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1. La Rafle (2010)

English Title: The Roundup
Genre: Historical War Drama
IMDb: 7.1 / 10

Probably one of the most heart-breaking movies, this story relates the horror of the “Rafle du Vél d’Hiv” in Paris in July 1942. The French want to “offer” “some” of their Jews (24’000 to be exact) to Hitler. At 4am, they storm houses and take everyone: adults, children, the elderly, disabled and sick and bring them to Paris’s Vélodrome d’Hiver. (Winter Velodrome). Thanks to the help of the Parisians who help hide about 10’000 Jews, “only” about 13’000 are arrested instead of the planned 24’000.

With hardly any food or water, clogged toilets, almost no space or quiet to sleep, and the strong heat due to the greenhouse effects of the building, 8000 of these 13’000 Jews are put in the Velodrome for 5 days – while waiting for their deportation to Auschwitz – in sanitary conditions that are so bad that the smell can be smelled for a couple of miles outside the building.

While the movie is extremely poignant, it does not – in any way – depict how atrocious an ordeal this has really been for over 13’000 people, of whom just over 800 made it back from Auschwitz.

2. Un Sac de Billes (2017)

English Title: A Bag of Marbles
Genre: Biographical Drama
IMDb: 7.3 / 10

This movie is based on a biographical book with the same title. A Jewish family in Paris flees the German-occupied city separately with the plan to meet again in the South of France that is still free.

The story retraces the flight of the two youngest boys without their parents and older brothers and how they survive the dangers of the trip.

3. Au Revoir les Enfants (1987)

English Title: Goodbye, Children
Genre: Biographical Drama
IMDb: 8.0 / 10

Based on a biographical book with the same title.

It relates the story of a young Catholic boy who is sent to a Catholic boarding school during WWII for safety reasons. The school illegally hides two Jewish boys and a Jewish teacher.

4. En Mai, Fais ce qu’il te Plaît (2015)

English Title: Come What May
Genre: War Drama
IMDb: 6.7 / 10

This movie depicts the mass exodus – or rather, flight – that took place in France in May and June of 1940, when the Germans entered the country through the North of France.

Hundreds of thousands civilians fled the North towards the South to escape the German invasion. Until the Germans caught up with them and many decided to return to their villages. But many others never made it back.

5. Django (2017)

English Title: Django
Genre: Biographical Drama
IMDb: 6.3 / 10

Django Reinhardt was a very talented jazz guitarist of Romani-French origins. The movie shows how he coped during WWII in occupied French territory where gypsies were being persecuted and thrown into labor and death camps along with the Jews.

A lot of good music and some local language make this a culturally enriching movie despite the terrible circumstances. Django chose music as his weapon and means of encouraging and uplifting people’s spirits during those difficult years.

6. Diplomatie (2014)

English Title: Diplomacy
Genre: War Drama
IMDb: 7.1 / 10

This was originally a play that was later turned into a film using the same two lead actors of the play.

It’s the story of the last hours of German-occupied Paris. Hitler had planned to completely destroy the city before the Allied forces (French, British and Americans) took it over again. A Swedish diplomat from Paris tries to talk the General out of it before it’s too late.

It’s inspired by a true story although the two men didn’t actually meet and discuss the fate of Paris as it’s shown in the movie. The first 15-20min are in German. Most of the rest is in French.

7. La Grande Vadrouille (1966)

English Title: Don’t look now…we’re being shot at!
Genre: Adventure War Comedy
IMDb: 8.0 / 10

For 40 years, this was the most successful movie in France and it is still listed in the top 5 favorite movies of the French. It’s about two French men who help the crew of a Royal Air Force bomber that was shot down over Paris to get back to safe territory. It’s a classic that every Francophile must watch, featuring the famous Louis de Funès and André Bourvil in the main roles.

It may come as a bit of a shock that the French would make such a farce out of WWII but it was the French’s way of coping with, processing and recovering from the drama and tragedy through laughter.
The movie is in three languages: Mainly in French with some English and some German.

Caveat: If you’re German, you probably won’t enjoy the movie so much. The French mercilessly drag the Germans through the mud and make them look like complete idiots.