Family Relationships - Bande de Filles - GCSE/A-level worksheet

This intermediate (GCSE/A-level) French worksheet on relationships references Celine Sciamma’s Bande de Filles to practice vocabulary for family/friends and grammar including reflexive verbs & object pronouns.

The worksheet is designed to be used alongside your own teaching of these topics and a screening of the first 12 minutes of Céline Sciamma’s amazing coming-of-age film Bande de Filles (Girlhood) which explores key themes of friendship, belonging and identity (age cert. 15).

It would be an excellent accompaniment to the following GCSE and A-level topics:

• Family relationships
• Friendship
• Identity
• Film / Cinema
• Youth / young people
• Cinema du banlieue
• Marginalised society

Hopefully it will inspire your students to watch the rest of the film and indeed to explore French cinema further!

Synopsis:
Bande de Filles suit l’histoire de Marième, une adolescente de 16 ans qui s’ennuie dans sa banlieue parisienne. Un jour, elle se lie d’amitié avec un groupe de filles plus âgées dont elle admire l’énergie et la liberté. Marième commence alors à mentir à ses parents pour mieux se laisser entraîner par sa nouvelle bande. Cependant, ce petit jeu dangereux ne tarde pas à se retourner contre elle. Ses parents finissent par perdre confiance en elle tandis que ses nouvelles amies la trahissent en lui volant son téléphone portable. Malgré les difficultés, Marième ne peut se résoudre à abandonner sa nouvelle vie et va devoir faire un choix…

Bande de Filles follows the story of Marième, a 16-year-old teenager who is bored in her Parisian suburbs. One day, she befriends a group of older girls whose energy and freedom she admires. Marième then begins to lie to her parents to better allow herself to be drawn into her new gang. However, this dangerous little game does not take long to turn against her. Her parents end up losing confidence in her while her new friends betray her by stealing her phone. Despite the difficulties, Marième cannot bring herself to abandon her new life and will have to make a choice…

Teacher’s notes, answers and example responses provided.

Feedback very much appreciated.

Please note this resource is designed to be used in conjunction with Céline Sciamma’s Bande de Filles - I do not own the copyright to the film.