Best German/French/Italian films

[Haycorns4Piglet]

I always try and get a foreign language DVD for my mum's stocking, but I'm struggling to find one this year! She's really very very hard to please. She doesn't like anything too upsetting, nothing scary, nothing too lovey-dovey. She's not big on comedy either, but having said that she loved Petit Nikolas! Not so much the sequel though... Well acted family films are probably the best bet. She likes animals, especially dogs, but they're not allowed to die!

She's fluent in German, pretty good at French (although would need subtitles) and a confident beginner in Italian. I've been through the lists I'm finding through Google but it's the same old suggestions! Anything a bit less well known that you've seen and thought was fantastic?

[Weefreetiffany]

the lives of others or the three colours trilogy?

[RedDwarfGarbagePod]

Wings of Desire, in German? I watched it when I did my German A Level and loved it.

[jerrywesterby]

Definitely the lives of others - it's an amazing film. Also, I've loved you so long, tell no one.

[clary]

Yy Die Leben der Anderen (lives of others) brilliant Oscar winning film set in divided Germany.
Goodbye Lenin, great v funny film set at similar time.
Lola Rennt (run lola run?) Vg tho maybe a bit tense
Das Wunder von Bern is great, heart warming, it's about football but not really.
Les Choristes is excellent.

[KitchenSupper]

Caro diario
Mine vaganti
I bet she will already have seen Goodbye Lenin
Kein Ohr Hase

This is Swedish but wonderful: Så som i himmelen

[balalake]

Agree with the Lives of Others, one of the best films I have ever seen.

For an animal film, My Donkey, My Lover & I, which I have yet to see.

[CrossPurposes]

Frantz by François Ozon is in French and German and it is a great film.

[IhateMattHancock]

Not any of those languages but I loved Parasite (Korean).

[DazzlePaintedBattlePants]

Toto le heros or Ponette.

[LesLavandes]

Il postano

[IhateMattHancock]

Les bronzés font du ski is very old but hilarious.

[IhateMattHancock]

How about Le dîner des cons?

[79abbot]

Honig im Kopf

[newtb]

Vive la France
L'aile ou la cuisse
La grande vadrouille - last 2 Louis de Funès

[Nitgel]

Certified Copy with juliette binoche is a nice quirky film.

[LordEmsworth]

Jean de Florette & Manon Des Sources are classics.
Le Diner de Cons
Le Placard
Un Indien Dans La Ville
Cite des Enfant Perdus (not scary but unsettling)
Les Diaboliques
Les Parapluies de Cherbourg

[CheeseIsMyPatronus]

Goodbye Lenin, Run Lola Run and The Lives Of Others are so good but she's probably already seen them. I remember Babette's Feast very fondly too.

[Herefishy]

Pinocchio g.co/kgs/WycY3c

This. Although some versions don't have it in Italian.

[79abbot]

Toni Erdmann

[GrandMarnierChocolate]

Not sure when these will be out on dvd (might help for next year) but I've been to a few new films recently (in France) that I have loved. Close by Lukas Dhont (Belgian, beautiful, heartbreaking) . L'origine du mal by Sébastien Marnier (wacky). Sans Filtre (Triangle of sadness) (wild but fun, won at cannes).

[Haycorns4Piglet]

Thanks so much for all your suggestions so far! Just going through them all...

[ichundich]

German films:
Das Boot
Bornholmer Straße
Das weiße Band
Alles auf Zucker
Sommer vorm Balkon
Der Baader-Meinhof-Komplex

German series:
Deutschland '83
Babylon Berlin
Charité

[79abbot]

Intouchables

[RoachPussy]

I don’t speak German but I did go to the cinema this year to see Dan Stevens who is fluent in I’m Your Man - Ich bin dein Mensch which was a really lovely film.

[PerkingFaintly]

Many of my faves already listed. Can add:

Huit Femmes, by François Ozon (Agatha Christie tribute, lots of fun)
Au Revoir Les Enfants (three hanky job)

Christiane F, aka Wir Kinder Vom Bahnhof Zoo (gritty 80s heroin morality tale with fabulous soundtrack featuring lots of Bowie)