About Films de France

Films de France is a guide to French cinema written in English, for people who watch French films with subtitles and want to know more about them. It is independent: it is not linked to any studio, distributor, streaming service or public body, and no one pays to have a film reviewed.

Who writes it

The site is edited by Eleanor Hale, a writer who has spent many years watching French films in cinemas, film clubs and festivals in Britain and France. She writes the reviews and the lists, and is responsible for every opinion on the site.

The name and the domain

This domain hosted an earlier English-language guide to French cinema for many years, which closed in 2025. The present site is a new and separate project: all its texts have been written from scratch for this edition. We chose to keep the name because it says exactly what we do.

How we choose films

We review films that matter in the history of French cinema, films that English-speaking viewers are likely to find, and films we think deserve more attention than they get. Our lists by decade and genre are personal choices, and we explain each one in a line or two.

How we check facts

Credits, dates and running times are checked against reference sources and, where possible, against the films themselves. Running times can vary between versions and restorations, and we say so when it matters. If you spot a mistake, we want to know.

Spoilers

Our reviews describe the set-up of each film and the first part of its story, but we try not to give away endings that are meant to surprise, and we warn you when we must.