Once again, the AFDC is eager to go beyond the limits of the expected. It will be hosting Silence!, a silent dance party that promises to indulge your senses in a way you have probably never experienced before.

This thought-provoking event will feature:

-        wireless headphones that will enable you to tune 2 different music channels: the very best of French twist and electronic music (including those 10 top French songs that also made it to the American charts!)

-        a screening of a fine selection of French silent films

-        a mime performance, inspired by Marcel Marceau

-        and a silent poetic interactive performance that will include the opportunity to discover French sign language

Shake out the cold tonight and come meet us at AFDC’s newest location (421 7^th St. NW in Chinatown), where you can expect to be surprised by a fascinating combination of silence and dance

When: Friday, January 20^th at 7 p.m.

Where: 421 7^th St. NW (District Architecture Center in Chinatown)

Admission: $20 General; $15 AF Members

RSVP: www.francedc.org or call 202-234-7911

This event is organized in partnership with Gallaudet University, The American Institute of Architects (DC Chapter), Yelp, and Silent Events

This coming Thursday, January 12^th, the Alliance Française de Washington will treat its cinema-loving audiences with the screening of L’illusionniste (2010), a heart-warming film directed by Sylvain Chomet (also acclaimed for his first feature-length animated film, Les Triplettes de Belleville).

The screenplay for L’illusionniste is based on a semi-autobiographical script that was written by Jacques Tati between 1956 and 1959, but never produced. By then, Tati had already released his first major feature, Jour de fête (1949), followed by his second film Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot (1953). Five years later, Tati would continue this trail of fame with his first film in color, Mon Oncle (1958).

The exact reason for why Tati did not go about bringing L’illusionniste to life on the screen is unknown, although many have speculated that it is related to the complex relationship he had with his two daughters. Chomet’s film sheds light on an important period in Tati’s own personal life through the portrayal of the profound love that can thrive between a father and a daughter.

With an entrancing trip through the charming scenery of Europe in the 1950s and a memorable soundtrack, the animated film tells the story of an oddly charismatic French illusionist who finds himself struggling to make ends meet. Wishing not to leave behind his career, he travels to Scotland for a show and there crosses paths with a young woman named Alice. Just as it appears that the illusionist himself is losing hope, Alice’s endearing naïveté leads him to restore his belief in the eternal magic of life.

When: Thursday, January 12^th

Where: Letelier Theatre (3251 Prospect Street, Upper Courtyard, Washington, DC)

Admission:
General: $9
AF Student Members, WIFV members, Students and Seniors: $4
Individual AF Members: FREE.

For more information on the film: http://lillusionniste-lefilm.com/
For more information on upcoming screenings: www.francedc.org

The beginning of a new year is a time not only to look forward, but also to look back on what has gotten us where we are - with our families, careers and pastimes, failures and successes.  Here at the Alliance, we’re reminded that French is not only the memorization of masculine versus feminine and passé composé versus imparfait drills, it is also the portal to exploration of new parts of the world, our global history, and our shared – although varied - human experience.

So here’s to language letting us see a quirk in Alsacien construction, encountering cultural differences in shared holidays, and discovering the origins of childhood memories.  And in all parts of our lives, as 2012 begins let us go forward, reengaging with our passions and resolving to always find new ways to reinspire ourselves.

Five fun facts to kick off a new year exploring la francophonie

5. Homes in the region of Alsace in France are termed “mobilier,” French pertaining to something moveable, rather than “immobilier” as real estate is termed in the rest of the country, due to the fact that Alsacien homes were historically built with the intention of one day being displaced as part of a bride’s dowry

4. The francophone country of Benin, in West Africa, is considered the birthplace of voodoo, a hybrid, highly spiritual religion that grew from elements of Christianity mixed with local traditions.  The practice was carried across the Atlantic during the slave trade and still maintains a foothold in contemporary societies of the Western Hemisphere. It is still particularly associated with French-influenced Haiti and New Orleans.

3. The Belgian city of Wépion hosts a musem dedicated to the strawberry. La musée de la fraise offers a history of strawberry cultivation, products derived from the strawberry, as well as an exploration of strawberry festivals and the region around Wépion.

2. April Fool’s Day is generally agreed to have originated in France in 1582 due to the switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, which shifted the beginning of the year from April 1 to January 1. Because communication traveled so slowly, many were unaware that the change had even occured (while others were simply disinclined to accept such a drastic change). Those who continued to celebrate the new year on April 1 came to be regarded as obstinate and backwards, encouraging others to mark them “fools” and play pranks on them for being half-witted and stubborn.  Today in France, revelers pin “poissons d’avril” to mark each other the fool, stemming from the idea that an early (or young) fish is the easiest to catch.

1. French author, Charles Perrault modified ancient folktales to help create the new genre of fairy tales, giving us the modern storyline for several of today’s most well known tales, including Cinderella (Cendrillon), Little Red Riding Hood (Le petit chaperon rouge), and Sleeping Beauty (La belle au bois dormant).  In fact, it was Perrault in the 1600s (nearly a century before the Brothers Grimm) who added such details as the pumpkin carriage, the fairy godmother, and the glass slipper to Cinderella. He was also inspired by the Château d’Ussé near Chinon, France, for the setting in Sleeping Beauty.

Yet when my program abroad was finished, I wasn’t finished with Paris. As such, my host parents convinced their daughter to hire me as a nanny for the summer. This was, in my eyes, the perfect employment opportunity. Compared to those of a 3-month-old infant, my French speaking skills reigned supreme.

My sister and I found a place in Montmartre and settled into Paris for the summer. The apartment where we lived was situated somewhere above the fluorescent, degenerate stretch of Pigalle and somewhere below the white washed walls of the Scare Coeur cathedral. We liked to think of it as our blissful summer in a purgatory of sorts. Temporary expats, it was a transient summer.

Our apartment was sparse, to put it lightly, but we were happy. And what’s more, I was equipped with 6 months worth of personal training in the art of French cooking. The following is the recipe for Madame’s quiche. You can fill it with anything, but one of our favoirtes is broccoli et chèvre:

For the Crust:

1 ¼ Cup whole wheat flour, sifted

½ stick butter

1 Egg

1 Tbs Crème Fraiche

2-3 Tbs grainy mustard

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Use your hands
to mix in the butter; best at room temperature. Add a dash of salt to the dry
mixture.

2. Push the dry mixture away from the center, leaving a hole in which to crack the egg. Beat the egg in the center, add a large spoonful of crème fraiche. Slowly incorporate the dry mixture.

3. Add between 3-6 Tbs cold water to the dough as you kneed it – just enough so it isn’t sticky.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

5. With a rolling pin, flatten the dough and place in a 9 In pie pan. With a knife, cut slits in the dough to allow air to escape while baking. Line the dough with 2-3 Tbs grainy mustard before adding the filling.

For the Filling:

• Head of Broccoli, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped white onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbs crème fraiche
• Small goat cheese
• 2 teaspoons Herbes de provence
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sautée the garlic in butter until it begins to
brown. Add the chopped onions and cook until transparent.

2. Place the broccoli in a separate pot with enough
water to cover the florets completely. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15
minutes or until the broccoli is tender.

3. Strain the broccoli and mix with the sautéed
garlic and onions. Place directly in the prepared crust.

4. Beat both eggs in a bowl and add the crème
fraiche. Pour the mixture into the crust to cover the filling. Slice the goat cheese in ½ thick
rounds. Place on top of filling. Sprinkle with herbes de provence , salt and pepper.

5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until browning on top.

Jane Birkin in Deauville, France, in 1985. | Photo by Roland Godefroy

One half of the duo responsible for one of the sexiest songs of all time, Jane Birkin wears her intimacy on her sleeve.

Now, over forty years after recording “Je t’aime… moi non plus” with her then-lover Serge Gainsbourg, the British singer-turned-activist is getting intimate with concertgoers once again. This time, it’s not only to honor that famed former lover, but also to pay tribute to Japan, still reeling from a March earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands and sparked a nuclear horror story just days after the twentieth anniversary of Gainsbourg’s death.

Having already performed Gainsbourg’s oeuvre in just about every way imaginable, Birkin says she was reluctant to do it again. “Why do another tour, another concert?” Birkin asks in the tour’s foreword, a mission statement of sorts. But the Japanese disaster was her catalyst. Wearing that heart on her sleeve, she needed to do something, and the now 64-year-old songstress turned to “the only thing I can do”: a concert.

With Gainsbourg’s formidable collection of works at her disposal, the Briton set off for Tokyo to perform the songs of Serge once again, and with the help of Japanese musicians.

That initial Tokyo performance led to the international Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Via Japan tour, which stops in D.C. on Friday

Born in London, Jane Birkin won over the heart of M. Gainsbourg — and of France — as an aspiring actress in the late sixties. The charming, bucktoothed anglaise was catapulted into fame by her relationship with the notorious Gainsbourg, who had recently broken ties with bombshell Brigitte Bardot, and their scandalous first hit, the breathy and sensual “Je t’aime… moi non plus.” She remained Gainsbourg’s muse, even after they split, right up until his death in 1991. Birkin’s a Cesar-nominated actress, mother to French star Charlotte Gainsbourg, the iconic namesake of Hermès’ signature leather bag and a humanitarian known for her work backing Burmese democracy and Amnesty International.

But Birkin’s decade-spanning career has brought her back to where she began: Singing intimate songs written for her by her hero: Serge.

Tickets are still available for “An Evening With Jane Birkin” at D.C.’s 9:30 Club on Friday (doors open at 6 p.m.).

A number of Serge Gainsbourg’s and Jane Birkin’s albums, including “Jane,” “Arabesque” and “Rendez-Vous,” are available for checkout at the Alliance Française Library. Also check out Joann Sfar’s film “Gainsbourg: Une vie héroïque” (also available at the library) for Lucy Gordon’s interpretation of a young Birkin.

By Abby

Santa Fe

J’aime aller à Santa Fe en été.

Il fait chaud et aride pendant la journée,

Mais le chaleur ne me moleste pas.

Tu peux vivre près du ciel là-bas.

J’aime aller à Santa Fe en été.

Le soleil brille et le ciel est toujours bleu,

Lors d’une randonée dans le désert, il y a de très belle vues.

Le froid de la nuit me fait du bien après.

J’aime aller è Santa Fe en été.

La fraiche cuisine “tex-mex” est ma preferée.

Y a plus de galleries d’arts que j’aime visiter.

Tu peux dormir près des étoiles à Santa Fe.

-Teresa

New York en été

J’aime New York en été

avec ses grands batiments dans toutes les rues

J’aime l’Empire States Building, le plus grand

avec la vue magnifique et le ciel bleu

J’aime New York en été

tout le monde dans la rue

tout le monde avec le sourire, le rire

J’aime voir tout le monde heureux

J’aime New York en été

On mange des hotdog de New York avec tous les condiments

On reste dans Central Parc sous les arbres

On marche autour de la Statue de la Liberté

de haut en bas des escaliers à l’intérieur de la Statue

-Sukyang

Paris: un été chaud

Je me souviens – le ciel est bleu

Je me souviens, les arbres sont verts

J’ai senti la canicule

J’ai senti le sable au bord de la Seine.

Les jupes sont courtes et colorées

Donc, les gens sont heureux et enjoués

J’ai gouter du vin et de la glace

Au quartier Latin, dans une ancienne place.

-Sue

And it is precisely with that dual representation of passion that those dozen works of Delacroix are able to create such a forceful feeling of marvel in the exhibit room at the CaixaForum Madrid. Under the simple title, Delacroix (1798 – 1863), the Fundación “la Caixa” and the Musée du Louvre jointly organized the exhibit, which happens to be the most complete presentation of works by Delacroix since the 1963 exhibit at the Louvre celebrating his centenary.

The works on display have strong ties to the visual cultural history of the Spanish people, despite their origin at the hands of a French artist. Indeed, I was impressed by the sight of local madrileños constantly commenting to each other on the importance of paintings such as La Grèce sur les ruines de Missolonghi (1826) (borrowed from the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux) or La Mort de Sardanapale (1827) (originally at the Louvre). Perhaps as impressive as standing in front of other prominent works such as Le Naufrage de Don Juan (1841) and admiring its colors in full scale.

Delacroix was one of the first French artists to have access to Los Caprichos of Francisco Goya. But the connection of Delacroix with Spain goes even further. In 1832, after having extensively explored subject matters in prominent urban settings like Paris, Delacroix accepted the invitation of Comte Charles de Mornay, Ambassador to the Sultan of Morocco, Abd er-Rahman, to accompany the Count on a diplomatic mission: starting with a stay in Tangier, then Meknès, followed by Cadiz, Seville, Oran, and Algiers.

The vibrant colors and sights he encountered during those six months of travels eventually resulted in a production of over 100 painting and drawings of scenes inspired by life abroad. Furthermore, this experience renewed Delacroix’s artistic interest in subjects of the Classical Era: believing that the way of life in North Africa was comparable to that of the Ancient Greeks and Romans.

On display at the exhibit were two versions of the imposing Médée sur le point de tuer ses enfants (1836), along with the famous Femmes D’Alger Dans Leur Appartement (1834): both examples of the many works that continue to marvel Delacroix followers and critics alike.

Literature also became a powerful source of inspiration for Delacroix. For example, his self-portrait as Edgar Ravenswood, protagonist of Sir Walter Scott’s La Fiancée de Lammermoor (1826), was also another impressive work on display. In addition, a set of lithographs inspired by Goethe’s immortal epic Faust framed two parallel walls at the exhibit room. Goethe himself once admitted to Delacroix that he was fascinated by the Delacroix’s ability to depict in such a unique and powerful way, weaving together the characters of Mephistopheles and Faust through visual cues. Having seen the exhibit in question, I can attest that Goethe did not exaggerate in his remarks one bit.

In 1847, Delacroix finally went back to writing in his journal, which he had interrupted in 1824. The complete Journal de Eugène Delacroix was published in 2009 and has since remained the most contemporary window into the many personal reflections of a man of such talent, mysticism, and dynamism as Delacroix.

In his writings, Delacroix speaks of an “accord magique” that allows a painting to take over whomever watches it. Following my visit to this wonderful exhibition, I now understand perfectly what he meant.

* The exhibit will be on display until January 15, 2012. *

But today, the old continent’s “art of discourse” on the EU’s self-declared missions, combined with a lack of political willingness, has clearly handicapped the collective appreciation for a European culture. And how could it be any different when the sum devoted to cultural cooperation in Europe represents only 0.06% of the total European budget, employs more than 3.6 million people, and represents 4.9% of its GDP? But the shortage in funds and the lack of consideration of culture as an engine for social and economic growth doesn’t explain everything. One of the most problematic burdens in building a European culture is how the very notion of culture is perceived.

So far, “culture” for European policymakers has been primarily viewed as an additional instrument for soft power to complete the diplomatic and economic decisions of the EU rather than as an essential tool for creating bonds between European countries. Yet, under the umbrella of culture, so many European projects are concerned: rural development, preservation and restoration of heritage sites, circulation of works of art, and the list goes on. Transversally, this could have been beneficial for the European community if, at the same time, ambitious programs had been created to explain what European culture is today and to answer such questions as: What does it mean to be a European in Greece?  How do the Polish see Germany? How could London influence Paris and vice versa?

In order to foster a European personality, more funded projects for contemporary cultural operations have to be accessible to European artists who are often the key individuals to raise these vital questions. Unfortunately, due to innumerable administrative hoops, the grants needed are often unavailable, too modest to be worth the trouble, or too complicated to fill out. If funding opportunities are missing, new ideas to improve European cultural policies on the ground are also needed. To avoid the negative effects of a centralized bureaucracy, one of these initiatives should be to delegate the conception of cultural projects directly to artists and cultural experts. Europe needs a grassroots cultural democracy where European citizens are constantly consulted on the relevance of projects implemented on their territories. Ultimately, this bold approach would empower Europeans as the main agents for expanding European cultural policies toward other EU members.

Artists have always been precursors to deciphering societies. Thus, the European Commission should act shrewdly in giving European artists more transparent funding possibilities to reveal what could be the European identity of tomorrow. In the same manner, the European Union should engage civil society in a consistent dialogue to tangibly transform the EU cultural utopia into a living and attractive reality for its citizens. A Europe of culture and an imperial desire to be European could eventually accelerate the political and economic integration of this still promising continent.

By Sylvain

Image credit: europe.ac.uk