Cultural Notes By Joelle Petit Adkins

21st ANNUAL FRENCH FESTIVAl

       

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Savoir Faire Language Institute

Foreign language within your reach and in your neighborhood

Join the fun at the French Festival (Bastille Day Weekend, July 12 & 13, 2008, 11am-7pm) in Santa Barbara's Oak Park.

               

It's where America celebrates France:

The largest French celebration in the Western United States!
Free admission. Dozens of chefs cooking up great food; everything from crepes to quiche.
Huge Eiffel Tower.
Non-stop entertainment on three stages:
Cancan, Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, Josephine Baker, Hot jazz a la Django Reinhart, Grand opera, French Tahitian dance, Moroccan bellydance, African drumming, the Femmes Fatales Drag Review, Accordions, The Poodle Parade, and much more!

For more information call (805) 564-PARIS (805-564-7274), or go to www.frenchfestival.com.

       

Claude Lelouch in person in Santa Monica

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Sunday, April 20 – 7:30 PM

 

Claude Lelouch In Person! Double Feature:

       

French filmmaker Claude Lelouch is a true renaissance man of cinema: a writer, director, actor, cinematographer and editor who has worked in documentaries, shorts and narrative features. He became known around the world for his 1966 Palme d'Or winner A MAN AND A WOMAN, and in subsequent films has continued to explore romantic relationships (as well as other topics including politics and crime) with great sensitivity. Join us for a screening of Lelouch, most famous masterpiece, as well as a sneak preview of his latest film.

Sneak Preview! ROMAN DE GARE, 2008, Samuel Goldwyn Films, 110 min. Best  selling author Judith Ralitzer is researching unlikely places to find characters for her  next bestseller. As luck would have it, a serial killer with a penchant for magic tricks has just escaped from a high-security prison, providing the perfect source material for an intricately plotted, moody mystery. Deceptively layered and intriguingly misleading, this highly anticipated new film from Oscar-winning director Claude Lelouch stars Dominique  Pinon and Fanny Ardent as an unlikely pair caught up in a game with high stakes – and deadly consequences.

       

A MAN AND A WOMAN, 1966, Warner Bros., 103 min. This Oscar-winning love story is a model of simplicity and  fluidity. A young widow meets a widower at the boarding school that both of their children attend. He is a race car driver. The scenery, race car sequences and score all serve to         complement their friendship as it slowly emerges into a romance. Winner of the 1966 Cannes Film Festival. With Anouk Aimee, Jean-Louis Trintignant. Discussion in between films with director Claude Lelouch. In association with COLCOA, A week of French Film Premieres in Hollywood. www.colcoa.org. Reduced ticket price for Cinematheque members to the screenings at the DGA.

American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre Presents...
Movies on the Big Screen Since 1940!
1328 Montana Avenue at 14th Street in Santa Monica

Le Louvre Cinema at the Aero Theater this week

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Thursday, April 10 – 7:30 PM
LA VILLE LOUVRE (CITY LOUVRE), 1990, Kino, 83 min. French filmmaker Nicholas Philibert (IN THE LAND OF THE DEAF, TO BE AND TO HAVE) chronicles the behind-the-scenes operations of the Louvre in this fascinating documentary. From the discovery of hidden artworks to more routine matters of bureaucracy and operations, this film provides a glimpse of the "city within a city" that the public rarely sees. Discussion following with Catherine Sueur, Deputy Chief of Le Louvre.

Friday, April 11 – 7:30 PM
Double Feature:
BAND OF OUTSIDERS (BAND A PART), 1964, Rialto Pictures, 97 min. French New Wave master Jean-Luc Godard told his backers he was delivering a sequel to BREATHLESS, but instead he created this offbeat meditation on politics, philosophy and the American gangster movie. Combining playful slapstick with sudden bursts of violence, this tale of three bumbling thieves (one of whom is played by Godard's then-wife and muse, Anna Karina) is one of the director's most original and entertaining works. Godard concludes the picture with the following narration: "My story ends here, like in a pulp novel, at that superb moment when nothing weakens, nothing wears away, nothing wanes." Musical score by Michel Legrand. With Claude Brasseur and Sami Frey.

BELPHEGOR, LE FANTOME DU LOUVRE, 2001, Canal Plus, 97 min. When a collection of rare artifacts is brought to the Louvre for examination, a ghostly spirit escapes from the archaeological find and enters the museum's electrical system. Before long, the evil spirit Belphegor is wreaking havoc in the famous museum in director Jean-Paul Salome's fantasy film, which stars Sophie Marceau, Michel Serrault and Julie Christie.

The Louvre Cinema 
Presented in association with Ile de France Film Commission.

Julie Dossavi at RedCat April 10-13

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Foreign language within your reach and in your neighborhood

The Cultural Services of the French Consulate in Los Angeles

present:

Compagnie Julie Dossavi:

P.I. (Pays) or Présentations intimes
Los Angeles premiere

 

 

April 10-13, 2008

At

REDCAT

The Roy and Edna Disney / Calarts Theater

                                                        631 West 2nd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012 Box office: (213) 237-2800 or REDCAT

 

 

 

"Julie Dossavi is a priestess performing solitary rites, a mischievous child at play, an immigrant wandering through subway corridors, a warrior, a night-clubber…" Libération

 

Infusing contemporary African dance forms with jolts of high fashion and street culture, the mesmerizing Julie Dossavi presents a collection of solos and duets accompanied by live African percussion, voice and electronics. The French-born dancer and choreographer draws on sources from electronic dance music and club culture to gymnastics and tribal ritual to shape distinctive works that are modern, ethnic, expressive and abstract-and always alive with a distillation of human experience. Dossavi has collaborated with influential choreographers Philippe Decouflé and Joseph Nadj while also crossing over into the worlds of video and fashion through projects with Jean-Paul Gaultier, Nina Ricci and Angelique Kidjo.

 

This project is made possible by Cultures France, a division of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the

United States

.

  

Moliere's School for Wives: Classic French Farce

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Saturday February 16 at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles

Age: 8+

Ticket Price                         Child: $10.00 Adult: $15.00                                                            

The Geffen and Parson's Nose Family Theater present a production of Moliere's hilarious farce School for Wives. France's greatest playwright tells of grumpy old Arnolphe, who zealously raises his lovely ward Agnes, to be his perfect new wife - uneducated and obedient. He surrounds her with idiot servants in a secluded house, but somehow she still falls in love with handsome, young Horace. All ages will enjoy the ridiculous events that ensue!

Valentine Day in Paris

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Valentine's Day with Air France Holidays
February is the time of romance! Air France Holidays offers specially designed vacation packages to some of the most romantic destinations in Europe. Travel with your Valentine's with Air France Holidays to Paris, Nice, Rome or Barcelona!

Valentine's Day Vacation Deals start at $799* (includes roundtrip airfare, 3-night hotel accommodations, city tour, daily continental breakfast, hotel taxes and service charges. For more information or to make a reservation, click below or call (800) 237-2623

Going to Paris for the Holidays?

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Paris

in December

From Courtney Traub

When the City of

Light

Truly Dazzles

A Magical Month of Light and Cheer

In December,

Paris

bursts out of its sleepy autumn quiet and lights up-- literally and figuratively. Trees up and down the Champs-Elysées are strung with garlands of shimmering light, and many other places around the city are decorated in the same festive spirit, including Rue Montorgeuil, Rue Saint Honore , the Galeries Lafayette department store, or Place Vendome. An ice-skating rink  is set up on the plaza outside of Hôtel de Ville (

Paris

City Hall

).

Christmas markets spring up all around the city, with their warm wood-roofed booths, vin chaud (hot wine), enchanting decorations and gifts, and gourmet treats. Chanukah celebrations like menorah lightings add to

Paris

' holiday-season charm.

With all the good cheer,

Paris

in December is nonetheless fairly relaxed, making the month an ideal time to take advantage of the city's many sights and attractions. Take your time exploring museums, sipping cinnamon-infused hot wine, or attending as special holiday concert. Have a real retreat from the holiday madness back home and try taking Paris in frame by frame, like a painter would.

The December Thermometer

• Minimum temperature: 3 degrees C (37.4 degrees F)
• Maximum temperature: 7 degrees C (44.6 degrees F)
• Average temperature: 4 degrees C (39.2 degrees F)
• Average rainfall: 49 millimeters (1.9 inches)

How to Pack

December in

Paris

is generally cold, and often rainy or icy. Temperatures approach or descend below zero. Snow is rare and when it does come it usually melts on hitting the ground, sometimes often turning into a sludgy slush that can be a real nuisance. Wind chill can make the city seem even frostier than what the mercury reads.

• Make sure to stock your suitcase with warm cotton or wool sweaters, scarves, coats, and socks. Bring at least one or two warm turtlenecks, and line your bags with clothes that are easy to layer.
• A sturdy umbrella is a must, as flimsier ones often won't withstand sudden downpours or gusts of wind.
• Bring at least two pairs of shoes, both waterproof. Heels should be reserved for indoor events as the streets can be slick or icy. If your feet get cold easily, bring a pair of comfortable waterproof boots.
• A pair of light waterproof gloves and a hat can make walking around more comfortable, but you won't need anything approaching snow or ski gear. Places like

  New York

  and

  Chicago

  get much colder in the winter than

  Paris

  does.
• Toting around a small thermos for hot drinks can be a good way to keep motivated in the

  Paris

  winter wonderland.
• One more word of advice on packing: since this is shopping season, you may want to think about packing as lightly as you can to reserve space in your suitcase for holiday delicacies or gifts you plan to bring back home.

Read More about Paris in December in Paris: Events Calendar

Stuart Ng Books in Torrance

Dear friends,
Need something French to read? One of our students is a leading importer of French Bande Dessinee here in the US. Here what she has to say about it:

"We stock hundreds of comic books and art books with French text.
Our business is mostly mail order & we sell books all over the world. Our patrons are professional commercial artists, animators and illustrators. We also sell books to collectors, art students, and art school libraries.
Stuart, my husband was the first US bookseller to import books of the art work by our favorite French artist Claire Wendling.
My husband does not speak or read French. We started importing the French books for the art work... but this part of our business has grown so much, and so many of our US customers are begging for summaries or translations of the French stories. This is one of the many reasons I am taking French lessons now at Savoir Faire Language Institute.
Here is a link to the imported books page of our website.
http://www.stuartngbooks.com/importsbbb.html
Our showroom in Torrance is open most Saturdays noon - 4PM, and 7 days a week by appt. We will have extended hours for the holidays. Starting this weekend, through December, we will be open both Sat & Sundays. Extended hours are on the calendar on our showroom page.
Here's a link to our showroom page, with map and links to other Torrance area attractions... parks, restaurants, shopping, something for everyone :)

http://www.stuartngbooks.com/showroom.html

DUEL, Laurent Cirade, cello & Paul Staicu, piano

 Cellist Laurent Cirade and Pianist Paul Staicu
In a remarkable musical and humoristic standoff

An evening of music and laugh for the whole family!

Fri, November 30 & Sat, December 1 at 7:30 PM                                         

            

One of the most critically acclaimed  shows of the Avignon Festival 2007, DUEL is an irresistible and hilarious performance, a remarkable standoff between two  French virtuosos, cellist Laurent Cirade and a pianist Paul Staïcu.
Paul and Laurent confront each other with equal weaponry, the bow versus the keyboard, in a delirious performance. They move effortlessly from humor to poetry, and musical gags, combining absurdity, friendship, complicity, cynicism and innocence, while playing an incredible program from Bach to the Beatles. They impersonate two universal and attaching characters, the big and the small and without ever resorting to speech, deliver an incredible mix of musical and hilarious comedy, crossing genres between classical music and humor a la Laurel & Hardy. Watch!

            

Buy Tickets Now!

A VERY GRAND GUIGNOL CHRISTMAS

Guignol will make you cry, laugh, wonder all in a very French way. I am planning to go on Sunday December 9. If you are interested in joining me for a French night out, email me.
I really look forward to this event! Hope you join us.
Joelle
www.savoirfaire-california.com

Les Grand Guignolers présentent   /   the Grand Guignolers present

A VERY GRAND GUIGNOL CHRISTMAS

absinthe  *  lait de poule  *  sang  *  marionnettes malveillantes
absinthe  *  eggnog  *  blood  *  naughty puppets

Ce spectacle se déroule en Anglais.   /   This show is in English.

Les prix des billets sont normalement de $15 à $25.  Nous offrons à votre groupe un prix réduit « groupe français » de $12.  Visitez simplement http://grandguignol.eventbrite.com. 
Choisissez « Student, Starving Artist » pour $15, cliquez « Enter Discount Code » et tapez le code « frenchgroup » dans la case, puis cliquez « Apply Discount. »

Tickets are normally $15 - $25.  We are offering French groups a discounted price of $12.  Please visit
http://grandguignol.eventbrite.com.  Select Student, Starving Artist for $15, click Enter Discount Code and enter frenchgroup in the field, then click Apply Discount.

Du 24 novembre au 22 décembre 2007   /   November 24 December 22 2007
Les vendredis et samedis à 20h30, le dimanche 25 novembre 2007 à 19h.
Fridays and Saturdays @ 8:30p, Sunday November 25 2007 @ 7p.

Art/Works Performance Space
6569 Santa Monica Boulevard
à l'est de Highland Avenue   /   4 blocks East of Highland
Los Angeles  CA  90038
www.grandguignolers.com

Billets le soir même seulement réglés en liquides ou par chèque.   /   Tickets at the door are only cash or check.