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The French Kissers (2009) movie poster

Timeline

The French Kissers (2009) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2009 · 90 mins · French
Directed by
Riad Sattouf
Starring
Irène Jacob, Marjane Satrapi, Valeria Golino, Nicolas Maury, Vincent Lacoste, Emmanuelle Devos

Though they can speak the language, the youngsters are completely out of their depth. An awkward teen and his angst‑ridden friends scramble to find their place, stumbling through awkward encounters and humorous misunderstandings as they try to fit in with a colorful, eclectic cast of characters.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Events in order (12)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like The French Kissers
  5. 5 Every angle

12 events in order · contains spoilers

The French Kissers Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The French Kissers (2009) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Hervé and Camel's life in Rennes

    Hervé and Camel are best friends living in a Rennes housing estate. They navigate junior high together, sharing ordinary days and jokes as they grow up. Their close friendship provides a stable backdrop for the onset of their teenage ambitions.

    When
    late junior high
    Where
    Rennes housing estate, junior high
  2. Fantasies and flirtations

    The two boys fantasize about girls and their mothers, using these daydreams to measure their self-worth and social standing. Their fantasies reveal insecurities about romance and the pressure to appear older than their years. The conversations are playful, but they hint at the awkward reality to come.

    When
    late junior high
    Where
    Rennes housing estate / school
  3. Laura accepts a date as a joke

    Hervé asks Laura out, hoping for a real romance, but Laura treats the date as a joke. She agrees to go along, not out of genuine interest, which underscores Hervé's repeated romantic misfires. The moment highlights the gap between his fantasies and the real dating scene.

    When
    late junior high
    Where
    Junior high, Rennes
  4. Aurore asks Hervé on a date

    Aurore, a popular classmate, asks Hervé on a date and they begin an awkward relationship. Their early interactions are shy and tentative, with both trying to figure out how to talk to and please each other. The relationship becomes the new center of Hervé's social life.

    When
    late junior high
    Where
    School, Rennes
  5. Hervé and Aurore's cautious romance

    Despite occasional closeness, Hervé and Aurore remain cautious about romance and struggle to move beyond kissing. The dynamic shows how peer expectations and insecurity shape their decisions. They drift through dates that feel more searching than confident.

    When
    late junior high
    Where
    School, Rennes
  6. A testing moment during a D&D game

    An incident during a Dungeons & Dragons game tests trust when Hervé's friends' behavior creates discomfort. Aurore learns that Hervé has been dishonest about aspects of their relationship, which sours her view of him. The episode forces them to confront honesty and boundaries.

    When
    late junior high
    Where
    D&D game session
  7. Aurore ends the relationship

    After the incident, Aurore breaks up with Hervé. The breakup marks a turning point as Hervé faces the consequences of his actions and the fragility of teenage relationships. The social circle around them begins to shift as well.

    When
    immediately after the incident
    Where
    D&D session / school
  8. Jump to high school

    The film skips forward to high school, showing the characters in a new phase of adolescence. Each character has evolved, forming fresh relationships and alliances. The Rennes setting continues to frame their growing independence.

    When
    early high school
    Where
    High school, Rennes
  9. Hervé and Sabrina

    Hervé is now dating Sabrina, signaling a more mature approach to romance. The relationship shows his growth from earlier misfires, though they still face typical teenage uncertainties. They remain part of a shared social circle with Camel and Aurore.

    When
    early high school
    Where
    High school, Rennes
  10. Camel and Jenifer

    Camel starts dating Jenifer, marking a parallel arc of teenage romance. The two friends' social circles remain interconnected as they navigate new relationships. The high school environment intensifies their experiences.

    When
    early high school
    Where
    High school, Rennes
  11. Aurore and Wulfran

    Aurore, who once dated Hervé, is now dating Wulfran, illustrating how the previous romantic ties evolve into new pairings. The shifting dynamics reflect how friendships adapt to changing love lives. The high school setting continues to shape their choices.

    When
    early high school
    Where
    High school, Rennes
  12. Mother's marriage to Anas's father

    Hervé's mother marries Anas's father, merging two families as life moves on. The family changes echo the broader growth around the teenagers. This new domestic arrangement signals a new stability behind their ongoing adolescence.

    When
    high school years
    Where
    Home in Rennes

Last updated: February 17, 2026 at 19:56

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Timeline questions answered

The French Kissers Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The French Kissers (2009): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did Aurore break up with Hervé?

Aurore broke up with Hervé after an incident during a Dungeons & Dragons game where her friends tried to grope her, and she discovered that Hervé had not been truthful about his experiences with her. This combination of feeling violated by his friends and realizing he had been dishonest about their relationship convinced her to end it.

Foreshadowing: Earlier moments had shown that Hervé and Aurore struggled to move beyond kissing and were cautious about romance, hinting at the instability of their relationship.

  • Aurore breakup
  • Hervé relationship
  • D&D game incident
  • teen romance
  • trust issues
Q2

What happened during the D&D game that caused the breakup?

During a Dungeons & Dragons game session, Hervé's friends attempted to grope Aurore, creating a deeply uncomfortable situation. On top of this, Aurore learned that Hervé had been dishonest about aspects of their relationship, which shattered her trust in him entirely.

Foreshadowing: The earlier date scenes showed Hervé and Aurore struggling with honesty and openness, with both characters remaining cautious and uncertain with each other.

  • Dungeons and Dragons
  • groping incident
  • trust betrayal
  • Hervé dishonesty
  • teen relationship trust
Q3

Why did Laura agree to go on a date with Hervé as a joke?

Laura accepted Hervé's date invitation more as a joke than because of genuine romantic interest. This moment highlighted the gap between Hervé's fantasies about romance and the reality of his dating life, showing that his romantic attempts often misfired.

Foreshadowing: Hervé and Camel frequently fantasized about girls and measured their self-worth through these daydreams, establishing that Hervé's real-world romantic prospects did not match his imagination.

  • Laura date
  • joke date
  • rejected teen romance
  • first love rejection
Q4

How did Hervé and Aurore's relationship begin?

Unlike typical dating scenarios where the boy asks the girl, Aurore, the beautiful and popular girl, actually asked Hervé out on a date. This unusual starting point made their relationship particularly awkward and awkward, as both were inexperienced and nervous.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes showed Hervé and Camel fantasizing about popular girls like Aurore, making her eventual interest feel like both a fantasy come true and an intimidating reality.

  • Aurore asks Hervé out
  • popular girl dating
  • teen first relationship
  • awkward romance
Q5

How did the relationships change after the jump to high school?

The film skips forward to high school, showing that the romantic dynamics completely shifted: Hervé is now dating Sabrina instead of Aurore, Camel is dating Jenifer, and Aurore is dating Wulfran. These new pairings reflect how the characters grew and moved on from their junior high relationships.

Foreshadowing: The breakup with Aurore marked a turning point that forced Hervé to mature and approach romance differently.

  • high school relationships
  • character evolution
  • new couples
  • teen dating progression
Q6

Who does Hervé end up with at the end of the movie?

At the end of the movie, Hervé is dating Sabrina, marking a shift from his earlier awkward relationship with Aurore. This new relationship represents his growth and a more mature approach to romance as he enters high school.

Foreshadowing: The breakup with Aurore and the transition to high school served as catalysts for Hervé's personal development.

  • Hervé ending relationship
  • Sabrina
  • Hervé dating
  • fresh start romance
Q7

Why does Hervé's mother marry Anas's father?

Hervé's mother marries Anas's father during the high school years, merging their two families. This marriage demonstrates how the adults in the story are also navigating relationships and life changes, while showing that family bonds persist even as the teenagers grow up and form new relationships.

Foreshadowing: The film established early on that Hervé lives with his single mother, making this marriage a significant evolution in his family structure.

  • mother marriage
  • family merger
  • Anas father
  • adult relationships
Q8

Why did Aurore ask Hervé out despite him being an ordinary student?

Despite Hervé being described as having ordinary looks and middling grades, Aurore chose to ask him out on a date. The film presents this as a naturalistic teenage scenario where popularity does not always dictate romantic pairings, and sometimes popular girls are simply curious or drawn to someone who seems different from their usual circle.

Foreshadowing: The earlier scenes of Hervé and Camel discussing their fantasies about popular girls establish that dating someone like Aurore was both a fantasy and an unexpected possibility.

  • popular girl dating ordinary boy
  • unusual pairing
  • teen attraction

Movie threads

More Movies Like The French Kissers, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The French Kissers tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Gentle Coming-of-Age Awkwardness like in The French Kissers

Sweet and humorous stories about the clumsy journey of adolescence. If you enjoyed the charming awkwardness of The French Kissers, explore these other movies like it. This selection highlights similar comedy dramas about teenage life, featuring relatable characters stumbling through the humorous and heartfelt moments of growing up.

  • awkward
  • coming-of-age
  • nostalgic
  • humorous
  • teen angst
  • hopeful
  • Tone: light, humorous, hopeful
  • Pacing: steady, observational
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories typically follow a young protagonist through a series of episodic, often humorous, encounters that define their adolescence. The narrative arc is less about high-stakes drama and more about the quiet, introspective moments of self-discovery, leading to a growth that feels earned and authentic.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared focus on the light, observational humor of adolescence, a steady pacing that lets characters breathe, and a tone that is more sweet-natured than cynical. They prioritize authentic character moments over plot-heavy complexity.

Observational Teenage Slice-of-Life like in The French Kissers

Quietly confident films capturing the mundane poetry of being a teenager. Looking for more movies like The French Kissers? This list features similar observational teen dramas that capture the essence of teenage life with humor and authenticity. Discover films that share the same focus on the awkward, humorous, and heartfelt moments of adolescence.

  • slice-of-life
  • teen life
  • observational
  • awkward
  • nostalgic
  • school
  • Tone: observational, light, bittersweet
  • Pacing: steady, measured
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread are often character-driven and episodic, unfolding through a series of vignettes that build a portrait of a specific time and place in a young person's life. The conflict is internal and social, revolving around themes of social acceptance, identity, and the subtle pains and joys of growing up.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their realistic portrayal of adolescence, a steady and unobtrusive pacing that mimics real life, and a straightforward narrative complexity that favors authentic feeling over intricate plotting. The emotional weight is kept light, making the stories relatable and easy to watch.

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Movies Like The French Kissers

Similar movies to The French Kissers: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

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Every angle

The French Kissers (2009) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The French Kissers in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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