Moving to France is not just about filling out paperwork or learning how to say “une baguette” with the right accent. It’s about creating a life, a rhythm, a home, a connection. Of course, a real-life scouting trip is the best way to get a feel for the place-but if you can’t do that just yet, I invite you to take this journey through stories, sounds, and images instead. Let it guide you, inspire you, and help you imagine your future life in France.
These cultural works are not just entertainment. They offer subtle and vivid portraits of regional life, helping you experience the light in Provence, the sea spray in Brittany, the slow afternoons in Dordogne. The list includes books, films, music—and a few documentaries in French available on YouTube. You can turn on subtitles and adjust the playback speed; it’s a great way to practice your listening skills while getting a feel for life in different parts of France. In other words, they can help you choose not just where to live, but where to feel alive.
- Living in Paris: A Life of Culture, Beauty, and Quiet Codes
- Moving to France for Retirement? Want to Speak French With an Expert Private Tutor?
- Retiring in Brittany: Cliffs, Wind, and Contemplation
- Provence and the French Riviera: Sunlight, Stone, and the Slow South
- Books & Movies About Dordogne and Bordeaux: Wine, Villages, and a Taste of Rural France
- The Basque Coast: Bayonne, Biarritz, and Ocean-Side Living
- Planning a Scouting Trip in France to Find Your Ideal Region
- Moving to France: Bonus Picks to Get Prepared
Living in Paris: A Life of Culture, Beauty, and Quiet Codes
Paris is not just the city of light. It’s a pace, a mindset, and yes, sometimes a challenge. It’s ideal if you want museums within walking distance, bookstores on every corner, and an endless supply of bakeries and opinions. But Paris also runs on its own set of social codes.
To understand its atmosphere, start with:
- Film: Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain — Such a classic. A poetic glimpse into Montmartre, through the eyes of a dreamer.
- Cléo de 5 à 7 by Agnès Varda — Two hours in real time through the streets of Paris, balancing image and introspection.
- Book: Almost French by Sarah Turnbull — A memoir about learning to live, and love, the Parisian way.
- Music: Sous le Ciel de Paris by Édith Piaf — Timeless, wistful, and filled with light.
Retiring in Brittany: Cliffs, Wind, and Contemplation
If you dream of watching storms roll in from the Atlantic, eating oysters in a harbor town, or walking empty beaches in the off-season, Brittany might be calling. There’s something grounding in its granite coastline and Celtic undertones.
To step into Brittany:
- Film: Conte d’été by Éric Rohmer — A subtle, human-scale story set in Dinard.
- Portrait de la jeune fille en feu — Quiet intensity on a Breton island.
- Music: Tri Martolod by Alan Stivell — Celtic and modern, rooted and free.
- Book: Le Fantôme du Chapelier by Georges Simenon — Set in Concarneau, both local and unsettling.
- Documentary: Thalassa – Bretagne : Ma vie, mon île — A poetic and personal look at island life in Brittany, blending tradition, solitude, and maritime culture (watch on YouTube)
Provence and the French Riviera: Sunlight, Stone, and the Slow South
Provence isn’t a postcard; it’s a rhythm. The light is softer. The meals are longer. The pace stretches. If you’re seeking lavender fields, hillside markets, and a glass of rosé in the shade, start here.
To explore the South:
- Book: A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle — A humorous look at real life behind the sun-drenched facade.
- Film: Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources — Pride, land, and beauty in equal measure. From one of our greatest French writer Marcel Pagnol.
- To Catch a Thief — Glamour and intrigue in the Riviera’s curves.
- Music: Le Sud by Nino Ferrer — A song that sounds exactly like summer in the South.
- Documentary: Échappées Belles – La Provence de Pagnol (watch on YouTube).
Books & Movies About Dordogne and Bordeaux: Wine, Villages, and a Taste of Rural France
The Dordogne is a favorite among British and American retirees for a reason. Its stone houses, quiet hills, and open markets are as inviting as the red wine is deep. There’s history in the walls, and warmth in the people.
Experience it through:
- Book: La Bicyclette Bleue by Régine Deforges — Passion and resistance during WWII, Bordeaux as backdrop.
- Film: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (2000) — A dramatic retelling of Jeanne d’Arc, with scenes filmed at Château de Beynac.
- Film: Chocolat (2000) — Though filmed slightly further east, it captures the Dordogne spirit.
- The Dordogne Mysteries by Martin Walker — Local color with a light detective touch.
- Music: Francis Cabrel — Native to the region, poetic and sincere.
- Documentary: Échappées Belles – Week-end dans le Périgord — A scenic journey through Dordogne (watch on YouTube).
The Basque Coast: Bayonne, Biarritz, and Ocean-Side Living
The southwest coast offers wild waves, fresh air, and deep culture. Here you’ll hear Basque as often as French, and eat better than you ever have. Think surf towns, long beaches, and layers of identity.
Explore this corner through:
- Film: Hotel America (1981) — A lesser-known drama filmed in Biarritz.
- Book: “The Basque History of the World” by Mark Kurlansky – written by an American, more historical and accessible for anglophone readers.
- Music: Biarritz by Benjamin Biolay — A song full of longing and waves.
- Documentary on the lovely channel “Arte”: Au Pays Basque, le règne des brebis
Planning a Scouting Trip in France to Find Your Ideal Region
Books and films can guide your vision, but nothing replaces the ground under your feet. If you’re serious about retiring or relocating to France, plan a scouting trip. Spend a week in each region you’re considering. Go off-season. Stay in rentals, not hotels. Eat what the locals eat. Walk to the market. Ask questions. Sit in the sun.
Bring a notebook. Take notes on how you feel. Not just what you see. And please, share your experience in comment! I’d love to read your experience and I’m sure the readers too.
Moving to France: Bonus Picks to Get Prepared
A few extra tools to support your dream:
- The Bonjour Effect — Understand the rules behind polite conversation.
- Toujours la France by Janine Marsh — Everyday life in rural France.
- How to Be French — A light and curious guide to culture.
- French Short Stories for Beginners — Build confidence, word by word.
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Bon courage for your move! Settling in France isn’t just a legal or financial decision. It’s a personal one. And the more stories you absorb—the more sounds, views, conversations you take in—the clearer your decision becomes. Culture is not just a mirror. It’s a compass.
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