newsletter in pdf - Alliance Française de Chicago

Chicago’s French cultural and learning center dedicated to the study of French language,
cultural exchange and friendship between American and French speaking people.
Festival
de la
Francophonie
WINTER 2009
USA
Join us
this winter
for
festivals,
films,
family fun,
and a new
French program
for kids…
French Classes
9-week session: February 2 – April 4
First 4 1/2-week session: February 2 – March 3
Second 4 1/2-week session: March 4 – April 2
810 North Dearborn Street · Chicago, IL 60610 / USA · tel: (312) 337-1070 · fax: (312) 337-3019 · www.af-chicago.org
The Alliance Française de Chicago is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) institution
New French Language
Program for Children:
Chicago’s French learning
and cultural center
a not for profit organization
one of the
148 U.S.
Alliances
Françaises
© Didier Brunel
There is only one place in the Chicago
area where you will find Seriously Fun
French for children of ages 4 to 12—the
Alliance Française! Alliance chapters
throughout the United States teamed up
with leading French language learning
experts to design an entirely new French
curriculum with activities specifically
catered to the needs and interests of
little—and not so little—ones.
one of 1,075
Alliances
Françaises
established in
131 countries
Striking a perfect balance between
having fun and serious learning, our
Tots 2 Teens program offers rigorous
academic objectives, achieving them
through games, activities and culture.
our mission is to
increase and enhance
the knowledge of the
French language
and French &
Francophone cultures
If you would like to learn more about
our newest program, please stop in
at the Alliance Française or call our
Learning Center Director,
Frédéric Robinel at (312) 337-1070 #108.
there are over
400,000 Alliance Française
students worldwide,
why not join them?
OUR COMMITMENT TO QUALITY
In 2006, we implemented the AF FRAMES project, which stands for
Alliance Française FRench-AMerican Educational Standards.
It is adapted from the Common European Framework of Reference
for Languages (CEF), a practical tool setting clear standards to be
obtained at successive stages of learning languages. The CEF has
been implemented in many European countries and at a number of
American universities. AF FRAMES seeks to adapt its philosophy and
components to the American context and specificities.
What does it mean for your Alliance Française?
In participating in the AF FRAMES project, the Alliance Française de Chicago clearly states its
commitment to pedagogical excellence.
What does it mean to you as a student of the Alliance Française?
• It provides the Alliance Française team with an even better understanding of your needs;
• AF Frames provides you with clear learning objectives, as described in the CEF’s global scale:
www.af-chicago.org/classes
• AF Frames guarantees a standardized evaluation;
• It offers you official documentation and, thus, greater “portability” of your achievements.
Overall, you get the guarantee that you have enrolled in a school which dedicates a great deal of its
resources and time to upgrading and ensuring the quality of its teaching.
OUR SPONSORS
The Rhoades
Foundation
The Modern Olympics
Thursday, February 5, 6:15 p.m. · Free
Join Michael Murnane, community relations director for the CHICAGO 2016
committee, who will speak about Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 summer
Olympic and Paralympic Games. In the spirit of the modern Olympic
movement first envisioned by the French aristocrat, Pierre de Coubertin
back in 1892, “To be an Olympic city is to touch the world with a message
of hope and to stir the soul of humanity.”
This event is sponsored by the Alliance Française de Chicago and the
Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans.
Les grands prix littéraires
Discussion of “La stratégie des antilopes” (2007) by Jean Hatzfeld moderated by Alison
James, Assistant professor of French literature at the University of Chicago.
Saturday, February 7, 2:00 p.m.
FREE and in French. Q & A in French and English
Our One Book/One Francophone Chicago group is now reading La stratégie des antilopes, winner
of the 2007 Prix Médicis. It is our hope that you will read this engaging book on your own or with
a group and then join us for our public discussion. When possible, we will have learning support
materials on our web site for everyone’s benefit and in our library for AF members.
A few copies of this book are available in our library and you can purchase a copy from Europa
Books located at 832 N. State Street in Chicago.
La stratégie des antilopes is an account of what happened after the Rwandan authorities allowed
40,000 of those who carried out the 1994 genocide to return home; a situation in which Tutsi
survivors lived in the same community with their Hutu persecutors.
Jean Hatzfeld, a former journalist, has worked with genocide survivors from both sides of the
Rwandan conflict. He published Dans le nu de la vie in 2000, in which he reported the stories of
Tutsi survivors. The volume was awarded the Prix Culture 2000, the Prix Pierre Mille and the Prix
France Culture. Two years later, his conversations with condemned Hutus culminated in Une Saison
de machettes, for which he won the essay category of the Prix Femina in 2003 and the Prix Jossef
Kessel in 2004.
This program is generously sponsored by the Jean Brown Lecture Fund.
Les lutins du court
métrage
A winning selection of Europe’s best short
films of the year!
Friday, February 20, 7:00 p.m.
AFC members: $12,
non members: $15
In French with English subtitles
For eleven years, the Lutins du Court-métrage
(Leprechauns of the short film) has been working
to promote and disseminate short films to a
wider audience.
More than 2,000 international cinema professionals
vote, in a format inspired by the Césars, to
determine the 25 best short films of the year. This
mark of excellence is supported by numerous
partners, including the Ministry of Culture, the
National Center of Cinematography (CNC), the
Mayor’s office of Paris, and the National Theater
of Chaillot. This short film competition reveals the
young directors, actors and actresses who will be
making the award-winning films of tomorrow.
All programs take place at the Alliance Française de Chicago, please enter at 54 W. Chicago Ave. , unless noted otherwise.
Call (312) 337-1070 for reservations or information. Programs are subject to change.
Please note: As a courtesy to our chefs and sommeliers, registration and full payment are required for all our culinary
and wine tasting events. Any cancellation not made 48 hours prior will be subject to a $25 cancellation fee.
Merci pour votre compréhension.
Festival de la Francophonie, Soirée Commune
French music, food, and fun.
Brought to you by the
Alliance Française and our
Francophone friends &
partners in Chicago
Saturday, March 7, 6:00
p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Adults: 15, Children: $5
Alliance Française de Chicago,
please enter at 54 West
Chicago Avenue
Once again, we celebrate the
cultural and linguistic diversity of
the French speaking world which
includes over 200 million people
in over fifty five countries. As
Abdou Diouf, Senegalese President
once said, “Francophonie and the
French language, its values and the
richness of its diversity represent a certain perception of the world. La Francophonie is a vibrant movement
and promotes peace, solidarity, and the dialogue of civilizations.”
Join us Saturday, March 7 as we kick off a month of programming dedicated to the concept of Francophonie.
Please visit our web site at www.af-chicago.org for the most up-to-date schedule of programs.
At Home in Montmartre
A food-lover’s holiday with chef Madelaine Bullwinkel
May 17–23 · Paris, France
Chicago chef and instructor, Madelaine
Bullwinkel and the Alliance Française invite
you to join us in Paris for a week of culinary
delights. Madelaine has purchased a charming
apartment near the legendary Sacré Cœur in
Montmartre and has opened her Paris cooking
school there.
Participants will cook sumptuous meals
together using ingredients fresh from
Madelaine’s neighborhood markets. These
meals will be paired with wines that are rarely
exported. Sightseeing will include visits to
Poilâne bakery and Dehillerin, the legendary
culinary equipment shop. You will also get to
know the fascinating and historically significant
quartier of Montmartre with its winding lanes
and landmarks such as the Moulin Rouge and
Picasso’s atelier. Of course, you will have free
time to discover on your own or revisit your
favorite Paris places.
Prices not including air fare or transportation
to and from airport are: single occupancy,
$2,550 and double occupancy, $2,200. These
prices include a $500, tax deductible donation
to the Alliance Française de Chicago. The 3-star
Hôtel des Arts is conveniently located close to
Madelaine’s apartment.
Please contact Norah Delaney for
additional details at (312) 337-1070 or
[email protected].
www.af-chicago.org
Mark your calendars for the 2009 French
Decorative Arts Symposium
Grand Luxury Houses of France: Lalique,
Van Cleef & Arpels, and Chanel
April 15, May 7, May 14, and June 4
Join us this spring for a series of lectures that explore the fascinating history of the development
of the luxury goods marketplace in France. From Roman times through the Middle Ages and the
Renaissance, exquisite thrones, vestments, tapestries, and embroideries were fashioned in Paris for
the great churches and palaces of Europe. During the 17th century, the unparalleled handiwork of
Parisian artisans became the envy of every prince, king, and emperor as they aspired to replicate the
standard of luxury represented by Versailles.
Today, Paris remains the world’s preeminent source for the most elegant and finely crafted porcelain,
crystal, silver, cutlery, jewelry, furniture, and haute-couture.
photo of Coco Chanel by Adolph de Meyer. The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1974. (1974.529)
Copy Photograph © The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Our distinguished speakers will offer rare insight into the history of Paris as the world capital of luxury goods.
Wednesday, April 15, 6:30 p.m. Dr. Alain Gruber, independent art
historian and curator, Development of the French Luxury Goods
Marketplace in the 17th to the 19th Centuries.
Thursday, May 7, 11:30 a.m. Nicholas Dawes, glass expert for the
Antiques Roadshow, on René Lalique and the House of Lalique.
Wednesday, May 14, 11:30 a.m. Catherine Cariou, Director Museum
Collections for Van Cleef & Arpels, Paris on Van Cleef & Arpels and
the Poetry of Nature.
Thursday, June 4, 11:30 a.m. David Garrard Lowe, cultural historian,
on Coco Chanel: Portrait of a Legend and Andrew Bolton, curator,
Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, on
Le Style Chanel.
For additional information or to register for Grand Luxury Houses of France: Lalique, Van Cleef
& Arpels, and Chanel lectures and luncheons, please call the Alliance Française at (312) 337-1070,
extension 113 or email Decorative Arts Program Manager, Anne Chalesle at [email protected].
In Tribute
The Alliance Française de Chicago lost three of its long time champions during the past year.
Eleanor Wood Prince had been a very generous member of the Board of the Alliance for as long as
we can remember. She was, some have said, among the last of her kind, having set an example of civic
generosity and commitment without parallel. Of the landmarks she and her family supported in the
city of Chicago number the Chagall mosaic in Chase Plaza, the Miro sculpture nearby, and the Chagall
tapestry that hangs in the Rehabilitation Institute lobby. A friend of many influential artists, she also
spoke superb French, and while active on the Board of the Alliance attended events regularly, where
she mingled with all the guests. The Alliance Française de Chicago received a generous bequest from
Mrs. Wood Prince’s estate for which we are very grateful.
John Shedd Reed passed away last summer, having served on the Board of the Alliance, and on the
Finance and Executive Committees. John’s great love of France came at any early age, and until just a
few years ago, he and his wife Marjorie bicycled through France, traveling lightly and often without
making reservations. John was one of the key drivers behind our acquiring the Chicago Avenue
building, and spearheaded with Julius Lewis the capital campaign for its remodeling in addition to
generously supporting us each year. We will miss his cogent observations, wry sense of humor and
great sense of civic responsibility.
Norman Ross, a popular local radio personality and civic leader, had been an honorary member of the
Alliance Française Board for many years as well, and during his heyday played an active role. A quick
search through our photo archives gives an idea of his participation in the life of the Alliance.
The Alliance Française has received donations in memory of all three of these remarkable individuals.
In addition, a Fund has been established in his memory of John Shedd Reed for an annual French
current events talk, one of his great areas of interest. For more information, please contact Jack
McCord at 312.337.1070 x103.
Donors to the Alliance Française de Chicago
Du fond du cœur, we extend our sincere thanks to our Board of Directors, the Woman’s Board and all our donors.
Those who have given at the $1,000 and above level form Les amis de l’Alliance.
$100,000 and above
Mr. & Mrs. William G. Brown
Wilemal Foundation
$50,000 & above
Griffith Laboratories Worldwide
Mr. & Mrs. Hervé de la Vauvre
Mrs. Eleanor Wood Prince
$25,000 – $49,999
Mr. & Mrs. Alan Baer
Mrs. William B. Graham
Julius Lewis
Mr. & Mrs. John Shedd Reed
Mr. & Mrs. Philippe Martin
The Rhoades Foundation
Veolia Environmental Services
An Anonymous Donor
$15,000 – 24,999
Cantor Fitzgerald
Chicago Public Schools
David E. McNeel
Mr. & Mrs. John D. Nichols
Lizbeth Stiffel
$5,000 – 9,999
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Almeida
Armando Almendarez
Ancora Associates
Michèle Archambault
Mr. & Mrs. Van Avedisian
Julie Bodeen
William Blair & Company
Mr. & Mrs. Allan E. Bulley, III
Conseillers du Commerce
Extérieur de la France
Timothy Calkins & Carol Saltoun
Donna M. Casey
Lawrie Dean
Bonnie Deutsche
Mr. & Mrs. David Devonshire
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Doherty
Priscilla Dombek
Stephanie Flynn
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Giesen
Mr. & Mrs. Hill Hammock
Joel Honigberg
Mr. & Mrs. David Horn
Edgar Jannotta
Jan & Bill Jentes
Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Johnson
Mayer & Morris Kaplan Foundation
Stephen Kaplan & Alyce Sigler
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Karp
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Krauss
Marielle Lifshitz
Mr. & Mrs. Barry MacLean
Joseph Maslick
Sherry McFall & Kenneth Porrello
Sarah Solotaroff Mirkin
Clare Muñana
Janis Wellin Notz
Mr. & Mrs. Michael O’Malley
Mr. & Mrs. Dale Pinkert
Christine Pope
Elizabeth Price
John Rudolph
Mr. & Mrs. Patrick J. Ryan
Mr. & Mrs. James Schink
Jericho Seguin
Gayle & Glenn Tilles
Richard Traut
Yum! Brands Foundation, Inc.
Danielle & Martin Zimmerman
$1,000 – 2,499
Katherine Abelson
Elisabeth Adams
Mary Anderson
Margaret Archambault
Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Babson
Roger & Julie Baskes
Frances Blair
George Blossom
Mr. & Mrs. Norman Bobins
Duncan Bourne
Madelaine Bullwinkel
Vincent Buonanno
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Cameron
Marie Campbell
Richard Campbell
Annette Carroll
Tanja Chevalier
Citigroup Private Bank
Mary Ellen Connellan
Jennifer Convery
Mr. & Mrs. John Crowe
Sheryl Dyer
Frances Elliott
La Ferrenn Engel
Victoria Fesmire
Cynthia Galvin
Mary Galvin
Wilbur Gantz
Mary Anne Goldberg
Pam Gordon
Anne Dias Griffin
Catharine Hamilton
Cheryl Hammock
Colleen Hays
Pati Heestand
Bonnie Hilton
William Hood
Marci Holzer
Kathleen Katz
Leslie Kennedy
Liz Keyser
Robert Koller
Janice Lorch
Susan & Douglas Lyons
Lisa Malkin
John G. W. McCord
Patty McGrath
Nancy McIlvaine
Mr. & Mrs. Peter McKinney
Astrid McKinnon
Metropolitan Home
Mark Michette
Michelle Morgan
Robert S. Morrison
R. Mark Murray
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas O’Neill
Judith Pierpont
Julia B. Reed
Pascale Rémy
Mr. & Mrs. James Reum
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Reyes
Robert Rivkin
Janet Rotner
St. Chrysostom’s Church
Diane Saltoun
Carole Sandner
Carla Schlemmer
Denise Selz
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Sheffield
June Simonian
Sinclair Siragusa
Sandra Thomas
Kendra Thornton
Neal Trickel
Joseph Ulrich
Van Cleef & Arpels, Inc.
Henri de Vogué
Fafi Vossoughi
Mr. & Mrs. Morris Weeden
Mary Ann Wells
$500 – 999
Anne Alpert
Melissa Babcock
Baila Foundation
Elise Barack
Roberta Barron
Susan Beagley
Lorelei Bendinger
Heather Black
Gabriela Caramalau
Annette Carro
Marcia Cohn
Collages Collections
Crate & Barrel
Paula Danoff
Nancy Durden
Figaro
Phyllis Fischel
Mr. & Mrs. William Gardner
Nancy Gela
Harriet Gulis
Susan Hanes
Monica McCue Hansen
Katherine A. Harvey
Colleen Hays
Mary Henebry
Pamela K. Hull
Jewell Events Catering
Kathryn Johnson
Joel Karlinsky
Kathleen Katz
Rowena Kelley
Eric Kilcollin
Dolores Kohl
Larry Lange
Virginia Lawless
Eleanor Lieberman
Barbara Linville
Maria Martinez
Ellen McCarthy
Suzanne McCormick
Heather McWilliams
Seton Melvin
Kim Moore
John Noonan
Elizabeth Norton
Joanne Pelletiere
Jean Perkins
Richard Petracca
Danielle Pleines
Helen Reed
Jamie Rosa
Gordon Segal
Melvin Seton
Charles Shea
Susan Stone
Josephine Terlato
Elizabeth Thiele
Thomas Thorelli
Carol Vance
Robert G. Weiss Foundation
Tamra Weiss
Susan Winkler
Leslie Zentner
Steven J. Zick
$499 and below
Darlene Auerbach
Brett August
Tamara Bell
Douglas Berg
Bruce Boyer
Carl Boyer
Merche Bransfield
Randy Bridgeman
Grace Byun
James Carr
Markham Carr
Donna Casey
Jacqueline Chalos
Joseph Chevalier
Pierre-André Chiaporri
Jonna Chewning
Françoise Chor
Darlyne Delaney
Ellen Duffy
Bernard Duhaime
Alexandra Earle
Sydney & Sondra Epstein
Foundation
Robert Fabbri
Bonnie Fields
Richard Freeman
French American School
Terese Fron
Genevieve Gandal & Ludovic Vallet
Sandra Garber
Karen Goodyear
Jewel Gregory
Mary Louise Haddad
Catherine Hamelin
Nancy Harding
Lynn Hart
Georgie Herr
Charles Hirshon
Gregory Jewell
Esta Kallen
Nancy Kempf
Robert Knight
Richard Kracum
Judith Lavender
Sharon Lear
Reid Henri Lewis
Jennifer Lowry
Elfriede Matejisik
Peter Meyer
James Morel
Dennis Morrissy
Dennis O’Hara
John Owens
Richard Petracca
Prince Charitable Trusts
Sheila Reynolds
Jenifer Robbins
Wendy Goldman Rohm
Ann Rothschild
Barry Sabloff
Diane Saltoun
Nancy Sans
Joanne Schell
Gerald Skoning
Allen Smart
Jean Smith
Mr. & Mrs. David Spadafora
Jane Velde
Alain Weber
Robert Wotzak
Mary Adams Young
Mark Zivin
Donor in kind
Consul Général &
Madame Main de Boissière
Madelaine Bullwinkel
Cultural Service of the
French Consulate
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Doherty
Annie Ergas
Genevieve Gandal & Ludovic Vallet
Fertile Gardens
Leslie Hindman
Lisa Markham
John G. W. McCord
David E. McNeel
Maria Mocuta
Carol E. Novak
David Reithoffer
Julie Ressler
Barbara Stone
Isabelle de la Vauvre
Bruno Watel & Watel Design
The above recognition lists
donors in our current records
for the fiscal year September
2007 – August 2008.
We sincerely apologize for any
errors or omissions.
calendar of cultural events
$10,000 – 14,999
Marilynn Alsdorf
Axa Assistance USA
Mr. & Mrs. James Bay
Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP
Bessemer Trust Company
Myriam Bransfield
Mr. & Mrs. Victor Elting
Mr. & Mrs. Jean-Pierre Ergas
Lili Gaubin
Northern Trust Company
Mme. Francine Saltoun
Bess Winokur
Courtenay Wood & Noel Jackson
$2,500 – 4,999
Kathleen Beaulieu &
James Peterson
Mr. & Mrs. George Bodeen
Carole Crosby
DLA Piper
Mr. & Mrs. James Denny
Mr. & Mrs. Cyrus Friedheim
Susan Hillman
Bonnie Hilton
Debby Jannotta
Miles McKie
Maya Polsky
Mr. & Mrs. Ken Porrello
Saks Fifth Avenue
Sotheby’s
Mr. & Mrs. Carl Thoma
Tower Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. William Vance
H. Randolph Williams
Rufus Williams
WINTER 2009
Un grand merci…
médiathèque
& cafés
MÉDIATHÈQUE
Monday – Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Join the library e-mail list at [email protected] and
find out about new arrivals! Thanks to our many patrons
who contribute books and other support to the library.
We appreciate your generosity!
NEWS: Enjoy books at a leisurely pace! Our new policy
allows you to check books out for ONE MONTH. This
excludes language learning books (MERLIN) that are two
weeks. DVDs are now renewable as are all other items.
You may now also view your account through the library
webpage. Enter your member card number and last
name. For assistance or to place items on hold, call
(312) 337-5473 or email [email protected]. You’ll
be notified when your item arrives. Any questions?
Please ask. We’re here to help.
OFF THE SHELF features recommended items in French
and English that are selected to appeal to differing
tastes, ages, and language proficiencies.
Linguality Book Club
Breeze through the same books Parisians are reading—
without a dictionary!
If you love good books and speak a little French, it’s
time to expand your horizons. The Brown médiatheque
library carries the Linguality French Book Club selection
of recently published French books. This series presents
an extensive glossary placed opposite every page of text.
Every difficult word and expression is defined, typically
over 2,000 entries per book. These current fiction and
non-fiction selections can be read easily without
translation, or even a dictionary. Each of the titles comes
with an audio CD containing a 35 to 45-minute
conversation in French with the author, with a full
transcript included. The book selections come from some
of France’s most prestigious publishing houses, including
Editions Fayard, Editions de Fallois, Editions du Rocher,
and Editions Héloïse d’Ormesson. We have all the 2007–
2008 season selections, as follows: Chemins de fer by
Benoît Duteurtre, Le Resquilleur du Louvre by Bernard
Chenez, Horowitz et mon père (2006 prix Jean Freustié)
by Alexis Salatko, Portraits de Pechkoff (2007 grand prix
Jules Verne, 2006 prix Combourg) by Francis Huré, Le
Roman de Chambord by Xavier Patier, and Le Dernier
Ange by Robert de Goulaine. Bonne lecture !
Books by J. M. G. Le Clézio
Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, was awarded the 2008
Nobel Prize in literature for his body of over forty works.
Born in France to a Mauritian father and French mother
with strong ties to Mauritius, Le Clézio as a youth lived
first in France and then in Nigeria where his father was a
surgeon. He has travelled extensively in Mexico, North
Africa, and many island nations and his writings reflect
experiences from his travels. Le Clézio attempts to
capture an “essential reality” with his works—
encompassing essential elements and feelings in a way
that transports readers to another time, place, and
cultural perspective. An ecologically engaged author, he
is fluent in both French and English. The Alliance
Française de Chicago proudly hosted Le Clézio for a
lecture and book discussion a number of years ago. We
invite everyone to check out his works currently
available in the library; including his new book
Ritournelle de la faim that has just been published.
HotPoint Wireless is available on the 2nd floor of the
Chicago Avenue building.
CAFÉ CONVERSATION DU MARDI
(intermediate to advanced level)
We are always ready to welcome new members to this
lively conversation group. Topics vary. Meets Tuesdays,
4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the library.
Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24 · Mar. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
CAFÉ CONVERSATION DU MERCREDI
(beginner to intermediate level)
Join us in our médiathèque from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
to practice French.
Feb. 4, 18 · Mar. 4, 25
CAFÉ THÉÂTRE
(advanced level)
Join us in the salon from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for some
lively discussions accented with a taste of wine.
Feb. 22, 2 p.m. at Glencoe Writers Theater: Les bonnes
(in English) by Jean Genet
Mar. 2, 23: Intermezzo by Jean Giraudoux
CAFÉ LITTÉRATURE
(advanced level)
Join us in the salon from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Feb. 23: Je voudrais que quelqu’un m’attende quelque
part by Anna Galvada
Mar. 30: Pars vite et reviens tard by Fred Vargas
CAFÉ PHILOSOPHIQUE
(advanced level)
Adoulaye Sounaye, Professor of Philosophy (University
Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niger and Boston
University Program at Niamy) facilitates discussions.
Topics vary depending on participants.
Meets monthly in the library from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.
Date subject to change, please check the website.
Feb. 11 · Mar. 11
CAFÉ POÉSIE
(upper intermediate and advanced level)
Read and discuss French poetry. If you like Impressionist
paintings of Monet, Pissarro, Sisley, Renoir and
Caillebotte that you can find at the Art Institute of
Chicago, you will like the Symbolist poets Baudelaire,
Verlaine, Rimbaud and Mallarmé. Impressionism is
indeed a reflection of Symbolism. Improve your French
phonetics as well as acquire the correct rhythm of the
French language. How can you resist the beauty and the
music of Verlaine’s “Les sanglots longs / Des violons /
De l’automne…”? Facilitated by Professor Isaac Cohen.
Meets in the Library from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Feb. 9 · Mar. 9
www.af-chicago.org
Ciné Club
Auditorium, enter 54 W. Chicago Ave.
Admission: $5 / Wine will be served
Part of the Made in Québec Series. Discussion led by Aimée
Laberge follows.
Les ordres (Orderers)
• Michel Brault
Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
Les ordres is a historical drama film about the incarceration of
innocent civilians during the 1970 October Crisis and the War
Measures Act enacted by the Canadian government of Pierre
Trudeau. The film tells the story of five of those incarcerated
civilians. It is scripted but is inspired by a number of interviews
with actual prisoners made during the events and its style is heavily
inspired by the Québec school of Cinéma vérité (called “Direct
Cinema”). It won a Cannes Film Festival Award in 1975.
1974, 109 min. In French with English subtitles.
Part of a series exploring French directors who have made a significant difference in the development
of the art, and their films. Discussion led by Randy Williams follows.
Un homme et une femme
A Man and a Woman • Claude Lelouch
The story revolves around the budding romance between a young
widowed film script editor, Anne (Anouk Aimée) and a widower,
Jean-Louis (Jean-Louis Trintignant), a race car driver whose wife
committed suicide after he nearly died in a crash. Anne feels
conflicted because she wishes to remain true to her husband’s
memory. Noted for its lush photography, the film switches between
color, black and white and sepia-toned shots. It won numerous
awards including the Grand Prix at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival,
the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the
Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay.
A 1986 sequel is entitled: A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later.
1966, 102 min. In French with English subtitles.
Warner Brothers Studios ©
Saturday, February 14, 2009, 1:00 p.m.
Part of the Ciné-club French and Francophone film program exploring interesting and entertaining
works. Discussion with Jim Spiegler follows.
Bud Yam
• Gaston Kaboré
Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
Buud Yam is a 1997 Burkinabé historical drama. As of 2001, it
was the most popular African film ever in Burkina Faso. The film
draws on the African oral tradition. Set in a nineteenth century
village, it follows a group of characters from Kaboré’s debut film
Wend Kuuni. Wend Kuuni (Serge Yanogo) is a young man who is
suspected of being responsible, through the use of sorcery, for his
adopted sister’s ill health. To help his sister, and clear his name, he
tries to find a healer who uses the legendary “lion’s herbs”. He also
searches for his own roots. In 1997, Buud Yam was shown at the
Cannes Film Festival during Directors Fortnight and had its North
American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. It won the Etalon
de Yennega (the Grand Prize) at the 15th Ouagadougou Panafrican
Film and Television Festival.
In Mòoré with English subtitles, 1997, 99 min
(312) 337-1070
Join us for
Summer
*
Camp *
Children ages 6 to 13
June 15 through
July 31, 2009
Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.
This full-day program will introduce your children to French language and culture, thanks to two
French immersion classes a week, based on thematic approach, numerous creative activities such as
arts & crafts, games, singing & music, sport, cooking, field trips and much more, all of them conducted
in French (with bridges in English).
Those will allow your children to develop their language skills, broaden their horizon and make new
friends. All level of French are welcome!
The camp is held at the Alliance Française de Chicago, located at 810 North
Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60610. Please feel free to call us at (312) 337-1070,
or visit us at www.af-chicago.org
Field Trips
Take a trip to France without leaving Chicago by
attending a fine cooking demonstration (maybe wine
tasting for adults), by discovering French culture through
our cyber café activities and by watching a French movie
in our auditorium, followed by exciting conversations…
en Français bien sûr !
For adult groups or classes of students from age 8 – 22.
Teachers have brought their students to our Field Trips as far away as Kentucky and
Iowa, and as close as Walton Street in Chicago, and they took a little of France home.
For more details, contact Xavier Boillat at: [email protected] or (312) 337-1070
www.af-chicago.org
© Larissa Rolley
(312) 337-1070