and for film professor annette insdorf, it's hiroshima mon amour, emblematic of the french new wave withts clever portrayal of memory. and for talking movies reporter emma jones, it's that much—loved romantic comedy amelie. buzzer sounds so, let's find out what it is about french cinema that excites so many people. welcome to france, and our talking movies celebration of french film classics. i'm tom brook. cinema in france is very much part of the country's heritage. it's rather like delicious french food — something worthwhile, something to be savoured. it can be daring, bold, audacious, thoughtful and, at times, quite sexy. for many of us, french cinema made an imprint on our minds at a very early age. the oscar—winning short film the red balloon was a real favourite of mine — one of the first french movies i ever saw. it chronicles the adventures of a young boy in paris as he's followed by a red balloon which has a personality all of its own. i thought it was magical. only when i was older did i realise it had some of the sophisticated themes often found in french cinema. it made use