JANUARY 2018

French Culture in January

The Cultural Services of the French Embassy are pleased to
announce a selection of French cultural events that will be
presented in Washington, DC and its consular district this
month - and wish you a Happy New Year 2018!

FILM SERIES: COMICS SCREENS

Rosalie Blum

January 23 | 7:00 p.m. | 2015 - France - 95 min | Embassy of France - La Maison Française

A film by Julien Rappeneau. Vincent Machot knows his life by heart. He shares it between his hair dressing salon, his cousin, his cat, and his too-invasive mother. But life sometimes holds surprises, even for the most prudent of people: he crosses paths with Rosalie Blum by accident. She is a mysterious and solitary woman whom he is sure he has already met. But where? Intrigued, he decides to follow her everywhere, in the hope of knowing more about her. He has no idea that this tailing will lead him into an adventure full of unexpected events, during which he will discover characters as whimsical as they are endearing. One thing is for sure: Vincent Machot's life will change... In French with English subtitles.

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FILM, TV & NEW MEDIA

International Shorts Film Festival

January 18 & 25 | 7:00 p.m. | Embassy of France - La Maison Française

The International Shorts Film Festival presents 10 short films selected from more than a thousand submissions from all over the world. Among the ten short films that will be presented on January 18, four comedies are from France.The second screening, on January 25, will present ten short films which include five comedy-drama short films from France. These screenings of accomplished and eclectic films will be followed by an interactive audience Q&A with the festival director, Rob Aggarwal.

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The Sweet Escape

January 17 | 8:00 p.m. | 2015 - France - 105 min | Avalon Theatre

A film by Bruno Podalydès. Middle-aged graphic design company manager Michel loves planes. Day and night – in the shower, at work, riding his scooter – he dreams of life as an airborne explorer. Then one day a photograph stops him dead in his tracks. Kayaks – they could almost be planes, planes without wings. Seized by a sudden crazy impulse, Michel orders the whole package online: canoe, paddles… everything he needs for an expedition. So what if he’s never rowed a boat in his life? Adventure is adventure! His big trip on the water turns out to be full of surprises and unexpected encounters… After Park Benches and Granny’s Funeral, Bruno Podalydès returns with a pastoral adventure sparkling with good humor and lighthearted charm. In French with English subtitles.

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My French Film Festival

January 19 - February 19

The 8th edition of MyFrenchFilmFestival is coming Jan 19, 2018, through Feb. 19, 2018! The Festival will showcase the best of young French cinema, at home and all over the world. The principle is simple: 1 month, 30 films, subtitled in 10 languages, available on forty platforms around the world.

Check out the official website and Facebook page, to stay up-to-date with information about the selection, the contest for the trip to Paris, the Jury of Filmmakers, public screenings, and more.

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An Evening With Bernard-Henri Lévy

January 23 | 6:15 p.m. | Edlavitch DCJCC

In the framework of the Washington Jewish Film Festival, renowned French philosopher, activist, writer, and filmmaker Bernard Henri-Lévy offers a special presentation of his most recent documentaries, Peshmerga and The Battle of Mosul. In between the screenings, Lévy will join the audience for a conversation on the Kurdish will for independence; the current status of ISIS; and the role of foreign nations in this conflict. In French with English subtitles.

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ART & DESIGN

Renoir and Friends: Last days

Until January 7 | The Phillips Collection

Recognized as one of the greatest achievements of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s career, Luncheon of the Boating Party (Le Déjeuner des canotiers) (1880–81) is a marvel of plein-air painting on a grand scale. The first exhibition to celebrate this singular masterwork in more than 20 years, Renoir and Friends comprises more than 40 carefully chosen works—paintings, drawings, pastels, prints, and photographs from public and private collections around the world—that uncover the circumstances leading up to the painting’s creation, the diverse and fascinating circle of friends who inspired it, and the complex evolution of the work itself, mostly painted on the balcony of the Fournaise restaurant in Chatou.

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Kiefer Rodin at the Barnes Foundation

Until March 12 | Barnes Foundation

In collaboration with the Musée Rodin in Paris, the Barnes Foundation presents Kiefer Rodin, an exhibition gathering new works by contemporary artist Anselm Kiefer (b. 1945) and masterworks by Auguste Rodin (1840-1917). Kiefer’s experimental responses to Rodin’s sculptures and drawings—crafted from unexpected materials like plaster, large paintings, and found objects—promote conversations between art old and new. Visitors will see how both artists capture the architecture of the human body and the drama of humanity in an exhibition of over 100 works.

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MUSIC

European Romance

January 14 | 4:30 p.m. | Embassy of France - La Maison Française

CYSO Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Julien Benichou, along with the CYSO Senior Flute Ensemble, under the direction of Gail Vehslage, will be making their inaugural appearance at La Maison Française. The Chamber Orchestra will be performing the “London” Symphony No.104 by Haydn, the Prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun” by Debussy and the Violin Concerto, op. 64 by Mendelssohn. The Senior Flute Ensemble will be performing two Madrigals by Monteverdi, Sheep May Safely Graze by J.S. Bach, La Garde Montante from Carmen by Bizet and The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Handel.

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Jason Vieaux & Julien Labro

January 14 | 4:00 p.m. | The Warne Ballroom at the Cosmos Club

The intoxicating rhythms and melodies of South America and Eastern Europe are brought to life by Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux and French-born bandoneón player Julien Labro. The music of Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla brought Vieaux and Labro together for their collaboration on the album Piazzolla, released in 2011. This concert also features the work of Brazilian composer Radamés Gnattali, as well as a haunting work by American jazz musician Pat Metheny and a piece by Bulgarian composer and guitarist Rossen Balkanski. This event is organized by the Phillips Collection.

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BOOKS & IDEAS

The Albertine Prize 2018 Shortlist

We are thrilled to announce the shortlist for the second annual Albertine Prize.The Albertine Prize recognizes American readers’ favorite work of contemporary Francophone fiction while encouraging the discovery of new literary voices, translated and published in the US in the past year. Let us introduce you to the best of contemporary French literature, one book at a time. Click here to discover the five shortlisted books and vote before May 1st!

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Lionel Ruffel's Talk

January 29 | 5:15 p.m. | Johns Hopkins University - Baltimore

Lionel Ruffel is Department Head and Professor of Comparative Literature at Université Paris 8, where he has founded and continues to oversee the program in creative writing. He was awarded a grant from the French University Institute for his individual research program, “Archeology of the Contemporary: literature, culture, knowledge”. Ruffel is involved in French and international literary and artistic life as a publisher, curator, literary advisor, and columnist. Among his latest projects are "Theory Now" at La Colonie in Paris and “The Publishing Sphere” at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin).

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