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One of the most exclusive events in the Hollywood calendar, the Cannes Film Festival starts this week. It’s the most prestigious film festival in the world, and every year, it previews forthcoming releases for the year.
We’ve decided to use the Cannes Film Festival as an excuse to compile a list of our favourite French films, we’ve had a poll in the office, and below are our top selections!
Not only that, we’ve decided to give away DVD copies of all of our favourites, one film each day for the 12 days of the Cannes Film Festival.
There are three ways for you to enter:
- On the Belle France website: https://bellefrance.com/cannes-film-festival-competition
- Facebook: Like/share our post each day: www.facebook.com/bellefranceholidays
- Twitter: Follow and re-tweet our post each day: @bellefrance
Enter on the WebsiteEnter via FacebookEnter via Twitter
Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://bellefrance.com/cannes-film-festival-competition/cannes-film-festival-competition-terms-conditions
So you have three chances to enter each day through each of the methods above. The competition coincides with the Film Festival, so first day to enter will be 11th May.
Now here are our recommended films, all of which are up for grabs in our competition, pick your favourite and enter on that day (we’ve listed them in order of the day they will be appearing from the 11th May), so pick the day you want to enter, or better still, enter each day!
Cyrano De Bergerac (1990)
Rating: U | Runtime: 137mins
Director(s): Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Anne Brochet, Vincent Perez
Awards: Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor; 10 César Awards including for Best Actor, Best Director, Best Film,Best Music; 4 BAFTA Awards,Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Cyrano is in love with Roxane, but feels that he can’t woo her because of his grotesque nose. So he resigns himself to helping Christian win Roxane’s heart by writing love letters in Christian’s name. But does Roxane fall in love with Christian’s looks, or through the words he (well, Cyrano!) writes?
DVD Won by: Matthew Richards on Twitter
Amour (2012)
Rating: 12 | Runtime: 112mins
Director(s): Michael Haneke
Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert, William Shimell
Awards: Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or; Lumières Awards for Beft Film, Best Actress and Best Actor; 5 César Awards including Best Film and Best Director ; Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film
Retired music teachers Georges and Anne have spent their lives together, and their world is rocked when Anne suffers a debilitating stroke. The film follows the couple as they try to cope with the consequences of Anne’s illness.
DVD Won by: Lizzy Tollfree via our website.
Untouchable (2011)
Rating: 15 | Runtime: 107mins
Director(s): Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
Stars: François Cluzet, Omar Sy
Awards: César Award for Best Actor for Omar Sy
This film follows a wealthy quadriplegic and his carer, who has just been released from prison. The film focuses on the development of an unlikely relationship between the pair.
DVD Won by: Hadriana Evans via our website.
Jean De Florette (1986)
Rating: PG | Runtime: 116mins
Director(s): Claude Berri
Stars: Yves Montand, Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, Elisabeth Depardieu, Margarita Lozano
Awards: 8 César Award nominations, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Cinematography
A period drama, the story focuses on two local farmers who try to con a neighbour out of his newly inherited property. Filmed in rural Provence, this film is a great example of how beautiful the region is.
DVD Won by: Jo Carroll via our Facebook page.
Manon Des Sources (1986)
Rating: PG | Runtime: 109mins
Director(s): Claude Berri
Stars: Yves Montand, Emmanuelle Béart, Daniel Auteuil, Hippolyte Girardot, Margarita Lozano
Awards: César Award for Best Actor and Best Actress in a Supporting Role
The sequel to Jean de Florette, this film focuses on Manon, Jean’s daughter, trying to right the wrongs done to her father.
DVD Won by: Danielle Piper via Twitter.
Potiche (2010)
Rating: 15 | Runtime: 99mins
Director(s): François Ozon
Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu
Awards: 4 César Award nominations; Nominated for the Venice Film Festival Golden Lion
A comedy which follows the submissive wife of an umbrella factory owner, who has to run her husband’s factory when the workers rebel against her husband’s tyrannical rule.
DVD Won by: A. Hilmarsdottir via Twitter.
La Haine (1995)
Rating: 15 | Runtime: 97mins
Director(s): Mathieu Kassovitz
Stars: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui, Abdel Ahmed Ghili
Awards: Cannes Fim Festival Award for Best Director; César Award for Best Film and Best Producer; Lumières Award for Best Film and Best Director
The film focuses on 19 hours in the lives of three friends in their 20s from immigrant families living in an impoverished suburb of Paris. The film begins in the aftermath of a riot, and looks at the friends’ reactions to their lives around them.
DVD Won by: Keith Wolstenholme via Facebook.
L'homme Du Train (2002)
Rating: 12 | Runtime: 90mins
Director(s): Patrice Leconte
Stars: Jean Rochefort, Johnny Hallyday, Jean-François Stévenin, Charlie Nelson, Pascal Parmentier
Awards: Venice Film Festival Audience award for Best Film and Best Actor
A crime drama, the film focuses on the relationship that develops between Milan, who is in town to undertake a bank robbery and Manesquier who is due to have a major operation, both on the same day.
DVD Won by: Fiona Shepherd via our website.
Delicatessen (1991)
Rating: 15 | Runtime: 95mins
Director(s): Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro
Stars: Dominique Pinon, Marie-Laure Dougnac, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Karin Viard, Ticky Holgado
Awards: César Award for Best Debut, Best Production Design and Best Writing
A post-apocalyptic film which is set in an apartment building, and the tenants who are all struggling to survive in their new world.
DVD Won by: Sam B via our Twitter.
Etre et Avoir (2002)
Rating: U | Runtime: 104mins
Director(s): Nicolas Philibert
Stars: Georges Lopez
Awards: European Film Award for Best Documentary; César Award for Best Editing; Prix Louis Delluc; Étoiles d'Or
A documentary film about a primary school in a small rural area of France. The film follows the pupils and their teacher M Lopez through a whole school year.
DVD Won by: Keiko Taylor via Facebook.
La Vie En Rose (2007)
Rating: 12 | Runtime: 140mins
Director(s): Olivier Dahan
Stars: Marion Cotillard, Gérard Depardieu, Sylvie Testud
Awards: 4 César Awards including for Best actress and Best Sound; Golden Globe for Best Actress (Musical); BAFTA
A biographical musical film about the life of French singer Édith Piaf.
DVD Won by: Leanna Yates via Twitter.
Amelie (2001)
Rating: 15 | Runtime: 116mins
Director(s): Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Stars: Audrey Tautou, Dominique Pinon
Awards: French Syndicate of Cinema Critics's Prix Mélies; César Award for Best Film, Best Director, Best Music and Best Production Design
A romantic comedy telling the story of a waitress, who wants to change the lives around her for the better, at the same time as struggling with her loneliness and shyness.
DVD Won by: Helen Devis via Twitter.
Good luck, and hope you are successful winning the film of your choice!
