Uplifting foreign films?

[FurrySlipperBoots]

My mum only really likes foreign films, but I always seem to end up buying her ones that turn out pretty depressing! The biggest hit was 'Le Petit Nicolas' which she thought was hilarious, but she wasn't so keen on the sequel. Can anyone recommend something along those lines? French or German would be ideal, but Italian is OK if there are subtitles. She loves animals and prefers 'nice' films, without much violence and nothing too raunchy.

Goodbye Lenin. It's really funny.
Blurb:
In October 1989, right before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Alex Kerner is living with his mum and sister. But when the mother, a loyal party member, sees Alex participating in an anti-communist rally, she falls into a coma and misses the revolution. After she wakes, doctors say any jarring event could make her have a heart attack, meaning the family must go to great lengths to pretend communism still reigns in Berlin.

Joyeux Noel about the Christmas truce

Another vote for Goodbye Lenin. I cry every time because it’s just such a gem! Funny, poignant, beautiful.

Its not actually a foreign film, but in that spirit I think, The Hundred Foot Journey is very uplifting.

Agree with Les Intouchables, really gorgeous film. Nice message but quite nuanced and lovely.

Etre et Avoir as a pp recommended is also pretty special, although a documentary, it's one of those where you feel like you know them all and they're you're friends by the end of it, just so well done.

Also agree that Life Is Beautiful is not uplifting at all. It's totally tone deaf: here's what I would do if I were in a concentration camp, aren't I great? Nasty.

Favourites of mine are:
Kein Ohr Hasen (German)
Zwei Ohr Küken - sequel to above (German)
La Cage Aux Folles (French)
Goodbye Lenin (German)

Welcome to Germany is a rare German comedy (especially of you are trying to learn the German language).

@Andante57 - Lives of Others is one of my favourite films ever. But it's not exactly uplifting.

Labobo - no you’re right, it isn’t uplifting and I should’ve mentioned that, but I gave it as an example - a bit off topic - as a contrast to the cosy picture painted of the GDR in Goodbye Lenin.

Another vote for The Lives of Others. While not light-hearted or uplifting, it's an excellent film.
Joyeux Noel is also great, and a good one to give as a Christmas present because of the theme.

Etre et Avoir, lovely film 🖤

@Applesandaarvarks sorry, didn't see you had posted first. OP be careful with "Life is Beautiful" - saw it at the cinema and it all but destroyed me 😩

La Cage aux Folles
Le Dîner des Cons
Bienvenue chez Les Ch’tis

@Aerielview and others- I agree about The Lives of Others. Should have won best picture Oscar.

L’Ascension - French film about a guy who climbs Everest basically to impress his girlfriend. No sex or violence etc.

Wadja - Saudi film about a girl who wants a bicycle. The ending is bittersweet rather than happy but the main character is strong and fun.

Caramel - a group of friends in Beirut. Kind of a Middle Eastern Sex and the City (kind of!).

Tangerines - set in Georgia, an old man is one of the last left in his village, gathering his tangerine harvest while a war goes on around him. He ends up caring for 2 injured soldiers from opposite sides who eventually become friends. In the end one is killed and the other returns to his family.

Wow, thanks everyone!

I've bought her Les Intouchables, Amelie, Etre et Avoir and The House by the Sea previously, so great minds think alike!

I like the sound of Romantics anonymous but it seems it doesn't have English subtitles - her French is good but I know she likes subtitles too.

I have Monsoon Wedding myself, and agree it's brilliant! I discovered it on VHS in a holiday home many years ago, and my sister and I just watched it on a loop.

My mum actually bought 'Life is Beautiful' for me, but I didn't get beyond the blurb! I know I would have found it deeply upsetting - I dream about the Holocaust enough as it is! In fact I'm looking to sell it, so if anyone is interested PM me! It's yours for a quid, plus postage. They want £12 for it on Amazon!!

I couldn't decide if 'Goodbye Lenin' would suit or not, as she spent 8 years in West Germany in the 80's , and I wasn't sure if she would find a comedy about the East disrespectful, so I actually went and rented it on Amazon last night. It's a really good film (I was dreaming in German all night!) but I wouldn't have called it a comedy? I'm going to go ahead and buy my mum the DVD because I think it's actually a really interesting film and I want to talk about it with her. I don't think it's 'uplifting' enough though, so please keep hitting me with your suggestions! I reckon French would be good, for balance.

Les Visiteurs has always been a favourite in our house.

@AnnaFiveTowns

Jean de Florette? It's heartbreakingly tragic.

Life is Beautiful is sad but ultimately uplifting.

exactly what I was going to say about life is beautiful. .its one of my all time favourites

@MrsSchadenfreude

Bienvenue chez Les Ch’tis sounds good, but I wonder from the trailer if there are a lot of jokes that would 'clash' for someone that speaks pretty good French but watches with the English subtitles?

I don't know if it's just the one scene or if it's recurring throughout the film, but they've changed the translations to make them relevant, which could be really distracting if you're trying to match the words you hear with what you read. Can you tell me if it's a theme throughout the film?

I love Heartbreaker. I genuine romcom with both rom and com.

I may have a tiny crush on Romain Duris.

(Not particularly light but I loved De Battre mon Coeur s'est Arrete with RD). He plays the piano a lot with his shirt off....

@FurrySlipperBoots yes, it is pretty much throughout the film. I think you either have to turn the subtitles off and listen or forget the French/Ch’ti and read the English. It is funny, but we winced a bit.

Priceless

I saw it ages ago and can’t remember if it was in French, I think so

Also the Romanian “Tales from the Golden Age” (Amenintiri din Epoca de Aur). Black comedy from the last 15 years of Ceausescu. Romanian films are usually bleak, grim or downright weird, but this one is very funny.

The African Doctor (though it has a different title in French). It’s on Netflix.

you can get quite a lot of french stuff on netflix i think