Today I am sharing French films and short films with Muslim representation for the Core French classroom. You can show these in the French Immersion classroom as well.
These films and short films are a great way to humanize Muslims, especially Francophone Muslims, and foster empathy among our students.
Students need to see and hear stories about Muslims because it helps humanize their experiences, fosters empathy, and challenges stereotypes, allowing students to see the richness and diversity within Muslim communities. This kind of representation is essential for building a more inclusive and understanding world.
I also have a blog post with French picture books (that I love and adore) with Muslim characters. You can read it here.
À pleine voix – Saida Ouchaou-Ozarowski (ONF/NFB)
The first documentary is a 52-minute film featuring the stories of four Muslim Canadian women. They share their personal experiences of being Muslim in Canada and discuss how they navigate stereotypes and generalizations from society and the media.
Three of the women are Francophone and one is Anglophone.
The stories of these women are both compelling and highly relevant to today’s society, especially when it comes to the humanization (or lack thereof) of Muslims. In my opinion, it’s a must-watch.
À pleine voix, Saida Ouchaou-Ozarowski, offert par l’Office national du film du Canada
Au secours! Clichés de la Terre entière. Des filles et des règles.
This is a really fun series on TV5Unis. This particular episode is all about periods, a relevant and taboo topic.
This would also be a great episode for International Women’s Day or Women’s History Month!
Banlieusards on Netflix (Street Flow in English)
Banlieusards is the story of a Senegalese family living in a French banlieue. This is hands down one of my favourite French films because of the way it weaves the story of young people living in Banlieue and the immigrant experience in France. I showed this film to my Grade 10s last year and they were obsessed!
Please do note that there are some swear words in the film.
If you know any other French films or short films with Muslim representation, please leave them in the comments below!
