I was in bed for over a week last month with the flu. I could barely move and the only thing I could do is sleep or watch television.
Searching for a multi season series I could binge on for days, I remember hearing about Un Village Francais, a recent popular French television series, now it it’s sixth season. I didn’t know that much about the series and skimmed through some reviews to see if I wanted to commit.
Un Village Francais is about a small fictional village Villeneuve, in the Jura region of France, occupied by the Germans in WWII. The first episode takes place in 1940 as German planes open fire on an open field with a group of school children picnicking and the subsequent deaths of some of them. Each season takes place in a different year, except for seasons one and two, which take place in 1940.
The story lines revolve around the inhabitants of Villenueve and how they deal with the harsh rule of the German Occupation and later on the Gestapo. The crux of the series is how the townspeople cope with their dire circumstances which become unpredictable on a daily basis and the sometimes impossible choices they have to make. Some collaborate with the Nazis to appease them and to survive, some try and escape to nearby Switzerland, some join the Resistance, the wife of the stoic town doctor who becomes mayor, has an affair with a Nazi officer, the doctor’s brother forms a communist group to fight the Germans and abandons his young son after his wife dies, and a French school teacher falls for a German officer.
A number of episodes tell the story of how Jews are rounded up and sent to the concentration camps and how the townspeople either betray them or try to save them.
One of the great things about series is the multi- faceted depictions of the Occupation, not just one side of the story or a single group. It shows the various movements including Communism, the Gestapo, the Resistance, and towards the end of the Occupation in 1944 when the Militia takes over.
Un Village Francais is a gripping, fascinating and well written drama with some great acting. It’s also a terrific history lesson and there are so many things I learned that I didn’t know before. The extra added bonus is it helped sharpen my comprehension of French. Warning: the series is highly addictive and the end of each episode is a cliffhanger. I stayed up many a night till the wee hours, totally hooked but trying to stay awake.
If you live in the U.S. check Netflix to see if it’s on there. It’s on Netflix France in French with French subtitles. You can also purchase the DVDs on Amazon, but make sure they have the English subtitles if you can’t understand French subtitles.
Eye Prefer Paris Postcards
I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.
Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.
Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or
Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or
$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)
Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store
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Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more. In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.
Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour
New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
We are seeing it now in Portugal. We loved the first seasons, but this las one, the one in 1944 is getting to be a bit boring. Maybe our problem here was that we saw it all in a row, from the first in 1940 to the season of 1944, without time to "breath" except for the weekends :-)
A reader from Portugal
Posted by: Paula Lima | June 14, 2016 at 10:01 AM
Nope, not on Netflix in the U.S. Maybe someday!
Posted by: Anne | June 14, 2016 at 10:31 PM
I'm a bit shocked to read that it costs €18/20.- for the 50' show. I know how much work is behind these shows but in Switzerland, we can have the 'spectacle at the Bundeshaus' every year, for free (ca 30') - and it IS stunning! But thank you v.much for promoting this, I didn't hear about this and live already more than 8 yrs in France. We might make an effort and view it on a balmy summer night! Merci beaucoup.
Posted by: Kiki | June 15, 2016 at 09:41 PM