Deauville Film Festival asks passersby: what's your favourite American film?

The Deauville Film Festival in France brings together stars, premieres and awards each year, dedicated to celebrating the finest achievements of American cinema. But alongside the industry professionals and critics, ordinary moviegoers also get a chance to share their perspective.

According to available figures, the United States produces between 500 and 700 films every year, placing it second in the world for film output, just behind India, which leads global production numbers.

Street survey in Deauville

France 24 reporter Gaëlle Fonseca went out onto the streets of Deauville to ask locals and festival visitors about their relationship with American cinema. She posed a simple question to passersby: what is your favourite American film? Is it a movie that shaped your childhood, or something you discovered more recently?

The informal survey highlights the broader connection between American films and personal memory across generations of viewers. For years, the Deauville festival has served as a bridge between the American film industry and European audiences, giving French and other European moviegoers a closer look at the work of leading American filmmakers.

While the report does not detail which specific films were named as favourites, it underscores the festival's role as a meeting point between the professional film world and the everyday opinions of audiences on what makes American cinema memorable and enduring.