Christmas concert

CONCERT DE NOEL AF CHOIR
Thursday 16 December at 8pm
The Alliance Française Choir will be delighted to sing the selection of French traditionals and classic songs.
Laura Zimmermann, director of the AF Choir and professional soloist, will sing accompanied on piano by Cécile Gorge, teacher of piano and French at the AF for over twenty years, some of Gabriel Fauré’s songs adapted from poems by Paul Verlaine, Armand Silvestre and Villiers de l'Isle-Adam among others.

Admission: AF Members €8 / Non-Members €12
Booking essential at Reception info@alliance-francaise.ie

MOVING WORLDS FESTIVAL

8-11 December: MOVING WORLDS FESTIVAL
Moving Worlds: Cinemas of Migration is a unique collaboration between the Forum on Migration and Communication (FOMACS) and the European Union National Institutes of Culture (EUNIC)

Friday 10 December at 6pm
PANEL CONVERSATION WITH MARIELLE BERNARD

On the occasion of the Moving Worlds Festival, Marielle Bernard, the coordinator of social services of CAFDA, will give a talk at the Alliance Francaise. CAFDA (centre d’accueil pour les familles demandeurs d’asile), a reception centre for asylum seeking familiesQ&A to follow the screening.
RSVP: contact FOMACS in advance to register. tel: (01) 402 3006, or email info.fomacs@dit.ie

Saturday 11 December at 2.30pm
SCREENING AT THE IFI – THE ARRIVALS by Claudine Bories, Patrice Chagnard

The Arrivals is a French co-directed documentary. Caroline and Colette are social workers on the frontline. All day long, they assist families who are seeking asylum in France. Every day, there are new arrivals from different parts of the world – Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Eritrea – with or without passports, with or without luggage. Tickets are available from IFI Box Office, 6 Eustace Street Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Tel: (01) 679 3477, or at www.ifi.ie

Saturday 4 December from 9.30am to 4.30pm
FRENCH CHRISTMAS MARKETIn need of ideas for your Christmas presents?

The 3rd French Christmas Market will be held at the Alliance Française on Saturday 4 December.
You will love its cheerful and cosy atmosphere.
Escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy some tasty food from our delicatessen with a warming hot drink.
Our seasonally-decorated stands will be selling an array of Christmas presents including wine, chocolates, jewellery, cosmetics, books, clothes and decorations.
So whether you're looking for that special gift, a seasonal snack, or simply looking for some festive atmosphere, the Alliance Française Christmas Market 2010 is the perfect place for yuletide cheer with a beautiful French touch.

Admission free

THE HOTCLUB OF DUBLIN-CD LAUNCH

SATURDAY 27 NOVEMBER AT 7PM
Concert. “Hotclub” is a blend of Swing Jazz and Gypsy (Roma) music. It is largely associated with the Quintette du Hot Club de France a jazz group founded in France in 1934 by guitarist Django Reinhardt.

The Hotclub of Dublin consists of three members of the Gilligan Family, John, Fintan and Daniel, virtuoso Russian gypsy violin player Oleg Ponomarev and well-known French saxophonist Cyrille Laurens.

The Hotclub of Dublin will launch their new album Fin voyage.

The Café des Amis will be open for wine, soft drinks and sandwiches.

myspace.com/thehotclubofdublin

Admission €15 non-members
€12 AF members.

BEAUJOLAIS CELEBRATION
Thursday 18 November - 7.00 to 9.30pm
Following last year’s massive success the Alliance Française in partnership with the Ireland France Chamber of Commerce will celebrate Le Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 !
So, come along and join us for the arrival of this year’s Beaujolais with friends and colleagues, when you will be guided by Richard Moriarty, Chief wine buyer at Supersquinn, in the setting of a festive evening with music, local food products (cheeses, patés, saucissons etc…) to accompany the wine tasting and…. a surprise !
We are honoured to welcome our newly-arrived Ambassador to France in Ireland H.E. Emmanuelle d’Achon for the evening.

With the support of Superquinn‘s wine expert Richard Moriarty and the sponsorship of Emerald Freight Express.

Price: AF & IFCC members €40 per person / €70 per couple
Non-members €55

LIFE SIZE CLUEDO
Friday 5 November from 7.30pm to 9.30pm

Who killed Jacques Perrin? The situation is serious at the Manor of La Main Noire… Jacques Perrin, a French teacher of the Manor, has been strangled! All the residents of the Manor are upset: The guardian is crying all the time, the librarian stopped reading, the teachers are on strike... Tension is at its height !
That’s why the Landlord of the Manor decided to call Grolumbo, the famous French inspector! But must be helped to interrogate all the suspects by a lot of aspiring investigators…YOU
So, join us to unmask the murderer !
A voucher for French classes to win!

Admission FREE.
RSVP PLEASE: info@alliance-francaise.ie

Teachers' workshop: Sung French as a pedagogical tool

Saturday 13 November 1 – 3pm



Through exercise and vocal games, this workshop offers teachers of French as a Foreign Language, as well as secondary school French teachers, some strategies to develop oral and aural skills and provide their students with the courage to take the lead in conversations and to improve structure and pronunciation.

The musical theatre of Georges Aperghis, who combines poetry and humour, the speaking voice and the singing voice, will provide the material used by Laura Zimmerman, a professional singer, who is currently directing the choir of the Alliance Française Dublin.


AF members €5/Non-members €10. Online registration available.

Naim Kattan's lecture cancelled

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we regret that Naim Kattan must cancel his lecture which is due to place at the Alliance Francaise tonight, Thursday 28 October.
Sorry for any inconveniences this may cause.

The fascinating world of the Ocean waves by Pr. Frederic Dias

Wednesday 3 November - 6.30 pm

Water waves can have destructive power but they can also be a source of renewable energy, especially in Ireland. Expert on water waves for over 20 years, Prof. Frederic Dias from University College Dublin (School of Mathematical Sciences) will present his work The fascinating world of waves at the Alliance Francaise.

The presentation is in French with films and slides in English. It will be followed by a session of questions and answers in English and French.

Admission free
Limited number of seats available: RSVP info@alliance-francaise.ie - 01 676 17 32.

Thursday 28 October at 6.30pm
Lecture : Pourquoi j’ai choisi le français. par Naim Kattan

Naim Kattan, writer, literary critic (born at Baghdad, Iraq in 1928). Kattan studied law at the University of Baghdad before studying literature at the Sorbonne. His fictionalized memories of these years appeared as Adieu, Babylone (1975) and Les Fruits arrachés (1977). He immigrated to Canada in 1954 and in 1984 became head of the writing and publishing division of the Canada Council. Kattan has contributed to magazines and newspapers in the Near East, Europe and North America, and has written several books, distinguishing himself in the genres of essay, novel, short story and theatre.
In Le Réel et le théâtral (1970), a collection of essays that won the Prix France-Canada (1971), Kattan pondered the elements that over the ages have differentiated and distinguished cultures and civilizations, the relationship of oriental and occidental man with nature, other men and the beyond. He continued this reflection in La Mémoire et la promesse (1978), Le Désir et le pouvoir (1983) and Le Repos et l'oubli (1987).
In collaboration with the Délégation générale du Québec à Londres.

Presentation in French
Q & A in French and English
Admission free. RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie

MEET THE WRITER AZOUZ BEGAG

Wednesday 13 October 6.30pm

Azouz Begag, born in Lyon, France, is a French writer, politician and researcher in economics and sociology at the CNRS. Begag's best known literary work (he has published more than 20 books, among them many novels often inspired by his childhood) is the autobiographical novel Le Gone du Chaâba, published in 1986. In his novel, he describes the first ten years in the life of a child of Algerian immigrants who arrived in France in 1949: an Arab father, a mother from Kabylia, seven siblings, and a wooden shack for a house on the banks of the Rhône, next to other shantytowns.

Azouz Begag has been the delegate minister for equal opportunities of France between 2005 and 2007. Begag's academic career, culminating in his place as a researcher at the CNRS, as well as his political career to date, have also centred around the problems of unequal opportunity for those brought up in industrial suburbs and ghettos, " les Beurs" (young French of Maghreb descent).


Presentation in French moderated by Michael Cronin, Director of the Centre for Translation and Textual studies (DCU).
Q & A in French and English
Admission free. RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie

Legal french evening

Tuesday 5 October at 6.30pm

Un droit europeen des contrats : un reve ou un cauchemar?
Presentation by Paul Keane, Managing Partner of Reddy Charlton McKnight and a graduate of the Diploma in Legal French

The European Contract Law proposal presents significant political, legal and linguistic challenges. Is it worth the effort?”

This event will signal the start of the academic year for the Diploma in Legal French.
Presentation in French - Q & A in French and English- Admission free

Opening of the exhibition " A natural history" by Martin Healy (30 September-27 November)

Wednesday 29 September at 6.30pm

Martin Healy’s practice explores the connection between belief, perception and recorded imagery or sound, through the framework of popular cultural mythologies and phenomena.

For the show in the Alliance Francaise Healy will present a series of works that refer to the role photography plays in the classification of the natural world.

Martin Healy graduated from Crawford College of Art in 2000. Martin Healy came to public notice when he was included in the RHA’s Futures exhibition in 2004. Since then he has had a residency at IMMA and solo shows at the RHA and Rubicon galleries. Martin Healy is represented by the Rubicon gallery.

Admission free.

Dublin Culture Night - A reading to music

Friday 24 September from 7.30pm

On the occasion of Culture Night, the Alliance Française is offering a reading to music of Si la musique doit mourir by Tahar Bekri. On this occasion, Pol Huellou, flutes, will be backed by Sean Howley, bouzouki, Gerry O’Connor, fiddle and Gilles Le Bigot, guitar.

A poet born in 1951 in Gabès, Tunisia, Tahar Bekri has been living in Paris since 1976. He writes in French and in Arabic. He has published about twenty works. His poetry, hailed by critics, is translated into various languages. His work, marked by exile and wandering, evokes crossings in time and space continually reinvented. An inner speech, it is rooted in memory, seeking new horizons, at the interface of tradition and modernity. Above all it wishes to be a fraternal song, a land without frontiers. The reading of Si la musique doit mourir of Tahar Bekri could only get Pol Huellou to compose the music to accompany and to illustrate his poem in the framework of a creative project at La Passerelle, in Saint Brieuc. Since their initial encounter, a deep friendship has developed between the poet and the musician and their act was selected by the annual event of Le Printemps des Poètes. The poem has been translated into many languages: English, Russian, German, Greek, Portuguese, but also into Irish by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill.

French second-hand books for sale from 6.00 pm to 10.00 pm.

Readings at 7.30 pm, 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm
Admission free

Meet the artist - Talk with Pascal Bircher

Thursday 16 September 6.30pm

Pascal Bircher’s interdisciplinary practice combines elements of personal and collective mythology, samples of reality and fiction. With strong references to history and science (particularly deep history and astrophysics), literature, genre movies and popular culture, he probes notions of origin and the mechanisms through which identity and narrative are constructed, evolve or mutate, exploring the possibilities of representing the unfathomable and the phenomena of appearance or disappearance of form and meaning.

Pascal Bircher lives and works in Paris. He is currently doing a residency at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin Q&A (French-English)

Admission free - RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie
Venue:
Alliance Francaise de Dublin
1, Kildare street
Dublin 2

French Week (13th to 18th july0

Hoist the French sail with the Alliance Française Dublin!
13-18 July

In partnership with the Belem Foundation and to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Alliance Française Dublin, the third biggest Alliance in Europe, is organizing a crossing between France and Ireland on the Belem, one of the oldest tall ships still sailing the seas. A French merchant ship in her first years, later on the property of the Guinness family this vessel is France's only remaining three-masted barque.
Setting sail from Roscoff, Britanny, on the 9th of July with about 48 trainees, the Belem will be welcomed into Dublin Harbour (right beside the Samuel Beckett bridge), four days later by the French Ambassador on the 13th of July, just in time for the Bastille Day celebrations! The Belem will be moored for a few days beside a huge festive market, organised by Le Marché de France European Market, on the quayside, giving the people of Dublin a chance to come on board and to participate in the celebrations.



To all sailors!
Raise the anchor and please give the Belem:
A real Irish welcome to Dublin Bay: Tuesday July 13 around 2 to 3pm
And a real Irish farewell back to the high seas: Saturday July 17 around 9am

Bal musette

Come and enjoy the traditional celebration of Bastille Day!
Dance the night away at the “Guinguette”, an open air dance hall.

French food and wine served.

Take a stroll on the quays to the French tall ship Belem in an old-time Paris ambiance to the sound of French chanson and Cajun music.

Duo Sean & Tómas
Caroline Moreau
Cedric Watson and Bijou créole

Admission free

Soirée aveyronnaise

Come and discover the wonders of the Aveyron region at a very special evening!
Keep thoughts of sunshine to the fore and be introduced to the local delicatessen and the local talents!
Discover the secrets of the aligot and try some of the local cuisine: charcuterie and cheeses including the famous Roquefort, along with a glass of wine and you will be transported to this beautiful region of France and meet some young entrepreneurs, members of the Jeune Chambre Economique, who will talk to you about their lovely area and the places that you really must visit if you are tempted to travel there!

Wednesday 30 June- 6.30pm
Admission free
RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie

Party Gainsbourg

Monday 21st June
The Mezz – 9.00pm
The film made you nostalgic?
Then why not dance with the Gainsbourg Family! Among the three, you will definitely like one of them, between the provocative Serge Gainsbourg, his “muses” Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin and the fragile Charlotte Gainsbourg.
Their most popular hits will be played all night at the Mezz, a late Bar with music, in Temple Bar. Admission Free.

Screening Gainsbourg

Monday 21st June
IFI - 6.45pm
The IFI is delighted to present, a preview of Gainsbourg, Joann Sfar's fascinating biopic of the legendary musician Serge Gainsbourg. An artist, a rebel, a rock star and a lover to many beautiful women, Gainsbourg explores all aspects of a man who would prove to be one of the most influential musicians of all time.

The screening will be followed by a Gainsbourg Party

Musical Brunch

Sunday 20th June
Restaurant Verre en vers
Hotel Radisson Blu – 1.00 to 4.00pm
A Musical Brunch will be held at the French Restaurant of the Hotel Radisson Blu, Verre en vers. Come and enjoy French gastronomy in a warm, relaxing and musical atmosphere.

To book your table, call 01 898 2992
Brasserie Verres en Vers is offering a 5% discount off Sunday Brunch for Let's French Festival guests on Sunday the 20th June.
This is not valid in conjunction with any other offer.

Concert Jazz

Saturday 19th June
Alliance Française Dublin - 6.30pm
The association of German saxophonist Daniel Erdmann & French pianist Francis Le Bras is the crossing and the addition of another universe, harmony and melody, of two conceptions of music and improvisation. Here, artistic freedom allows the two stories told to go their own way before merging at the best possible moment.


www.myspace.com/erdmann3000

Saturday 19th June
Alliance Française of Dublin
from 3.00 to 5.00pm
After the last year success, students, members and friends of the Alliance Française are all welcome again to come on stage and show off their musical talents!
Whether you have a talent for singing, or playing an instrument, whether you are into hip hop, folk, rock, classical or opera this will be your 5 minutes of fame!
No stage fright just friends here to support you in the Café des amis to celebrate summer and music!
Performance time: 3 to 10 minutes per person / band.

Registration mandatory at cultural@alliance-francaise.ie.

Party - French Caribbean Night

Thursday 17th June
South William Bar – 9pm


Come and Join us on June 17th in the South William Bar to celebrate French Caribbean Music. Often understated, this night will offer Creole-aficionados the chance to sample some of the best Biguine, Calypso and Zouk music straight from Martinique and Guadeloupe.

The Bar will serve typical cocktails, so put your dancing shoes on and come and join us. It’s free!

Concert - Sophie Delila

Wednesday 16th June
Whelans - 8pm

A Parisian-bred singer, pianist, guitarist, writer and producer, Sophie Delila is currently seducing Europe with her brand of soulful melodic pop. She appeared last year on Nouvelle Vague's album covering Talk Talk's classic "Such A Shame". Her highly anticipated debut album, Hooked, will be released on 31st May and is already described as “one of this season’s essentials”.

Concert - Mellino (from Les Négresses Vertes)

Friday 18th June
Crawddady - 8pm
After a few memorable years in the French cult band Les Négresses Vertes, Mellino are back on the road in their own style, focusing all their energy into intense, visceral gypsy rock. The duo mixes easily the classic by the Négresses Vertes with their brand new mediteranneo-rock material.

www.myspace.com/mellino

French Film Club "La fille du Rer" by Téchiné

FRENCH FILM CLUB:
LA FILLE DU RER

Tuesday 8 June @ 8.40pm

In La Fille du RER, veteran French auteur André Téchiné turns in a complex drama which displays all his trademarks of narrative density, insightful character study and a passionate engagement with the complexities of modern French politics and culture.

The cast is uniformly strong, with Catherine Deneuve, Michel Blanc, Emilie Dequenne, Mathieu Demy, Ronit Elkabetz and Nicolas Duchauvelle. The film is inspired by Jean-Marie Besset’s play RER (2006).

Introduction by Dr Laurent Marie

Tickets: €7 AF members - €9.50 Non-members
To book, please contact the box office at 01 679 3477

Irish Film Institute
8 Eustace Street, Dublin 2

Jena Sulivan Evening

To mark the 30th anniversary of the death of the French priest-writer Jean Sulivan (1913-1980), a special evening will begin with a short talk by Dr Eamon Maher, Director of the National Centre for Franco-Irish Studies in IT Tallaght, on the theme: The relevance of Sulivan’s writings for post-Catholic Ireland, followed by readings from Sulivan’s work with an selection of music by the poet, musician and former teacher Dominique Dao Huu Bao from Rennes, in Sulivan’s native Brittany.

Thursday 3rd June @ 6pm
In collaboration with the Cultural Service of the French Embassy

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact the reception at info@alliance-francaise.ie

Cultural Events June 2010

Tuesday 1 June
Award - Launch of the 1st AF Photography Award for an exhibition in November 2010

Thursday 3 June
Talk - The relevance of Jean Sulivan’s writings for post-Catholic Ireland by Dr Eamon Maher followed by a reading by French poet and musician: Dominique Dao Huu Bao - 6pm - RSVP

Tuesday 8 June
French Film Club - La fille du RER by Téchiné introduced by Dr. Laurent Marie - at IFI - 8.40pm
€7 AF members

Let’s French Music Festival 16 June - 21June
Wednesday 16 June
Concert - Sophie Delila - at Whelan’s - 8pm - €8 AF members / €12 Non-members
Thursday 17 June
Party - French Caribbean Night - at South William Bar - 9pm - Free
Friday 18 June
Concert - Mellino (Négresses Vertes) - at Crawdaddy - 8pm - €8 AF members / €12 Non-mbers
Saturday 19 June
Open Mic - Children, teens and adults come & show your musical talent - 3pm to 5pm - Free
Concert - Franco-German Jazz Duo - Daniel Erdmann & Francis Le Bras - 6.30pm
€8 AF members / €12 Non-members
Sunday 20 June
Musical Brunch - Restaurant Verre en vers at Hotel Radisson Blu - 1pm to 4pm - book your table at 01 898 2992 - 5% discount for Let’s French Festival guests
Monday 21 June
Cinema - Advance Screening of Joann Sfar’s Gainsbourg - at IFI - 6.45pm - €7 AF members
Post-screening Party - Gainsbourg Party - at The Mezz - 9pm - Free

Wednesday 23 June
Ciné Kid – Lucky Luke, la ballade des Dalton - 4pm - Free for AF members only - RSVP

Thursday 24 June
Ciné Club - La cite de la peur by Les Nuls - 7.30pm - Free for AF members only - RSVP

Wednesday 30 June
Soirée aveyronnaise - Come and discover the wonders of the Aveyron region at a very special evening. Be introduced to the local delicatessen and the local talents! - 6.30pm Free - RSVP

TO COME:
7 July: Exhibition Belle-île en mer 1930-1960 by Pierre Jamet
8 July: Talk by Nicolas Fève Overview of photography in France from the 1930s to the 1960s
13-17 July: French Market on the docks and the arrival of the French tall ship Le Belem

Ciné Club - Belle de Jour by Luis Buñel

CINE CLUB
Belle de jour de Luis Buñel



Thursday 27 May - 7.30pm
French version
with French subtitles, 100 min.

Catherine Deneuve plays a woman who decides to spend her days as a prostitute while her husband is at work. As mysterious, poetic, and provoking as every Luis Buñuel's films, Belle de Jour is certainly the masterpiece of surrealist cinema. His meditation on reality, society, fantasy and sexuality still remains both alluring and shocking decades after it was made (1967).

Information and booking:
library@alliance-francaise.ie

Admission Free. Seats are limited to 15 and restricted to Members.

AF Birthday Party!!!

CHAPEAU L'ALLIANCE !
AF BIRTHDAY PARTY

Special Event. 50 years old, that’s worth celebrating!
Take your hat off to the Alliance Française, but first you have to wear it! Use your imagination! Come wearing your finest examples of millinery madness and then dance the night away to celebrate the first half century of the Alliance Française in Dublin.
The grand draw for the 50th anniversary raffle will take place at 10.30pm on that night. If you haven’t already bought your raffle ticket, there’s still time to buy some at the Alliance or on the night if stocks last!

25 May 2010 - 7.00pm
Admition: Free for the hatted! Otherwise a €5 charge will apply.

Ciné Kid - Le Petit Nicolas de Laurent Tirard

Le Petit Nicolas de Laurent Tirard

Screening. This month Cinékid presents the live-action adaption of the acclaimed children's book series Le Petit Nicolas by Goscinny & Sempé.

One day, Nicolas overhears a conversation between his parents which suggests that his mother might be pregnant and his whole world is shattered... The adaptation was co-written by Alain Chabat (Les Nuls, Astérix & Obélix : Mission Cléopâtre).

Saturday 22 May - 12.15pm
French version
with French subtitles

Free for AF Members only
RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie

Dublin Dance Festival - Young People Old Voices

DUBLIN DANCE
FESTIVAL 2010

Dance. The modern dance theatre piece Young People, Old Voices by the German dancer and choreographer Raimund Hoghe, and with the young French dancer Emmanuel Eggermont, is the central event of the Dublin Dance Festival 2010.

Tuesday 18 at 7pm
Wednesday 19 May at 7.30pm

Tickets: €22 (Full Price) / €18 (Concession) / €17 (Early Bird)
10% discount off full price tickets for AF members. Call the Box Office on (01) 672 8815.

Other French productions or co-productions during the Dublin Dance Festival: Basso Ostinato by Caterina Sagna (May 17-18 at Project Arts Centre) and AD VITAM by Carlotta Sagna (May 21-22 at Project Arts Centre), MonStreS by La BaZooKa (May 13-15 at The Ark).

Samuel Beckett Theatre
Beckett Centre 202 Pearse St, D2

Training - Acting techniques for improved student engagement

Acting techniques for improved student engagement

Training. New instalment in our Teacher of French Training Workshops series:

Acting techniques for improved student engagement presented by Anne Abel-Ginisty, both a professional actress and a teacher of French as a foreign language at the Alliance Française in Dublin.

Using theatrical techniques learns how to take account of personal qualities to help voice utilisation, body movements and the use of space, in particular. Activities help students to take the lead and participate more fully in class.

Saturday 15 May 2-4pm at the Alliance Francaise in Dublin
AF members €10
Non-members €20

Book online
More information:
info@alliance-francaise.ie

Rencontre avec Samuel Beckett

Rencontre avec Samuel Beckett

Conference. Charles Juliet and Barry McGovern will talk about their encounters with Samuel Beckett at different stages of their life.
Charles Juliet, is a French poet, playwright and novelist. In 1986, he published his Rencontres avec Samuel Beckett, which included four interviews he had with the author. Barry McGovern is an Irish stage, film and television actor. He is known internationally for his award-winning one-man Beckett show I'll Go On. Barry McGovern will read a few extracts from Beckett’s work and from Charles Juliet own book. Q&A (French-English) will follow the reading.

Tuesday 11 May at 6.30pm
Admission free at the Alliance Francaise in Dublin
RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie

In collaboration with the Cultural Service of the French Embassy and the Lycée Français d’Irlande

Ciné Club - Mon Oncle by Jacques Tati

Cinéclub

JACQUES TATI's MON ONCLE
Thursday 29 April - 7.30pm
On the occasion of the Franco-Irish Literary Festival whose theme this year is The City, the Ciné-Club suggests that you see or see once again Mon Oncle by Jacques Tati, which was first shown in 1958. The first film in colour by the director this absolute masterpiece received the Oscar for the Best Foreign Film that year.
M. and Mme Arpel live in a very modern house in a lethargic neighbourhood. Game, chance and humour have no place in this too-well designed universe. Their son, Gérard, is bored. But that's where his uncle M. Hulot makes his appearance, an idiosynchratic misfit...


French version with French subtitles, 110 min.

Information and booking: library@alliance-francaise.ie
Admission Free. Seats are limited to 15 and restricted to Members.

French Film Club "La Danse" by Frederick Wiseman

Monday 26 April at 8pm
Talk 15minutes before the screening

At the IFI (8 Eustace street, Dublin 2)

Ticket on sale at the box office
€7 AF members / €9.50 Non-members

From the talent and application of individual dancers and choreographers to the infrastructure of a venerable Parisian institution, La Danse, The Paris Opera Ballet is an expansive portrait that surveys the totality of presenting world-class ballet to an adoring public.

For the past four decades, Fred Wiseman, the dean of American documentarists, has specialised in allowing the audience the status of invisible observer watching the process of others going about their lives, and here as usual he forgoes captioning and direct-to-camera interviews to give reality to us straight up. The result is compellingly immersive, detailing the day-to-day micro-crises inevitably shaping the fortunes of any large ballet company, yet also encouraging our appreciation of the sheer toil involved in honing physical grace to a fine point of finesse.

The screening of the film will be preceded by a brief introduction by a representative from the Dublin Dance Festival.

Ciné Kid - La Ballon Rouge by Albert Lamorisse

Saturday 24 April 12.15
French version
with French subtitles

Le Ballon rouge is a 1956 fantasy short film (40 minutes)directed by Albert Lamorisse (who also shot Crin Blanc).

The film, which follows the adventures of a young boy who one day finds a sentient, mute, red balloon, was filmed in the Ménilmontant neighborhood of Paris.

It won numerous awards, including an Oscar for best original screenplay in 1956 and the Palme d'Or for short films at Cannes. Many international directors and critics are still considering this film amongst the most influential. It also became popular with children educators.

Free for AF Members only
RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie

Photographic exhibition "Beckett's Paris" by John Minihan

"Beckett's Paris" by John Minihan
14 April - 25 June
At the Alliance Française in Dublin (1 Kildare Street, Dublin 2)

The Irish photographer John Minihan first met Samuel Beckett in May 1980, and was to photograph him many times thereafter, in both Paris and London, a privilege afforded to very few. Impossible to interview and famously camera-shy, Samuel Beckett was nevertheless a remarkable subject, with his wise, eagle-like face which reflected his greatness and profundity as a writer.

This exhibition presents some impressive portraits of Beckett and of his surroundings in Paris together with portraits of the famous, like Jean-Louis Barrault or Nathalie Sarraute, who worked and spent time with Beckett in Paris at that time.

This exhibition is kindly sponsored by www.parisbynumbers.ie

Zazie dans le métro de Louis Malle

Thursday 8 April at 6.30pm

Screening. As a prelude to the Franco-Irish Literary Festival, the Alliance Française has the pleasure of offering you the chance to attend a screening of the 1960 cult classic film Zazie dans le métro.

Louis Malle's fourth film, based on the novel by Raymond Queneau, is an absurdist wonder to behold, halfway between slapstick comedy and poetry. A sassy young girl embarks on a madcap Parisian adventure when she visits her transvestite uncle and takes a raucous sightseeing tour of the city.

The film will be introduced by UCD Lecturer Dr Laurent Marie.

Admission free but ticketed.
To book your ticket please contact the IFI box office: 01 679 34

The writing competition is over!

Dear writers,

The Writing Competition is now over.

We would like to thank you all for your participation. The Short Story-Poem Competition has been set up for the first time, this year and it has been a real success that we did not expect.

If you get a chance to go to the Festival, which is held at Dublin Castle on the 16th and 17th April and at the Alliance Française on the 18th of April, you will get the opportunity to read the 31 stories and poems in English and French of all candidates.

We all hope to see you at the Festival.

The organisation team of the festival

SEAN HILLEN ON HIS WORK

Talk. Sean Hillen was raised in Newry and studied at the Belfast College of Art. In 1982, he travelled to London to continue his studies at the London College of Printing, and then at the Slade School of Fine Art. The Man from IRELANTIS shows many examples of his highly acclaimed work from the 1980’s up to his most recent and talks about its genesis and history. The exhibition Return to Irelantis is currently on display in our gallery. Read a review here from the Irish Independent.

Tuesday 30 March at 6.30pm
Admission Free RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie

CINECLUB: LE GRAND VOYAGE

Screening. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Francophonie the Cinéclub is giving you the opportunity this month to see a screening of Le Grand voyage, a wonderful film by the director of Maroccan origin, Ismaël Ferroukhi. This universal and humanist road movie is carried by the performances of two intense actors, Nicolas Cazalé and Mohamed Majd. Le Grand voyage won the Luigi De Laurentiis Award at the 2004 Venice Film Festival.

Thursday 25 March - 7.30pm
French/Arab version with English subtitles, 108 min.

Information and booking: library@alliance-francaise.ie
Admission Free. Seats are limited to 15 and restricted to Members.

FRENCH FILM CLUB: LE PERE DE MES ENFANTS

Screening. What starts as a tribute to a hero of the European art film becomes an affecting meditation on the pursuit of happiness in this hauntingly beautiful offering from writer-director Mia Hansen-Løve.

The shamblingly charismatic Louis-Do de Lencquesaing plays an unfailingly-enthused, financially-doomed, producer obviously modelled on the late Humbert Balsan. For a while, we’re hooked by the film’s brutally honest depiction of the sharp end of independent cinema, but as worries begin to weigh more heavily, the focus shifts to the
long-suffering wife (Alice Gautier) who is obviously wondering, like us, whether this masculine rage to build a legacy is actually depriving her and her children of a life in the meantime.

Tuesday 23 March at 8.40pm
Ticket: €7 AF members / €9.50 Non-members

Irish Film Institute

ST PATRICK'S DAY PARADE & BRETON EVENING

Parade. To celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, the Alliance Française will take part in the Dublin parade and be represented by the Bagad (traditional Breton music group), Glaziked of Pouldergat. The group which was created in 1946, has evolved locally since 1990 under the direction of Pascal Le Friant. This ensemble is made up largely of pipers, bombards and drums from the Pouldergat locality, trained at the school of band music. The repertoire is mainly traditional Breton tunes occasionally influenced by traditional tunes from elsewhere. The Costumes known as Glazik are very bright in colour and quite characteristic of the geographical location of Pouldergat (Finistère). This event is supported by Région Bretagne, ULAMIR du Goyen and the St Patrick’s Festival Committee.


17 March From 12-noon to 2pm - starting at Parnell Square, D1

Breton evening. To complete the Breton experience the Alliance Française invites you to come and try out our Crêpes event. In partnership with French Crêpes we offer you the opportunity to enjoy a crêpe meal in a festive ambiance provided by the Glaziked band, who will introduce you to traditional Breton music.

17 March from 6.30pm to 9pm at the Alliance Française

Price: AF members €8 / Non-members €12 Tickets include one drink and one traditional Breton crêpe. Online registration is available. For further information, contact Reception: (01) 676 17 32 or info@alliance-francaise.ie

VÉRONIQUE PESTEL's POEMES EN L'AIR

Véronique Pestel is a singer/song-writer musically trained from an early age (song, dance, piano). She started her career in the early 80s and soon she was playing support for major singers such as Nougaro, Serge Reggiani and Juliette Greco. As an artist, she puts music to poèmes, in the great French tradition. She also covers work by other authors mixing styles and genres. Throughout her career she took part in many French and French-speaking festivals such as Bourges, La Rochelle, Lausanne, Charleroi, Montréal. This event is organised in collaboration with the Cultural Service of the French Embassy and the Festi’Val de Marne.

Wednesday 10 March at 8pm

Tickets: AF Members €10 / Non-members €15 (tickets on sale at AF Reception or at the Sugar Club one hour prior to the show)

The Sugar Club 8 Leeson Street, Dublin 2

Alert! Last month of the Short Story-Poem Competition

The Short Story-Poem Competition is now in its last month.
Don’t forget to take part in this challenge and write a short story or poem on the theme of “The City”.

Find the rules below
- You can write in either French or English.
- Your story or poem must be between 500 and 1000 words.
- Send your completed story or poem by email to Business@alliance-francaise.ie or post in on the blog of the Alliance Francaise of Dublin.

-The closing date for entries is 31st March 2010.
-All stories will be displayed during the Franco-Irish Literary Festival.

I look forward to reading from you.

Coming soon: the Franco-Irish Literary Festival 2010

A quick note to remind you that the Franco-Irish Literary Festival, which is a meeting place for everyone interested in French and Irish Literature, will be held at Dublin Castle and the Alliance Française on the 16th, 17th and 18th April.

As you know we have invited a number of special guests to the festival.
Answer the question below and you will discover one of them.

Who is collaborating with Benoît Peeters on the comic Les cites obscures?

SEAN HILLEN's RETURN TO IRELANTIS

Exhibition. A collection of acclaimed work by Irish artistSeán Hillen will be shown for the first time in Dublin since the 1990’s. Best known for his Irelantis series, where competing myths and visions cohabit a deliciously witty montage, Hillen is one of the most significant artists of his generation.

As the Irelantis images have come to be seen as the most vivid and emblematic expression of the dreams and anxieties of the Celtic Tiger, his works from the ‘Troubles’ era, based on his own photographs, have become more widely-known internationally and are now studied as masterworks of the medium.

In this exhibition the public will get a rare opportunity to see several of the delicate almost miniature original collages, together with a selection of a new definitive edition of archival prints.

12th February – 10th April 2010

Opening: Thursday 11th February at 6:30pm. Admission free.

AUDIARD's A PROPHET

Screening. Jacques Audiard’s latest is one of the great European crime flicks of recent years. Newcomer Tahar Rahim provides a compelling central presence as an Muslim prisoner in one of France’s toughest jails, who ensures his survival by throwing his lot in with a group of Corsican lifers, becoming an essential part of the criminal operation they run from behind bars, and something of a surrogate son for their grizzled head honcho (Niels Arestrup).

Roundtable. The film will be preceded by a roundtable discussion with John Lonergan, Governor of Mountjoy Prison, and Stéphanie Djian from Observatoire International des Prisons. The discussion will be moderated by UCD Lecturer, Dr. Laurent Marie.

Monday 8 February 6.30pm

IFI Members and Alliance Française Members will get a special discounted €7 ticket price

SOLO SAILING RACES

Irish Sailor Paul Ó Riain competed solo onboard his yacht “CityJet” in La Solitaire du Figaro in 2007, a gruelling 1,800 mile 4 stage yacht race between France, Ireland and Spain. Come and hear Paul speak about racing in the world’s most competitive solo sailing event.

British Sailor Steve White staked all to compete in the 2008-9 Vendée Globe solo round the world race. His story, of how he made it to the start of the biggest, toughest and most dramatic round the world sailing race ever and completed his remarkable circumnavigation to finish an incredible 8th place from 30 starters is both inspiring and compelling.

The talk will be in English with questions and answers in French and English. Including photo & video footage and a wine reception afterwards.

Thursday 4 February 8pm

Admission Free. RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie

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The New Poster - Franco-Irish Literary Festival 2010

Hello everybody,

I have the pleasure to show you the new poster of the Franco-Irish Literary Festival 2010.

I look forward to seeing you in April!

JE ME SOUVIENS...

To make our 50th anniversary more grounded, we are looking for testimonies of your past experiences of the Alliance Française in Dublin.

Leave your comment here or send us documents at webmaster@alliance-francaise.ie

DANCE ON FILM: JEROME BEL

Screening. Véronique Doisneau was a member of the corps de ballet of the Paris Opera Ballet, a career ballet dancer, but never the étoile. This work by Jérôme Bel was made as Doisneau was approaching 42, POB’s
mandatory retirement age. On a bare stage, Doisneau sketches out her life as a dancer. Both humorous and poignant, Bel’s film reveals the person behind the facade of the mutely graceful corps. A panel discussion on the topic ‘Career Transitions in Dance’ will follow the screening. Panellists include Joanna Banks, College of Dance; Finola Cronin, UCD; Paul Johnson, Dance Ireland, Jenny Roche,
Dance Advisor Arts Council and Davide Terlingo, Head of Dance Arts Council.

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This event is FREE but ticketed. Tickets can be booked in advance or collected from the Light House Box Office (01 879 7601).

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Sunday 31 January 4.00pm

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PANCAKE WORKSHOP for children

Celebrate Chandeleur with Anne-Sophie from Fafie’s Creperie. This workshop offers children who like to help in the kitchen the opportunity to learn how to make crepes with a professional. The aim is to discover the real secret of Breton Crepes. The motto? Learning by doing… and tasting!


Maximum 12 participants. All materials supplied.

Online registration available: Members AF €10 (on production of membership card) / non-members €15

Saturday 30 January 12.30 – 1.30pm

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CINECLUB: JEAN RENOIR'S LA GRANDE ILLUSION

Screening. A humanist and pacifist film, La Grande Illusion was banned both in Nazi Germany and occupied France during World War II. Benefitting from masterly performances by three leading film actors, Pierre Fresnay, Eric Von Stroheim and Jean Gabin, Jean Renoir's timeless work is still, even to this day, considered to be one of the best French and international films ever made.

In 1917, in a German prisoner of war camp, a group of French prisoners, including an aristocrat, Boieldieu, a foreman, Maréchal and a Jewish banker, Rosenthal, plan an escape. At the last minute, they are transferred to a fortress run by Von Rauffenstein who sympathizes with Boieldieu...

Thursday 28 January 7.30pm
French version with English subtitles, 108 min.

Information and booking: library@alliance-francaise.ie
Admission Free. Seats are limited to 15 and restricted to Members.

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INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD TO TEACH FRENCH

Training. To further establish the Alliance Française as a resource centre for teachers of French in the Dublin region, we are proposing this workshop especially designed to give them the opportunity to discover the specifics of interactive whiteboards and to train in their use. Teachers will learn how to find resources and how to create effective ones for the teaching of French - for both adults and children. The workshop The Use of Interactive Whiteboards in the Teaching of French as a Foreign Language, in partnership with TV5MONDE, will be presented by Claire Bourgeois, Director of the Alliance Française, who has been implementing this tool successfully on a large scale at the Alliance Française in New York from 2005 onwards.
It will be followed by a reception to continue the discussion.

Saturday 23 January 1-4pm

AF Members:
€10 (on production of membership card) Non-Members: €20
Online registration