French cinema more popular abroad than in France

Mon Dieu! It appears that the French are losing their taste for homegrown films - just as demand for them outside of the country is growing. According to the AFP, France rode the international success of films such as March of the Penguins to the tune of $453M this year, representing a 50 percent increase in foreign audience appreciation. At the same time, domestic consumption of French flicks dropped over 14 percent. Penguins itself accounts for over $70M in box office sales internationally, with over 16 million people having seen the story about Emperor penguins doing it all for the nookie. In France, however, the penguins only tempted 1.2 million people to waddle their butts into theater seats.

So, what have YOU done for French cinema lately? What's the last French flick you watched? I went through a phase several years back where I attempted to bone up on some classics of French cinema, getting addicted to Truffault along the way. But I have to admit I've been a Parisian slacker as of late. And "slacker" is generous: the last French flick I can remember watching is Amelie. Before that, it was Romance, which probably deserves an award for being the world's most depressing porn flick. (Um, not that I have tons of expertise in that area...)