Films and TV shows that feel like Papaoutai by Stromae

A joyful dance beat that hides the ache of a child asking where his absent father is, grief and play wrapped together.

1. The Intouchables (2011): French feel-good hit that mixes humour and pain, with a bittersweet warmth much like Stromae's.
2. The Son (2002): A Belgian drama about a father and a son, quiet and aching, on the same Belgian ground as the song.
3. The Kid with a Bike (2011): A Belgian boy abandoned by his father keeps running to find him, the song's question as a story.
4. Mommy (2014): Raw, stylised francophone family drama with bursts of music and joy over deep hurt.
5. Little Miss Sunshine (2006): A dysfunctional family, tender and comic, dancing through its pain.
6. Sorry We Missed You (2019): A father who is always absent through work, seen through his kids' eyes.
7. Lilo & Stitch (2002): A family that is broken yet chosen, where absence stings under a bright surface.
8. Call My Agent! (2015): Stylish modern French series with sharp wit and hidden emotion.