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!

Quel est ton jeu de société préféré?

Did you know that the French are avid board game enthusiasts, with 91% of the population regularly indulging in a *jeu de société, or *deux? *Alors, now you do.

*En fait, 2023 saw nearly 90,000 boxes of board games sold each day in France, making it one of the most game-obsessed markets in Europe. Which begs the question, *Quels sont les jeux de société préféré de nos professeurs?

You’re probably familiar with most of these, other than le Jeu des petits chevaux. This traditional French children’s board game, similar to Ludo, consists of moving several pawns (horses) to the home reserved for their colour. Each player will receive between one and three horses, with the first player to reach the last square (numbered 6) winning the game.

*Well | *board game | *two | *Which are our teachers favourite board games?

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