10 films and series featuring choral singing
Singing has a special place in film and television, whatever the genre. When it's not a musical, choral singing can be found in gospel scenes, in the creation of a women's choir or in school singing lessons. The theme of the choir has crossed the eras, and has brought to light the original music of some of the voices that have become indispensable.
Discover our selection of films, series and documentaries in which you can discover and listen to the voices of a choir.
Les Choristes, Christophe Barratier (2004)
Les Choristes is certainly one of the most famous French-language choral films. A dramatic comedy, the film recounts the arrival of a newcomer to an educational center who develops the practice of choral singing to help children in difficulty.
In the film, a new supervisor (Gérard Jugnot) arrives at a boarding school where all the students are preparing to haze him. In the end, the supervisor imposes respect on the children. A sensitive musician, the pawn will surprise the boarding school students by teaching them to sing, gradually transforming them into proud choristers. The song "Vois sur tone chemin", composed by Bruno Coulais for the film's soundtrack, was a huge hit when it was released in France. Les Choristes also revealed the voice of Jean-Baptiste Maunier, actor and solo singer in the film.
Sister Act 1, Joseph Howard (1992)
Sister Act, an American comedy with a cult following, stars Dolores Van Cartier (Woopy Goldberg), a disco diva who finds herself the unwitting witness to a murder committed by her boss. To protect herself, she hides out in a convent of nuns, where she reinvigorates the nuns' choir by taking on the role of Sister Mary-Clarence. The new nun proposes a musical re-orchestration of the nunnery's songs and becomes the choir's leader.
In the second installment of Sister Act, Sister Mary-Clarence joins a school in San Francisco, where she takes charge of the difficult music class and eventually transforms it into a gospel-style choir. This second film features the voice of American singer Lauryn Hill. The film shows the apprenticeship of the voices, from training courses to concerts.
Glee, Ryan Murphy (2009 - 2015)
A 6-season American musical series, Glee features a singing club (the "Glee Club") in which each episode sees budding singers practicing, alone or in a choir.
The series opens with the Spanish teacher (William Schuester) arriving freshly at a high school in Ohio. He takes charge of the school's singing club, which had not been well maintained by his predecessor. The new teacher invites the students to sing the hit songs of his youth, and forms a new group, made up of several students with plenty of personality. The Glee Club's singers come in all shapes and sizes: footballers, disabled youngsters, light-heads, cheerleaders and so on. They all have one thing in common: a love of singing!
The Singing Club, Peter Cattaneo (2019)
Known by its original title Military Wives, The Singing Club is a comedy-drama based on a true story. The film follows the story of soldiers' wives, living on a military base in England, who form a choir to cope with the absence of their husbands away in Afghanistan.
Led by the energetic Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas) and the more liberal and loving Lisa (Sharon Horgan), these choral women discover an escape and mutual support in singing, despite their differences. Between classical repertoire(Ave Maria) and pop hits( Cyndi Lauper'sTime After Time ), the choristers perfect their skills and strengthen their personal bonds. This film highlights the power of music to unite and heal!
La Cage aux Rossignols, Jean Dréville (1945)
La Cage aux Rossignols (The Nightingale Cage ) is a French film about Clément Mathieu, a supervisor at a re-education boarding school for difficult boys, who decides to form a choir to mollify these turbulent youngsters. Through music, Clément succeeds in transforming the lives of these children and revealing their hidden talents. The film is a testament to the power of music and its impact on personal development and redemption.
La Cage aux Rossignols (The Nightingale Cage ) was released just after the Second World War to rave reviews and became a classic of French cinema. Released in the 1940s, the film inspired the hugely popular Les Choristes, released in France in 2004.
Le Virtuose, François Girard (2014)
Entitled Boychoir in English, Le Virtuose is a musical drama starring Dustin Hoffman as a demanding choirmaster at an all-boys boarding school. The film follows the story of Stet, a young boy with a raw talent for singing who, after the death of his mother, is sent to this prestigious music school. Despite obstacles and rivalry, Stet learns discipline, friendship and a passion for singing under the guidance of his mentor.
Released to theaters in 2014, this film explores power dynamics, innate talent versus classical training, and the transformative power of music.
La Chorale, Disney + production (2024)
A six-part documentary series, The Choir follows young choristers in the Detroit Youth Choir, highlighting the challenges of choir preparation in the run-up to a big show. The series takes us behind the scenes of rehearsals, stressful auditions, moving performances and relationships between choristers.
By exploring the personal stories of members who are not actors, but actual choristers, the series shows how music can serve as a community bond and a catalyst for personal and collective change.
Chœur de rockers, Ida Techer and Luc Bricault (2022)
A French musical, Chœur de rockers is inspired by a true story, that of the Salt and Pepper choir founded in 2010 in Dunkirk.
The film features a choir of pensioners led by Alex, a singer whose career is struggling to take off. Her job is to get the seniors to sing nursery rhymes, but the choir leader discovers an unmanageable group with only one dream: to sing rock'n'roll. Faced with the determination of her pupils, Alex decides to have the choir rehearse rock classics, much to the delight of the choristers. Alex integrates his group of musicians into the rehearsals and decides to confront his choir with a surprising audience: the inmates of the town's prison.
La Famille Bélier, Éric Lartigau (2014)
A French dramatic comedy, La Famille Bélier tells the story of a family whose members, with the exception of teenage daughter Paula, are all deaf.
Paula discovers a gift for singing and becomes the centerpiece of a choir, prompting her to envision a life beyond her family farm. By evoking a sense of self-transcendence, the film presents a unique approach to music, seen through the eyes of those who can't hear it. Chosen for her charisma and unique voice, singer Louane plays the role of Paula in the film.
Pitch Perfect (Hit Girls), Jason Moore (2012)
Pitch Perfect, known in France as Hit Girls, is an American musical centered on the competitive world of college a cappella choirs. Beca, a college freshman, joins the all-female Barden Bellas choir.
Together, they seek to renew their repertoire to win championships against their male rivals. The film is known for its energetic musical performances, humor and spotlight on female power through music.
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