Modern Foreign Languages

Cert

Age group5–11

Duration77 mins

Ernest and Celestine(2012)

A beautiful animation about an unlikely friendship between a big clown bear and a clever orphan mouse, from the makers of A Town Called Panic!

[FRENCH] A sweet animation based on a series of children’s books from Belgium, this this film has little dialogue and is easy for young language learners to follow. Friendship and tolerance are explored through a lovingly rendered prism of an exciting adventure story for the ages.

Cert

Age group5–11

Duration83 mins

The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales...(2017)

A trio of animated short stories involving a bunch of witty farmyard animals.

[FRENCH] Originally conceived to be three 30-minute television episodes, these interlinked stories all take place on a farm somewhere in France that is completely run by animals. Alongside the Fox, there are also stories containing a clumsy rabbit, an immature duck and a smart little pig, making this perfect for students studying animals in French.

Cert

Age group7–11

Duration79 mins

Boule Et Bill (Boule & Bill)(2013)

A quaint period comedy about the friendship between a boy and his beloved Cocker Spaniel, based on a popular and long running French comic strip.

[FRENCH] One of the easiest things for audiences around the world to connect with is the relationship between a child and their pet. In this case, Boule rescues his spaniel Bill and they form an immediate bond. Perfect for French lessons about pets and the household, Boule et Bill is a nonstop, and very chaotic, adventure.

Zipi y Zape y el club de la canica (Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang)

Cert

Age group7–14

Duration92 mins

Zipi y Zape y el club de la canica (Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang)(2013)

Spanish adventure in which unruly twins Zip and Zap are sent to a strict summer school, where they form a gang of rebels to defy the cruel director.

[SPANISH] This is a film that comes from a franchise which follows teenage twins Zip and Zap. In this adventure, they are sent to a strict summer school and learn of a mysterious treasure that apparently resides within the grounds, becoming involved in a race against the school’s director to find it before he does.

Cert

Age group7–14

Duration102 mins

Dora and the Lost City of Gold(2019)

An adventurous teenage girl sets off on a jungle adventure with her new high school classmates in order to rescue her explorer parents.

[SPANISH] Though this film is almost entirely in English, there are little snippets of Spanish language use – words and phrases, here and there – which make it a nice introduction to language-learning for primary audiences. It also contains Latin American characters, including Dora herself, and explores Hispanic culture throughout the story.

Cert

Age group5–14

Duration109 mins

Encanto(2021)

Set in Colombia, a young girl must save her magical family although she is the only one without special powers.

[SPANISH] While many people may be very familiar with the English version of this animation, switching to Spanish audio or subtitles will offer an extra challenge when singing along to ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ – that is, ‘No se habla de Bruno’! Find the language controls in the bottom right corner of the screen when watching a film on Into Film+.

Cert

Age group5–11

Duration95 mins

Luca(2021)

Two sea monsters disguised as teenage boys explore an Italian seaside town and decide to compete in its annual triathlon competition.

[ITALIAN] While the characters in this animation speak mostly in English, many Italian words and expressions pepper their conversations, offering new language learners the opportunity to appreciate the context and musicality of the Italian language. A fun introduction to some basic vocabulary including greetings and exclamations.

CertUnclassified

Age group7–14

Duration8 mins

Cinema Rex(2020)

A cinema in the divided city of Jerusalem becomes a magical space where everything is possible for a young Jewish boy and an Arab girl.

[ARABIC] This animation includes dialogue in English, Arabic and Hebrew – but most importantly, it breaks down the concept of language barriers in an accessible and sweet way, through the universal language of cinema.