French cinema has given us some of the greatest films in history. The list is long, as is the list of leading directors and actors. Here, however, we focus on TV series and feature films related to the fields that interest us most: technology, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship and space. We recommend taking a look at the titles listed (all the trailers are available on YouTube), as they tell interesting stories that unfold while addressing very topical issues.

L’Astronaute

A blend of ingredients from the past and the contemporary world to describe an unprecedented adventure in space. L’Astronaute, directed by Nicolas Giroud, depicts the aspirations of Jim, the first amateur space explorer in history.

His lifelong ambition is to become an astronaut, but after failing an exam, he is forced to find another path. So, he sets his mind on building a space rocket to travel into the cosmos.

The film features Aleksey Leonov, the first cosmonaut to float in space, and Elon Musk, the modern face of space exploration. The film is available to watch on Prime Video.

Il était une fois… l’Espace (Once Upon a Time… Space)

An animated series from the Procidis animation studios, this was one of the first experiments to introduce the French to cultural and scientific topics such as astronomy, entomology and pollution.

Set in a science fiction world, the protagonists are two policemen serving an intergalactic federation of the Omega Confederation, which includes human civilisation and ten other species.

Directed by Albert Barillé, the 26 25-minute episodes of the series were first broadcast in 1982 and have been repeated several times since due to their considerable success. If you are curious, you can watch the series on Prime Video.

Family Business

Set in the Le Marais district of Paris, this Netflix series offers interesting insights into the world of business, telling the story of Gerard, the owner of a kosher butcher’s shop.

However, it is not meat that changes the protagonist’s life, as he decides to open the first coffee shop in Paris to take advantage of the French government’s desire to legalise cannabis. The series makes you laugh at the characters’ adventures and reflect on a social analysis of a topic that still divides people.

Added to this are insights into the critical issues of the contemporary world of work and the ability to pick yourself up by believing in an extraordinary idea. The 18 episodes of the series are available on Netflix.

Valérian et la Cité des mille planètes

Set in a dystopian future, two special agents must maintain order on a planet that is as populated as it is complicated. The year is 2740, and the actors are Cara Delevingne, Dane DeHaan and Clive Owen.

Director Luca Besson has imagined a multicultural metropolis where 17 million inhabitants and hundreds of different species coexist. The film features lots of technology and a space station (Alpha), which is shown in the tune of David Bowie’s Space Oddity. The film can be viewed on Prime Video.

Le Bureau des légendes

Inspired by a true story, the series follows the adventures of a French intelligence agent who returns home after a six-year undercover mission in Syria.

An interesting story that moves between espionage and cyber security, fundamental themes under which an impossible love story develops between two people who have embraced different ideals. The series consists of five seasons, and the 50 episodes are available on Canal+.

Osmosis

In Paris, two brothers created a dating app that revolutionised the market and convinced many young people to sell their data, soul, and intimacy to an algorithm that promises happiness. In this case, however, the nuances and complexity of human beings challenge and defeat the unlimited power and pervasiveness of technology in a society that is more attentive and optimistic in shaping its own future.

Created by Audrey Fouché, who has already written several episodes of popular series such as The Borgias and Las Revenants, Osmosis is a series available to watch on Netflix.

Cyber Police

Produced by the creative studio of MetaCompliance, a company specialising in Security Awareness Training solutions, the series is ideal for understanding the dynamics of cybersecurity. Welcomed by a large following, it is now in its third season, using live action to combine police drama with eLearning on cybersecurity.

The three protagonists are on the hunt for new cybercriminals, and the narrative structure offers practical and educational insights into the tactics of cybercriminals in each episode. The episodes are available to view on MetaCompliance.

Missions

Science fiction, adventure and mysticism are the cornerstones of this TV series that anticipates the journey of European astronauts to Mars. On board the Ulysses 1, the team is on a mission funded by the European Space Agency and Swiss philanthropist William Meyer. After long and arduous preparation, shortly before launch, the crew discovers that they will not actually be the first to set foot on Mars.

They have been beaten to it by US astronauts, who lost their lives on the red planet. The European mission thus becomes an attempt to find any survivors. The three seasons of Missions can be viewed on Canal+.

Stalk

Current events and the cyber threats they pose to young people are the theme of this series produced by France TV Slash. Bullying and cyberstalking are the crimes committed by Lux, the code name of the protagonist (Theo Fernandez), a computer genius who, after being humiliated on social media by his university classmates, decides to take revenge. He becomes a hacker who infiltrates the lives of all his targets, monitoring their movements until he is forced to pay the price for his conduct.

The author’s idea is to remind young people of the importance of healthy and careful management of their digital identity, a warning that actually applies to everyone. Stalk can be seen on various platforms, including France TV and Prime Video.

Effacer l’historique

A man and two women fall victim to the excesses of social media, but instead of passively accepting public shaming, they decide to fight back to restore the truth.

Directed by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern, the film tackles one of the most pressing issues in today’s tech landscape, choosing a light-hearted tone to strike a chord with multiple generations. It is available on Arte Boutique and Prime Video.