautiful *vignobles in France and Japan, as Camille competes against her deceased father’s protégé, Issei, to inherit her father’s private wine collection. Which happens to be the finest in the world.

Based on a 44-volume manga series of the same name (that doubled wine sales in Japan when first published in 2004), Drops of God is a must for lovers of stylish drama. And the perfect way to swot up on your wine vocab.

Stream it here.

* a second series | *vineyards

Camille Cottin

Born in Boulogne-Billancourt on the outskirts of Paris in 1978, actress and comedian Camille Cottin is one of France’s most popular film, stage and TV stars. And, *bien sûr, a firm favourite of many of our chouchous for her breakout role in the comedy-drama series, Dix Pour Cent (Call My Agent!).

Living in London as a teenager and working as a high school English teacher on her return home, Cottin trained at a drama school in Paris before joining the theatre company Troupe à Palmade in 2009. Her first on-screen role came the same year in the film Nos 18 ans, but her big break was in 2013 with Connasse.

In the hidden-camera sketch show, Cottin played a snobby Parisienne known simply as "La Connasse” (The Bitch). Her character was so popular that it led to the film The Parisian Bitch, Princess of Hearts (2015), which earned her a César Award nomination for Most Promising Actress.  

*Cependant, it was in 2015 that her star hit its ascension with a stellar performance as the impossibly cool talent agent Andréa Martel in the critically acclaimed series Call My Agent! Cottin has since had starring roles in films including Telle mère, telle fille (Baby Bumps, 2017) and Toni, en famille (2023). Her formidable talent has also won her English-language roles in the films Allied, House of Gucci and alongside Matt Damon in 2021’s Stillwater.

This month, you can catch Cottin at the 2025 Alliance Française French Film Festival in Trois amies (Three Friends) and Ni chaînes, ni maîtres (No Chains No Masters)—a rom-com and a historical drama that showcase her comedic and *plus sérieux acting chops.

Trois amies is our selection for this year’s festival, and we’d be delighted if you joined us at Palace Centro (James St) for the 6pm screening on Sunday, 13 March. Grab your tickets here—and feel free to join us for a pre-film ápero at Sixes and Sevens from 4pm!

*of course | *However |*more serious