Alliance Française de Philadelphie

2011-03-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

Ciné Midi (mars 2011)

"Paris je t'aime" Tuesday 03/15

Love generation. This film sets up a succession of scenes in different quarters of Paris. Short love stories, hidden, undeclared or even revealed are carried on by lots of different actors such as Fanny Ardant, Leila Bekhti (who just won a Cesar for her role in another French film) Natalie Portman, Juliette Binoche, Ludivine Sagnier or Gerard Depardieu.

" "Paris je t'aime", c'est au fond une déclaration d'amour au cinéma.", Telerama

" "Paris, je t'aime", is basically a love declaration to cinema", Telerama

"Il y en a pour tous les goûts (...) Et au pire, pour chaque spectateur, il y a des passages anodins et oubliables, mais jamais d'exaspération ni d'ennui.", Positif

"There are stories for each taste (...) And for each spectator, there are trivial and unforgettable parts, but never exasperation or boredom.", Positif

"La Bicyclette Bleue" part 1 Tuesday 03/22
part 2 Tuesday 03/29

1939. Léa Delmas (Leaticia Casta) lived in Montillac with her family in a vinyard next to Bordeaux. The war bean in the middle of this happiness and soon came chaos. Léa must affront the debacle, the exodus, the Nazi occupation, the fragility of feelings and death. In defiance of lots of dangers, she will choose the Resistance against the Occupation. Her youth, her courage and her ardor will enable her to fight for life and for her own amazing destiny.

2010-12-23T09:06:00.000-08:00

Ciné Midi du mois de Janvier 2011
(January Movies)

The Alliance organizes french movies projections every tuesday at 12 to improve oral comprehension of the studients and to develop their knowledges about french culture...Do not hesitate to discover with us famous french movies!!

"The Secret" (Tuesday 01/04)

Naomi, the brilliant and pious daughter of an orthodox rabbi, finds herself at the crossroads of life choices when her mother dies and she is expected to marry her father's prodigy. She begs that her father allow her one year to study at a women's religious seminary in order to prepare for sacrifices she will make as a wife and her father relents.
Devout yet lively, her life begins to take an unexpected turn as she and her new school mate, Michelle, befriend a beautiful, mysterious older woman, Anouk (Fanny Ardant), who lives nearby, who may not be Jewish, is ill, and may be guilty of a crime of passion. Naomi devises a series of rituals which will somehow purge Anouk of her sins. Eventually this journeys into the forbidden and leads to a growing attraction between the two girls and more crossroads are faced.

This movie explores the complexities of a religious lifestyle in a vibrant environment of youth, rebellion and desire.

"Avenue Montaigne" (Tuesday 01/11)
This movie centers around Jessica (Cécile de France), a beautiful young woman from the provinces who comes to Paris and lands a job waiting tables at a chic bistrot on fabled Avenue Montaigne, the city's nexus for art, music, theater and fashion. Jessica's customers include a popular TV actress (Valérie Lemercier) who is courting a major Hollywood director (Sydney Pollack) for her first serious film role ; a wealthy art collector (Claude Brasseur) who is about to liquidate a lifetime's worth of treasures at auction ; and an illustrious classical pianist (Albert Dupontel) who is at odds with his manager/wife (Laura Morante) as to where his career is headed.
Precisely because Jessica doesn't know how celebrated these people are, her guileless and completely unintimidated engagement in their lives has a transforming effect on them - an ultimately her.

"La Grande Vadrouille" (Tuesday 01/18)

During World War II... When their combat aircraft is shot down by the Germans, three English airmen parachute to the comparative safety of Nazi occupied France. One lands on the scaffold of an amiable painter and decorator, Augustin. Another lands on top of a concert hall and is rescued by the irascible but patriotic conductor Stanislas Lefort. The third ends up in the otter enclosure in a Parisian zoo. When they try to help the airmen keep a rendez-vous at the Turkish baths in Paris, Augustin and Stanislas quickly find that they themselves have become targets for the German soldiers. Assisted by the daughter of a puppeteer and an anti-German nun, the two unwilling heroes accompany the three airman on a reckless trek across France towards the neutral zone and safety.

"Odette Toulemonde" (Tuesday 01/25)

Catherine Frot is Odette an ordinary woman, a mother of two children, working at a department store. She loves more than anything reading books by bestselling novelist Balthazar Balsan (Albert Dupontel). But Balthazar is not a happy man; his recent book is ridiculed and treated as a trash by a sneering critic, who, Balthazar knows soon, is having an affair with his wife! Heartbroken Balthazar finds consolation in a most unexpected place, however: a letter from Odette, most devoted fan of the writer, which leads him to her and a new life.

Fête de Noël!

2010-11-30T08:56:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 17, 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the Alliance Française

Join us as we celebrate the holiday season with our annual Fête de Noël. There will be French Carols, a roast pig, bûches de Noël and other delicious foods and wine... Le père Noël might make an appearance if we have enough children attending.

Free for members of the Alliance Française and $20 for non-members

Please call us or send us an email to let us know if you plan to attend.

2010-09-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ciné Midi du mois d'Octobre 2010

(October Movies)

"Côte d'Azur" (Tuesday 10/05)

Sexual and romantic complications turn into a hilarious comedy, when Marc (Melki) takes his wife Béatrix (Tedeschi) and their two teenage children to the Mediterranean house of his youth.
The daughter Laura 19, has a rendezvous with her biker boyfriend, and the son, Charly 17, roams the seaside with his best friend Martin who has a crush on him. Béatrix, sensitive to the situation, presumes her son is gay too. When her lover unexpectedly turns up, and Marc’s old flame appears, complications escalate into a historical explosion of pansexual interludes!

"Vipère au poing" (Tuesday 10/12)

In the Twenties, the young Jean Rezeau and his older brother Freddie are living a life of paradise on the grandmother estate in Brittany, when she suddenly dies. Their parents return from Indochina and the boys are forced to live once again with their parents and their other sibling. Unsurprisingly, they soon learn that life with their domineering, authoritarian mother Paule is a far cry from their loving, good-hearted grandmother.
Their father, Jacques is content to let Paule run the show and let him collect his precious flies. Both Jean and Freddie endure bullying, punishments and unjust abuse until Jean rebels and enlists his brother to help wage a humorous yet vicious war against the oppressive matriarchal tyranny.

"Ensemble c'est tout" (Tuesday 10/19)

Camille (Audrey Tautou) works evenings as an office cleaning woman, and makes graceful drawings in her free time, living in the attic of a Parisian apartment block.
Philibert (Laurent Stocker) is a young, aristocratic history buff living - temporarily - in an apartment lower down, part of the estate of his late grandmother. He has let out part of it to up and coming cook Franck (Guillaume Canet), a gruff young loner and womaniser with a genuine love for his frail grandmother, Paulette (Francoise Bertin). When Camille falls ill, Philibert insists she stay with the two of them so he can look after her. And even though she and Franck clash, the trio manage to live together and learn from each other.

"Indochine" (Tuesday 10/26)

Regis Wargnier’s epic about French Indochina - from the years of French colonial imperialism to the days when American presence made itself felt and the country became known as Vietnam -is a story of romance and separation told through the backdrop of a country in turmoil.
The film centers on the relationship of the beautiful and imperious Eliane, a French rubber-plantation owner, and Camille, her adopted Indochinese daughter. The mother and daughter are very close until a diffident naval officer, Jean-Baptiste enters their lives. Eliane is in love with him, but Jean-Baptiste and Camille become attracted to each other and fall in love. Thinking that she is doing Camille a favor, Eliane arranges to have Jean-Baptiste transferred to the far-away Tonkin Islands. But Camille flees the plantation to go to the man she loves….

2010-08-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

Ciné Midi du mois de Septembre 2010
(September Movies)

L'Alliance Francaise organise tous les mardi midi une projection de films francais pour améliorer la compréhension orale de ses étudiants et favoriser leur connaissance en culture francaise.
N'hésitez pas a venir découvrir les classiques du cinéma francais!!

The Alliance organizes french movies projections every tuesday at 12 to improve oral comprehension of the studients and to develop their knowledges about french culture...
Do not hesitate to discover with us famous french movies!!

"Cliente" (Tuesday 09/07)
Judith, a well-conserved middle-aged teleshopping anchorwoman, has vowed since her divorce to never get romantically involved again. To that end, she often hires escort-boys, which only her older sister, a divorcee still hoping to meet the love of her life, knows about. When Judith meets Patrick, an attractive semi-pro, she finds herself falling for him. However, Patrick's real name is Marco, who happens to be a married man pretending to work in construction in order to support his wife's recently-opened hair salon.

"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" (Tuesday 09/14)
Jacques Demy elevates the basic drama of everyday life into a soaring opera full of bittersweet passion and playful charm, featuring a timeless performance from Catherine Deneuve.
A young woman working in an umbrella shop becomes pregnant with the child of a mechanic she fell for. When he joins the military and goes off to war, she marries a wealthier young man to provide security for herself and her child.

"The Promised Life" (Tuesday 09/21)
Sylvia is a prostitute in Nice, with a self-protective talent for blocking out huge chunks of her past. When her 14-year-old daughter, Laurence, skips out on foster care to see her biological mom, Sylvia is rudely dismissive. In an episode of bad timing, Laurence ends up stabbing a pimp in Sylvia's apartment. Estranged mother and daughter beat a hasty retreat heading north via train, bus and the kindness of strangers to reunite with the husband and 8-year-old son she skipped out on after the boy's birth landed her in a psychiatric hospital. Sylvia's heartbreaking and perhaps impossible goal is nothing short of trying to put all the things that have come apart in her life back together again.

"The Last Metro" (Tuesday 09/28)
The Last Metro is set virtually in its entirety in a crumbling French theatre. During the Nazi occupation, Jewish director Lucas Steiner hides in the basement of the theatre, while his wife Marion stars in its latest production. Marion is enamored of leading man Bernard Granger, and he with her, but they resist temptation out of respect to her husband. When she is given a choice between loyalty to her husband and to her countrymen, her dilemma offers two logical solutions--both of which are acted out on stage during the play. This Pirandellian ending aside, The Last Metro is one of the few films to accurately capture the feeling of what it was like to live in Paris under the thumb of the Nazis.

Tous les mardis a midi!! (Vous pouvez prendre votre dejeuner.)

2010-08-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

Ciné Midi du mois d'Août (August movies) :

"My Wife is an Actress" (Tuesday 08/10) :
French actors and real life couple Yvan Attal and Charlotte Gainsbourg star in this chic, sexy romantic comedy about an actress and her jealous husband. Successful sportswriter Yvan and popular film star Charlotte enjoy a glamourous, sophiticated lifestyle in Paris. But when Charlotte relocates to London to star in a sexy movie opposite legendary ladies' man John, Yvan panics and travels back and forth from Paris to London to check on his wife....

"Le Pianiste" (Tuesday 08/17) :
A brilliant pianist, a Polish Jew, witnesses the restrictions Nazis place on Jews in the Polish capital, from restricted access to the building of the Warsaw ghetto. As his family is rounded up to be shipped off to the Nazi labor camps, he escapes deportation and eludes capture by living in the ruins of Warsaw...

"L'Auberge Espagnole" (Tuesday 08/24) :
As part of a job that he is promised, Xavier, an economics student in his twenties, signs on to a European exchange program in order to gain working knowledge of the Spanish language. Promising that they'll remain close, he says farewell to his loving girlfriend, then heads to Barcelona. Following his arrival, Xavier is soon thrust into a cultural melting pot when he moves into an apartment full of international students. An Italian, an English girl, a boy from Denmark, a young girl from Belgium, a German and a girl from Tarragona all join him in a series of adventures that serve as an initiation to life.

Remark : This movie is without subtitles.

"The Barbarian Invasions" (Tuesday 08/31) :
In this belated sequel to 'The Decline of the American Empire', 50-something Montreal college professor, Remy, learns that he is dying of liver cancer. He decides to make amends meet to his friends and family before he dies. He first tries to made peace with his ex-wife Louise, who asks their estranged son Sebastian, a successful businessman living in London, to come home. Sebastian makes the impossible happen, using his contacts and disrupting the entire Canadian system in every way possible to help his father fight his terminal illness to the bitter end, while he also tries to reunite his former friends, Pierre, Alain, Dominique, Diane, and Claude to see their old friend before he passes on.

Special French Table

2009-12-16T10:34:00.000-08:00

Monday January 18th at 12:00 noon.

Join us on the beautiful 19th Floor of the Bellevue (200 S. Broad Street). Lunch is an appetizer buffet, a main course and a dessert buffet.

Reservations at $33 per members or $35 for non-members must be received in the office by January 15th. Price does not include wine. If you would like a glass of wine with your lunch, you may purchase it at that time.

New Class at the Alliance : A Journey Around France !

2009-12-16T09:39:00.000-08:00

Richesses des terroirs

The Alliance Francaise invites you to join the first of a series of explorations of French provinces as "terroir". The term "terroir" considers land as an organism whose characteristics and products are intimately linked to the nature of its soil and the crafts of its people. A "terroir" appeals to your senses. It is a harmony of taste, smells, and feelings that are unique, exclusive and singular.

Our first exploration will be of La Touraine and Le Val de Loire

We will open with a presentation on Friday January 15th, 2010 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. This will include a short movie on the region. Presentation by Roseline Cousin, in English.

This will follow the initial presentation with 5 Tuesday meetings from January19 to February 16, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Some reading is expected for each meeting in order to allow sharing of ideas and discussions. We will get acquainted with the lore, the poetry, some aspects of the daily life and present concerns of the region. These meetings will be in French for intermediate and advanced levels and will be led by Roseline Cousin.

A special wine and cheese tasting held on Friday February 12 at 6:00 p.m. will be presented, in English.

$170 for Alliance Francaise members or $200 for non-members for the 3 events

You can also pick and choose which events you would like to attend :
- Presentation : $10 for AF members; $20 for non-members
- 5 meetings : $140 for AF members; $150 for non-members
- Wine and cheese tasting : $30 for AF members; $40 for non-members.

Ciné Midi en Janvier

2009-12-15T12:56:00.000-08:00

"Joyeux Noël" (Tuesday, January 5th) : It is a 2005 film about the World War I Christmas truce of December 1914, depicted through the eyes of French, Scottish and German soldiers. The film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards. The film was one of Ian Richardson's last appearances before his death on February 9th, 2007.

"Le Père Noël est une Ordure" (Tuesday, January 12th) : It was a theatre piece, created in 1979 by the troupe Le Splendid. In 1982, Jean-Marie Poiré adapted it for the screen. A burlesque Christmas night where, at the duty office of a Parisian telephone station (SOS Friendship in distress), the volunteers are perturbed by the arrival of marginal characters and eccentrics who provoke a series of catastrophes.

"The Secrets" (2007) (Tuesday, January 19th) : Two brilliant young women discover their own voices in a repressive orthodox culture, where females are forbidden to sing, let alone speak out.

"Le Dîner de Cons" (1998) (Tuesday, January 26th) : The Dinner Game is a perfect example of well crafted French comedy with good timing. Directed by Francis Veber, known for La Cage aux Folles, the movie is an adaptation of a famous French play, "Le Dîner de Cons", featuring some of the actors of the original play. Each week, Pierre and his friends organize what is called as "un dîner de cons". Everyone bring the dumbest guy he could find as a guest. Pierre thinks his champ, François Pignon, will steal the show.

Fête de Noël !

2009-11-24T11:23:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 18th, 6 to 8 PM, at the Alliance !

French Carols, great food, roasted pig, Bûches de Noël, and wine... lots of fun and cheers !

Please call to let us know if you will be coming : 215-735-5283.

Free for Alliance Française members; non-members, $20.00

Apéro Français

2009-11-24T08:33:00.000-08:00

Join us every second Tuesday of the month !

The next Apéro Français will be held on Tuesday, December 8th, from 5:30 to 7:00pm, at the Bourse at the Sofitel Hotel.

Make new acquaintances and share the latest tips on travel, movies and events by joining our French conversation and cocktail hour. Each of our prior soirées has been a charming gathering of current and former students, as well as native speakers of French !

--- NEW AT THE ALLIANCE ! ---

2009-11-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

New !

The Alliance Francaise invites you to join our group of young friends interested in practicing French and having a French Culture Experience in Philadelphia : Les FrancoPhilliens !

You can visit the group and the profile on Facebook : Les FrancoPhilliens

For some more information, you can email us @ : francophilliens@gmail.com, or call the Alliance : 215-735-5283.

THE AGE OF COMFORT: When Paris Discovered Casual - and the Modern Home Began

2009-11-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 - 5:30 @ The Athenæum of Philadelphia (219 S 6th St, Philadelphia)

Joan DeJean will discuss a colorful cast of visionaries - legendary architects, the first interior designers, and the woman who shaped the tastes of two successive kings of France: Louis XIV's mistress Madame de Maintenon and Louis XV's mistress Madame de Pompadour. Their revolutionary ideas would have a direct influence on realms outside the home, from clothing to literature and gender relations, changing the way people lived and related to one antoher for the foreseeable future. She identifies the moment in modern history when informality and comfort first became priorities, setting off a transformation in the worlds of architecture and interior decoration.

Joan DeJean is the author of nine books on French literature, history, and culture of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. She is Trustee Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where she has taught for eighteen years.

The Alliance Française is not taking reservations for this event, please reserve directly with Susan Gallo (215-925-2688 or sgallo@philaathenaeum.org) at the Athenæum.

"Je vais revoir ma Normandie..."

2009-10-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

November 13 - December 31, 2009

Gallery Opening Friday, November 13 at 6:00 pm

Join us for a glass of wine to meet William Kosman, and see his beautiful paintings.

“As a painter, I try to show the beauty in the world and in people. We are surrounded by such beauty – the wheat fields and trees of Normandy blowing in the wind under a threatening sky, an expanse of beach battered by waves, a woman’s delicate face and form, the beauty of people facing life with courage, the brightness and playfulness of children, the warmth between people, and all of the other gifts of nature and life. In my pursuit, my artistic experiences have brought me to focus on two inspirations”.

William Kosman is someone who has benefitted from every cultural advantage as a kid, especially art lessons. And over the years, he has painted and studied painting more and more, including courses at the Art Students’ League in New York, the Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia, and courses with Jean-Marie Creuseau in Fresne, France. Now, on many mornings during his summers in Saint-Aubin, he grabs his easel, his oil paints, his palette knives and the rest of his gear and heads out for one of the villages he has grown to know comme sa poche. It was his paintings of the Normandy countryside that got him his first solo exhibit in Philadelphia, at the Show of Hands gallery, that got him included in a group show in Old City, and got him an exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s ArtWorks gallery. Now, he feels the satisfaction of knowing that his Normandy landscapes give pleasure to families on the East and West coasts, as well as in France.

@ the Alliance Française

1420 Walnut Street, Suite 700

Philadelphia

Ciné Midi en Novembre

2009-10-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, November 3rd : "La Marche de l'Empereur" (2005), directed by Luc Jacquet

Tuesday, November 10th : "Dialogue avec mon Jardinier" (2007), directed by Jean Becker

Tuesday, November 17th : "Les Enfants Terribles" (1950), directed by Jean Cocteau

Tuesday, November 24th : "Hors de Prix" (2006), directed by Pierre Salvadori

2009-10-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

Join us on Thursday, October 22 for

A Garlic Fest

@ Spring Mill Café (164 Barren Hill Road, Conshohocken)

The celebration will take place in two parts:

=> 6:30 p.m. How to Plant Garlic with Master Gardener Lois H Fischer

=> 7:00 p.m. Garlic themed Dinner prepared by Spring Mill Café (BYOB)

Menu

Creamy Squash Soup with Garlic Croutons
or
Ratatouille Paysanne
-
Leg of Lamb à l'Ail
or
Cotriade Bretonne (Velvety Seafood Stew)
-
Candied Garlic Gelato with Italian Cheese Pie
-
Coffee or Tea

$55 for Alliance Française members
$65 for Non-members

Reservations can be made on the Events page, or by calling the Alliance Française.

Spring Mill Cafe is a BYOB, don't forget to bring your favorite wine!

Enchanting Views of Rural Beauce France

2009-09-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

Farmhouse in Trinay

Gouache on vintage English paper, 11 x 8"

The Alliance Française and the French American Chamber of Commerce invite you to

Enchanting Views of Rural Beauce France

Wednesday, September 30, 2009
at InLiquid
Crane Arts Building
1400 N American Street
in Northern Liberties
(North of Girard between 2nd and 3rd)

Artists reception, meet Andrea Krupp. After the reception, there will be an optional dinner at Vino Restaurant/Lounge
Located at the NEW Piazza at Schmidt's
in Northern Liberties

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Reception at Inliquid - Crane Arts Building
8:00 PM - 9:30 PM Dinner at Vino Restaurant/Lounge at the NEW Piazza at Schmidt's
Attendees must be at least 21 years of age

Reception ONLY:
$35/person Non-members
$25/person AF Members & guests

Reception & Dinner at Vino:
$60/person Non-members
$50/person AF Members & guests

Immersion Class : Saturday, September 26th

2009-09-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

Immersion Courses represent six hours of intense work focused on conversation with reviews of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.

Four levels of classes are offered on the same day: beginner, basic, intermediate and advanced :

=> If you have never had French before your level is beginner.

=> If you are enrolled in a class at the Alliance Française, you can find your level easily:
101 = beginner
102-106 = basic
201-206 = intermediate
301+ = advanced

=> If you have never taken an immersion or regular class with us, and you are not a beginner, you will need to take a placement test to find your level. The placement test can be taken online (you can find the link on the courses page of our website : http://www.afphila.com/), or you can call our office (215-735-5283) or stop by our office in person and take the placement test that way.

$140 includes materials and lunch.

Ciné Midi en Septembre

2009-09-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, September 1st : "Belle de Jour"

Tuesday, September 8th : "Chocolat"

Tuesday, September 15th : "Le Pianiste"

Tuesday, September 22nd : "Cliente"

Tuesday, September 29th : "Les Poupées Russes"

French Tables

2009-09-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

Special French Table at Le Bec Fin (http://www.lebecfin.com/) - Tuesday, September 22nd, 12 PM

Join us for a 3-course lunch and a glass of wine !

$50 per member or $55 per non-member. Reservations must be received by by September 17.

French Table at Cafette - Friday, September 25th, 12:30 PM

Reservations at $30 per member ($33 if you would like a glass of wine) or $35 and $38 for non-members.
Reservations must be received in office by September 23.

Bastille Day on the Left Bank !

2009-07-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Alliance Française de Philadelphie invites you to celebrate Bastille Day

on the Left Bank!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.

The Water Works Restaurant

640 Water Works Drive

Buffet Dinner with Open Bar

Dancing under the stars with the Fred Hall Orchestra

Silent Auction and Raffle of two round-trip tickets to Paris on Air France

To make reservations online, please go to our Events page.

Directions to The Waterworks Restaurant.

Free Parking before the Circle or $12 Valet Parking (beyond the Circle)

Air France - With its worldwide network of 340 destinations in 91 countries, served by its own aircraft or those of its SkyTeam Alliance partners, Air France is a natural choice when booking travel to France. Thanks to its hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Air France can fly you from one end of the earth to the other through a single airport.

Soirée Remise des prix et Fête de la musique

2009-07-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

Ciné Midi en JUILLET

2009-07-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 7: La vie en rose

From the streets of the cutthroat Belleville district of Paris to the dazzling limelight of New York's most glamorous concert halls, Edith Piaf's life was a constant battle to sing and survive, to live and love. Raised in abject poverty, surrounded by hookers and pimps, Edith's magical voice made her a star on both sides of the Atlantic.

Wednesday, July 15: The diving bell and the butterfly

Jean-Dominique Bauby was one of the most respected journalists in France, quickly rising to the position of editor at Elle Magazine. He divides his time between his hectic work and social lives, but still manages to spend time with his ageing father. Suddenly, this happy life is brought to an end by a massive stroke, at the age of just 43. Bauby, unable to move anything other than his left eyelid, is informed by doctors that he has 'locked-in syndrome,' and while mentally healthy, cannot move his body at all. At first he feels anger, made all the worse by the fact that he cannot show it. This anger soon sinks into suicidal depression, before he decides to make something happen. Eventually, he works out a way to communicate through blinking, and begins to write his memoir.

Tuesday, July 21: He loves me, he loves me not

From two very different perspectives, a romance is revealed which charts the relationship between Angelique, a young French student, and Loic, the married doctor with whom she is in love. Though Angelique attempts to get Loic to leave his wife and run away with her to Florence, Loic sees Angelique's "love" in quite a different light.

Tuesday, July 28: The child

Two young lovers have few prospects. Unemployed, high school drop outs, all they want to do is live for the moment. Their free spirited attitude is soon cut short when the girl falls pregnant. The only way they can support their new baby is through benefit and through the boy's earnings as a petty criminal. However, the immature and irresponsible teenagers soon come up with a solution to their problems: selling their new born on the black market...

Every Tuesday, at noon.

Ciné Midi en Juin

2009-05-27T12:43:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, June 2: La tourneuse de pages

Tuesday, June 9: Vipère au poing

Tuesday, June 16: Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran

Tuesday, June 23: Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis

Tuesday, June 30: Il y a longtemps que je t'aime

Every Tuesday, at noon, at the Alliance française.

You can bring your lunch.

Lecture and Book signing at The Naked Chocolate Cafe

2009-05-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

Jeudi 21 mai, l'Alliance française organisait
au Naked Chocolate Cafe
une présentation du roman Vidalia in Paris,
l'histoire (en partie biographique)
d'une jeune Américaine qui débarque à Paris.

Sasha Watson, l'auteur de Vidalia in Paris.

Nous avons aussi pu savourer chocolats, cupcakes et autres douceurs...

Benjamin Franklin nous a fait l'honneur de sa présence.

Soirée remise des récompenses & fête de la musique

2009-05-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

Come to our annual party in honor of our students.

We will also celebrate "la fête de la musique" with our own singers and musicians.

Friday, June 19,

from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

at the Alliance française.

It is a free event, but donations are appreciated.

Please, bring something: wine, cheese, dessert ...

Call us (215-735-5283) or e-mail us (alliance@afphila.com) for reservation.

Ciné Midi en Mai

2009-04-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Mardi 5 mai 2009

La Boum

Mardi 12 mai 2009

Germinal

inspiré du roman d'Emile Zola

Mardi 19 mai 2009

3 Hommes et un couffin

Mardi 26 mai 2009

Madame Bovary

inspiré du roman de Gustave Flaubert

On Tuesday, at noon. You can bring your lunch.

Monte-Carlo Casino Night

2009-03-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for coming !

Ciné Midi en Mars

2009-02-12T14:22:00.000-08:00

En mars, découvrez ou redécouvrez Francis Veber, réalisateur

Programme:

La chèvre, le mardi 3 mars

Les compères, le mardi 10 mars

Le dîner de cons, le mardi 17 mars

Le placard, le mardi 24 mars

La doublure, le mardi 31 mars

Tous les mardis, à 12h00, à l'Alliance.

Vous pouvez apporter votre déjeuner.

Monte-Carlo Casino Night

2009-02-11T13:33:00.001-08:00

The Alliance française de Philadelphie

invites you to

a Monte-Carlo Casino Night

Saturday, March 21, 2009

7:00 pm

Special offer to our students !

$ 60

Sofitel Hotel

120 South 17th Street

Philadelphia

Buffet Dinner with wine

Cash Bar

Music by Dee-Jay Venus

Raffle

Cocktail Attire

80$ AF members

100$ Non-members

Please call or email us for more information.

Rétrospective soirée Jazz

2009-01-29T07:59:00.001-08:00

Cidre chaud et sérénades, what else?

Soirée Jazz

2009-01-09T09:40:00.000-08:00

Join us for a soirée jazz with a jazz trio headed by Dogukan Gungor, master guitar player and Alliance Française instructor. Listen to beautiul music, have a glass of wine. It's going to be a memorable evening !!

Friday January 16, 6.30-8.30 pm

Alliance Française, 1420 Walnut Street, suite 700

$5 for Alliance Française members

$15 for non members

Please call or email us to let us know if you will be among us that evening.

Fête de Noël

2008-12-16T09:28:00.000-08:00

Fête de Noël

2008-12-11T07:54:00.001-08:00

French carols, great food, roasted pig, bûches de Noël, and wine…lots of fun and cheer.

Friday, December 12, 6:00 - 8:00pm
At the Alliance Française de Philadelphie
1420 Walnut Street, Suite 700
Philadelphia PA 19002

Free for the Alliance Française members

Non-members, $20

Please call to let us know if you will be coming:
215-735-5283

CINE MIDI DECEMBRE

2008-12-02T09:04:00.000-08:00

December, Tuesday 2nd : Jean de Florette
Au milieu des années 1920 dans un petit village de Provence perdu dans la garrigue, Ugolin a un rêve : gagner de l'argent en cultivant des oeillets. Son oncle, César Soubeyran, dit "Le Papet", est un vieux célibataire prêt à tout pour que son neveu réussisse et se marie, pour que se transmette son nom, dont il est l'unique héritier. Mais pour que ces projets aboutissent, il faut pouvoir disposer d'une source, un bien extrêmement précieux. La ferme des Romarins conviendrait parfaitement. Mais l'héritier de la ferme arrive un jour avec sa femme et sa fille pour s'en occuper. Il s'appelle Jean Cadoret, il est bossu, et vient de la ville. Idéaliste, il a pour ambition de mener la vie d'un paysan prospère et proche de la nature. Les deux Soubeyran vont comploter pour lui rendre la tâche impossible...

Mardi 2 décembre : Jean de Florette
In a rural French village an old man and his only remaining relative cast their covetous eyes on an adjoining vacant property. They need its spring water for growing their flowers, so are dismayed to hear the man who has inherited it is moving in. They block up the spring and watch as their new neighbor tries to keep his crops watered from wells far afield through the hot summer. Though they see his desperate efforts are breaking his health and his wife and daughter's hearts they think only of getting the water.

December, Tuesday 9th : Le Placard
François Pignon, modeste comptable dans une usine spécialisée dans la fabrique de préservatifs, apprend qu'il va être licencié. Voulant se jeter de son balcon, il est arrêté dans son élan par son nouveau voisin, qui lui conseille de se faire passer pour homosexuel afin de ne pas perdre sa place. Le stratagème fonctionne si bien que François garde sa place et que le regard des autres change...

Mardi 9 décembre : Le Placard
François Pignon, a very bland sort of man who works as an accountant in a rubber factory, is about to be fired. His new neighbor comes up with an idea to prevent such a thing to happen: he spreads the rumor that he's gay so that the factory management might be afraid they'll be sued for sexual discrimination. Of course, nothing happens as it should, but the changes in François Pignon's life -and other people's too- is drastic!

December, Tuesday 16th: L’auberge espagnole
As part of a job that he is promised, Xavier, an economics student in his twenties, signs on to a European exchange program in order to gain working knowledge of the Spanish language. Promising that they'll remain close, he says farewell to his loving girlfriend, then heads to Barcelona. Following his arrival, Xavier is soon thrust into a cultural melting pot when he moves into an apartment full of international students. An Italian, an English girl, a boy from Denmark, a young girl from Belgium, a German and a girl from Tarragona all join him in a series of adventures that serve as an initiation to life.

Mardi 16 décembre: L’auberge Espagnole
Xavier, un jeune homme de vingt-cinq ans, part à Barcelone pour terminer ses études en économie et apprendre l'espagnol. Cette langue est nécessaire pour occuper un poste, que lui promet un ami de son père, au ministère des finances. Mais pour ce faire, il doit quitter sa petite amie Martine, avec qui il vit depuis quatre ans.En Espagne, Xavier cherche un logement et trouve finalement un appartement dans le centre de Barcelone qu'il compte partager avec sept autres personnes. Chacun de ses co-locataires est originaire d'un pays différent.

Soirée Black Tower

2008-11-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

Rétrospective Soirée Black Tower / Black Tower event Retrospection
Union league 18 novembre 2008 - lecture and book digning by Louis Bayard, auteur du Black Tower, avec la présence de la Vidocq Society
Mystery and good-humored made this evening perfect / Le mystère et la bonne humeur ont rendu cette soirée parfaite

Soirée cakewalk

2008-11-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

Rétrospective soirée Cakewalk / Cakewalk event retrospection

Entre les lectures enrichissantes de Patrick Bensard sur l'histoire du cakewalk, nous avons découvert ou redécouvert des vidéos sur cette danse particulière (quelques liens ci-dessous). Puis la soirée s'est terminée dans une ambiance conviviale autour d'un plateau de fromages.

Between some rewarding lectures by Patrick Bensard on the story of the Cakewalk, we discovered or rediscovered videos about this specific dance (some links below). Then, the party ended in a friendly atmosphere around a selection of cheeses.

Josephine Baker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsXyDrf9HO0

Katherine Dunham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkVuVagvBAU

Fête des retrouvailles

2008-11-03T13:01:00.001-08:00

Du fromage, du vin et une bonne ambiance !

Cine midi Novembre

2008-11-03T12:44:00.000-08:00

November, Tuesday 4th : Moi César, 10 ans et demi, 1m39
Dix ans et demi, 1m39, les parents, les disputes, les amis, le premier amour, la rivalité, l'école, l'autorité, ces quelques kilos en trop... Autant de choses qui font le petit monde de César. Timide, il parle peu mais pense énormément. Et forcément, comme ses parents ne prennent pas le temps de lui raconter la réalité, il l'imagine...

Mardi 4 novembre : Moi César, 10 ans et demi, 1m39
A 10 year old boy, 1m39, parents, arguments, friends, first love, rivalries, school, authority, a little chunky… all these things make up Cesar little world. Shy, he does not speak a lot but likes thinking. Obviously, as his parents do not take the time to tell him the truth, he imagines it…

November, Tuesday 11th : A la folie, pas du tout
Angelique, a young student, is in love with a married doctor. We see her attempts to make him leave his pregnant wife, but he does not appear for meetings or finally the booked journey to Florence. Then the movie is turned back to the beginning, and the view changes: We are now following the view of the doctor instead of Angeliques. And things look quite different now...

Mardi 11 novembre : A la folie, pas du tout
Angélique, jeune fille d'une vingtaine d'années, étudiante aux Beaux-Arts, tombe amoureuse de Loïc, un cardiologue renommé, marié et futur papa. Elle est intimement persuadée que c'est le grand amour, mais Loïc ne se rend pas aux rendez-vous qu'elle organise. En fait, Angélique est atteinte d'eretomanie : elle est la seule à vivre cet amour qu'elle imagine démesuré. Quant à Loïc, il reste dans la plus profonde incompréhension devant les cadeaux anonymes et les courriers doux qu'il reçoit et reste fou amoureux de sa femme. L'amour d'Angélique va la pousser toujours plus loin, jusqu'à provoquer de très graves troubles dans sa vie et dans celle de Loïc.

November, Tuesday 18th: Je suis timide mais je me soigne
Pierre is a hotel cashier in Vichy, so shy that he answers an ad from the Psychology Institute and can't say no to the salesman, Aldo; he spends 6,000 francs on tapes, books, and a punching bag. Soon after, he's smitten by Agnes, a hotel guest with a model's looks and photographers wherever she goes. When she leaves for Nice, he follows, meeting Aldo on the way. Aldo becomes his boldness coach…

Mardi 18 novembre: Je suis timide mais je me soigne
Pierre est si timide qu'il s'adresse à un Institut Spécialisé pour avoir des conseils. Il rencontre Aldo, le vendeur, et quelques temps après Agnès, dont les charmes l'impressionnent. Heureusement Aldo sera là pour le "coacher"

November, Tuesday 25th: La petite voleuse
In a small town in post-World-War-II France, an unhappy sixteen-year-old (Janine Castang) tries to escape her dreary situation by any means at her disposal. Three successive friends (Michel Davenne, a married lover; Raoul, a fellow thief; Mauricette Dargelos, a photographer and fellow prisoner) help her learn from her mistakes.

Mardi 25 novembre: La petite voleuse

Janine, 16 ans, vit avec son oncle et sa tante quelque part dans la "France profonde". Elle vole tout ce qui lui tombe sous la main avec préférence pour la lingerie fine et les cigarettes américaines. Elle quitte l'école et devient bonne dans une famille bourgeoise. Elle noue une liaison avec un homme marié plus âgé ainsi qu'avec un jeune homme de son âge, lui aussi voleur...

Soirée des retrouvailles

2008-10-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

Join us for wine and cheese to welcome new students and members !

Friday, October 17, 2008

6-8 pm

Alliance Française

Cakewalk

2008-10-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

THE ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE OF PHILADELPHIA

Presents

PATRICK BENSARD
Tricks of Memory : the Cake-Walk and the first black artists in France.

Wednesday, November 5 at 6:30 pm at the Ethical Society, 1906 South Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia.

Following in the tracks of the cake-walk… The cake-walk was the dance performed by black slaves on the plantations in the South in the United States. Sometimes the masters allowed them to borrow frock coats and top hats, which they took brilliant advantage of to caricaturize the lenders in a sort of saraband which evoked the drawing room dances of the period. And as a reward, the best of them received a large slice of cake, whence the name cake walk. Remember that this dance was the forerunner of jazz dances. As a follow-up to this undertaking by the Elks – the cake-walk dancers – images of the first black artists, dancers or musicians who came to France will be projected: Josephine Baker, Johnny Hudgins, Katherine Dunham, the Nicholas Brothers, Duke Ellington, Sydney Bechet and many more. As if Paris had, once and for all, been part of their destiny.

Venez nombreux découvrir le cake-walk !

We hope that many of you will come discover the cake - walk !

$10 for Alliance Francaise Members, non-members $15

Inscriptions / Registration à l'Alliance Française de Philadelphie

or by phone : 215 735 5283

or by mail : alliance@afphila.com

CINE MIDI PROGRAM OCTOBRE

2008-09-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

-Chaque mardi, à midi, visionnage d'un film GRATUITEMENT. Vous pouvez prendre votre repas…-Each Tuesday, at noon, you can watch a film, it is FREE. You have the possibility to bring your lunch…

October, Tuesday 7th: 5x2
The story focuses on a young couple, Gilles and Marion in their 30's, filmed in five crucial moments of their life together: the meeting, marriage, birth of their first child, arguments and divorce. However, those are told in reverse order. Each moment is separated by an Italian song with evocative lyrics. Overall, it is a pessimistic life lesson about the difficulties of living as a couple.

Mardi 6 Octobre: 5x2
Le film se concentre sur cinq des moments les plus cruciaux de la vie d’un couple de trentenaires, Marion et Gilles. Leur rencontre, leur mariage, la naissance de leur premier enfant, leurs disputes et leur divorce sont ainsi évoqués dans le sens contraire de la chronologie. Chaque moment est séparé par une chanson italienne aux paroles significatives. Le film peut être comparé à une leçon de vie pessimiste en ce qui concerne la vie en couple.

October , Tuesday 14th: Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano De Bergerac (G.Depardieu) is a Parisian poet with a large nose of which he is self-conscious, but which he pretends to be proud of. He is madly in love with his cousin, the beautiful Roxane, but does not believe she will requite his love because he considers himself physically unattractive…

Mardi 14 octobre: Cyrano de Bergerac
Inspirés de caractères de la Commedia dell'arte, trois hommes cherchent les faveurs de la belle Roxane. Il y a celui qui détient le pouvoir, le comte de Guiche, celui qui a le talent littéraire, Cyrano (G.Depardieu), et celui qui a la beauté, Christian. Après des scènes d'amour courtois, ce sont celles, épiques, de la guerre (le siège d'Arras) puis la tristesse des occasions manquées avec la vieillesse.

October, Tuesday 21st: Les Amants
Bored with her husband, bored with her polo-playing lover, will the middle-aged heroine (Jeanne Moreau) go away with the young man who gave her a lift that day when her car broke down on the way back to her country estate from a weekend with her lover in Dijon?

Mardi 21 octobre: Les Amants
Jeanne Tournier (Jeanne Moreau), 30 ans s’ennuie dans sa luxueuse demeure de Dijon. Elle est mariée au directeur d’un journal et se rend chaque mois à Paris chez son amie Maggie. Elle a une liaison plus ou moins platonique avec un joueur de polo aussi vain qu’élégant. Soupçonneux, Henri Tournier tend un piège à Jeanne en lui demandant d'inviter chez eux ses amis parisiens. En route pour Dijon, elle tombe en panne et rencontre un mystérieux jeune homme, archéologue qui la ramène chez elle, dans sa 2CV poussive qui tranche avec les luxueuses voitures de ses amis habituels.

October, Tuesday 28th: Le dîner de cons
Pierre Brochant (Thierry Lhermitte), a famous Parisian publisher, attends a weekly "idiots' dinner", where guests, who are prominent Parisian businessmen, must each bring along an "idiot" of whom the other invitees can make fun. At the end of the dinner, the evening's champion idiot is selected. Pierre Brochant manages, with the help of an "idiot scout", to find an exceptional idiot: François Pignon (Jacques Villeret), a Finance Ministry employee who is crazy about building replicas with matchsticks. Things start to go haywire when Brochant's wife leaves him shortly after François Pignon arrives at his apartment.

Mardi 28 octobre : Le dîner de cons
Chaque mercredi Pierre Brochant, Thierry Lhermitte, célèbre éditeur parisien, organise avec des amis un «dîner de cons » : chaque organisateur amène avec lui un « con » qu'il a déniché au hasard. Ensuite, les organisateurs se moquent des « cons » toute la soirée sans que ces derniers ne s'en rendent compte. À l'issue du repas, on choisit le champion. Un ami lui en a trouvé un fabuleux : François Pignon (Jacques Villeret) qui se passionne pour les constructions de maquettes en allumettes. Mais rien ne va se dérouler comme prévu, l'incontestable sottise de François Pignon ayant des conséquences de plus en plus désastreuses au fil de la soirée pour celui qui espérait en rire.

Peinture sur verre - Glass Painting

2008-09-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

Workshop with Ibou Ndoye
Saturday September 20 from 9 am to 12 noon at the Alliance Française.

In addition to exhibiting his art, Ibou Ndoye has been conducting glass painting workshops for students of all ages and abilities for over 6 years. Ibou’s workshops incorporate educating students in both the history and technique of West African glass painting as well as an introduction to into his own innovations in the technique. From painting plastic CD cases to layering fragments of glass, Ibou reveals to his classes how simple materials can become beautiful works of art.
Join the workshop and learn how to do reverse glass painting. Register by e-mail, by phone or coming at the Alliance Française.
$50 for adults and children

For more information about Ibou = http://www.iboundoye.com/home.html

2008-08-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

-Chaque mardi, à midi, visionnage d'un film GRATUITEMENT. Vous pouvez prendre votre repas…
-Each Tuesday, at noon, you can watch a film, it is FREE. You have the possibility to bring your lunch…

Tuesday 2nd September : The Barbarian Invasions
What plot there is revolves around the character Rémy's battle with terminal cancer, and his estranged son's efforts, after reluctantly returning from London at the request of Remy's ex-wife Louise, to make his dying father more comfortable in his last days. He proves willing to go to any lengths to achieve this, navigating Quebec's healthcare system, and in the process he gathers the various other friends and family members from Remy's past who come to visit and comfort him. During Remy's last days, he and his friends travel to a cottage and discuss philosophy, politics, and past sexual and intellectual exploits.

Mardi 2 septembre : Les invasions barbares
Montréal 2002. Début cinquantaine et divorcé, Rémy est à l’hôpital. Son ex-femme Louise rappelle d’urgence leur fils Sébastien, qui fait une brillante carrière à Londres. Sébastien hésite — son père et lui n’ont plus rien à se dire depuis longtemps — puis finit par accepter de venir avec sa fiancée française donner un coup de main à sa mère. Dès son arrivée, Sébastien remue ciel et terre pour obtenir un diagnostic clair sur l’état de santé de son père et pour adoucir les épreuves qui l'attendent. Il usera de son imagination, jouera de ses relations, bousculera le système de toutes les manières possibles et aura recours aux pots-de-vin, entre autres tactiques illégales, pour procurer à son père de meilleures conditions… et un peu de bonheur.

Tuesday 9th September: The child
Bruno, 20, and Sonia, 18, are surviving on her welfare checks and Bruno's petty crimes when Sonia becomes pregnant. Bruno sells their baby to a black market adoption ring to make some quick cash. Faced with Sonia's shock, he regrets his mistake and buys the child back at a premium -- but, after being turned away by Sonia, his mounting debts and desperation lead Bruno down a quick path to prison.

Mardi 9 septembre: L’enfant
Bruno, 20 ans et Sonia, 18 ans, vivent ensemble de l'allocation perçue par Sonia et des larcins commis par Bruno, quand Sonia donne naissance à Jimmy. Pas assez mûr pour en assumer la paternité, Bruno décide de vendre leur bébé sur le marché noir de l’adoption afin de se faire de l’argent facilement et rapidement. Sonia est choquée par cette décision et, bien que Bruno se rende immédiatement compte de son erreur, il est déjà trop tard. Rejeté par Sonia, débiteur de grosses sommes et désespéré, il va devoir lutter pour ne pas finir en prison…

Tuesday16th September: Les Valseuses
Two whimsical, aimless thugs harass and assault women, steal, murder, and alternately charm, fight, or sprint their way out of trouble. They take whatever the bourgeois characters value: whether it's cars, peace of mind, or daughters. Marie-Ange, a jaded, passive hairdresser, joins them as lover, cook, and mother confessor. She's on her own search for seemingly unattainable sexual pleasure.

Mardi 16 septembre: Les Valseuses
Jean-Claude et Pierrot, deux jeunes loubards, terrorisent pour s'amuser tout leur quartier. Le coiffeur à qui ils avaient volé une voiture blesse Pierrot. Les deux compères parviennent à s'échapper, entraînant dans leur fuite Marie-Ange, la maîtresse dudit coiffeur. Cette généreuse jeune fille ne rechigne pas à donner aux autres le plaisir qu'elle semble incapable de ressentir elle-même.

Bastille Day 2008

2008-07-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our great Bastille Day Party... See you next year!

Remise des diplômes 2008

2008-06-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

Voici quelques photos souvenir de la remise des diplômes 2008, qui a eu lieu vendredi 27 juin dans les locaux de l'Alliance...

Here are some pictures of our party "Remise des Diplômes 2008", which held on June 27th at the Alliance...

Article paru dans le Nouvel Obs sur les Alliances Françaises dans le monde

2008-04-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

Trois questions à Jean-Claude Jacq
Nous sommes les grands prêtres du verbe !

Le Nouvel Observateur. - Quel est le secret du succès de l'AF ?

Jean-Claude Jacq. - Il y a un esprit. C'est très original de laisser des citoyens de divers pays se faire les relais de notre culture en créant des centres que nous labellisons. Cela donne des gens très motivés, de véritables entrepreneurs ! Et quand il y a des troubles, on n'attaque pas les AF, puisqu'elles appartiennent aux gens du pays. On a pu le remarquer au Pakistan ou en Afrique récemment. Cette façon de faire est à l'inverse de l'approche où l'on semble vouloir tout gérer en imposant ses fonctionnaires.

N. O. - Pouvez-vous mesurer votre influence culturelle ?

J.-C. Jacq. - 450000 étudiants par an, 6 millions de participants à nos événements : c'est énorme ! Je ne prendrai qu'un exemple, emblématique : celui des Etats-Unis. On y dénombre plus de 130 AF, toutes autofinancées sauf six. La glaciation intervenue en 2003 dans les relations entre nos deux pays ne s'est pas produite dans les AF. Jean-David Levitte, qui était alors notre ambassadeur à Washington, s'est beaucoup appuyé sur notre réseau pour faire passer un message apaisant auprès des patriotes américains. Imaginez qu'à New York, l'Alliance lève 800 000 euros en un seul gala annuel (soit l'équivalent du budget total de notre fondation), avec des invités en queue de pie qui paient leur table 10 000 euros ! A Boston, ils lèvent 400 000 euros, à Chicago 500 000. Donc ce sont les Américains qui paient pour propager notre culture chez eux. A Miami, une nouvelle Alliance va ouvrir dans un bâtiment ultramoderne.

N. O. - Comment vous en sortez-vous financièrement ?

J.-C. Jacq. - Nous sommes gueux comme des rats d'église ! Il était temps de créer une fondation pour lever des fonds. Mais elle ne compte que douze salariés, pour chapeauter les 1071 antennes de l'Alliance ! Donc, pour l'heure, nous sommes surtout les grands prêtres du verbe. Si une AF a besoin de 10 000 euros pour réparer un toit emporté par une tempête, nous ne les avons pas. Ca me tue. Je compte donc sur les dons pour permettre cela dans le futur. Pour l'instant, nous appliquons la belle formule de Cioran : «Bricoler dans l'incurable.» Ca pourrait être notre devise.

Patrick Fauconnier
Le Nouvel Observateur

Soirée Opéra à l'Academy of Vocal Arts...

2008-04-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

Quelques jolies photos souvenirs de notre exceptionnelle Soirée Opéra à l'Academy of Vocal Arts, qui a réuni Béatrice Beer de l'Opéra Chatelet et d'excellents artistes de l'Atlantic Coast Opera... Les invités ont pu apprécier l'interprétation des meilleurs chants d'opéra tels Carmen, les Contes d'Hoffmann, Manon, Lakmé ainsi qu'un extrait de Tosca...

Une réception à la Française a suivi le concert avec dégustation de vins et fromages... INOUBLIABLE!!!

Some nice pictures from our great party at the Academy of Vocal Arts... This exciting “Opera Soirée”, featured Beatrice Beer of the Chatelet Opera – along with the Atlantic Coast Opera Festival’s stellar artists! Guests were treated to top favorites of the French Opera repertoire, including excerpts from Carmen, Tales of Hoffmann, Werther, Manon, Lakmé with a sampler from the Festival’s upcoming summer Mainstage production of Puccini’s masterpiece, Tosca!
A French reception followed the concert with good cheeses and wine… UNFORGETTABLE!!

Soirée de Mardi Gras au Down Town Club

2008-02-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

Photos souvenir de la Grande Soirée de Mardi Gras organisée par l'Alliance Française de Philadelphie et à laquelle Monsieur Pierre Vimont, le nouvelambassadeur de France aux Etats-Unis, a été convié.
La journée de l'Ambassadeur a été chargée...
Il a d'abord rencontré l'équipe de rédaction du Philadelphia Inquirer, puis a rendu visite à Michael Nutter, actuel maire de Philadelphie.
Un déjeuner a ensuite été organisé à l'Union League en présence, entre autres, de Jacques Aschenbroich, PDG de Saint Gobain.
Enfin, après une conférence à l'Université de Pennsylvanie, Monsieur Vimont a rejoint le Down Town Club pour la réception de Mardi Gras, durant laquelle il a remercié l'Alliance Française pour son travail et son invitation.
Il a par ailleurs assuré qu'il reviendrait à Philadelphie, ville qu'il a semble-t-il beaucoup appréciée...

Some pictures from our famous Mardi Gras party, to which Monsieur Pierre Vimont, the new French Ambassador to the USA, was invited.
His schedule was full of activities...
First he visited the Editorial Board of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Then, after a meeting with Michael Nutter, Mayor of Philadelphia, a lunch was organized at the Union League, with Jacques Aschenbroich, CEO of Saint Gobain.
Last step, after a speech at the University of Pennsylvania, was to go to the Down Town Club for the Mardi Gras party.
He thanked the Alliance Francaise of Philadelphia for its work and invitation and promised to return to Philadelphia, a city he really enjoys...

Repas à l'Union League

Diana Regan, présidente de l'Alliance Française de Philadelphie, et Michael Scullin, Consul Honoraire de France à Philadelphie.

Martine Chauvet, Directrice de l'Alliance Française de Philadelphie.

Monsieur l'Ambassadeur et le Consul Honoraire de Philadelphie.

Jacques Aschenbroich,
PDG de Saint Gobain.

Les locaux de l'Alliance Française

2008-02-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

Voici le 1420 Walnut Street, suite 700 où se situe l'Alliance Française, avec ses bureaux, salles de classe, de projection de films, et bibliothèque.
Nous sommes ouverts tous les jours, du lundi au vendredi, de 9h30 à 18h.
N'hésitez pas à venir nous rendre visite...

Here is 1420 Walnut Street, suite 700, where you can find the Alliance Française, with offices, classrooms, and library.
We are open every day, from monday to friday, 9.30am to 6pm.
Do not hesitate to visit us...

Philadelphie, une ville à l'européenne??

2008-02-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

Quelques photos de la ville qui héberge notre Alliance Française, entre quartiers anciens à l'européenne et nouveaux buildings...

Some pictures about Philadelphia, between old houses and new buildings...

Bienvenue sur le nouveau blog de l'Alliance

2008-02-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

Bonjour!
Voici le nouveau blog de l'Alliance ou vous trouverez le calendrier et les photos relatives aux evenements de l'AF de Philadelphie...
Bonne visite et n'hesitez pas a nous laisser des commentaires!!

Hello everybody!
Here is the new blog of the Alliance, where you can find the calendar and all the pictures about the events organized by the AF of Philadelphia...
Enjoy and think to leave some comments!!

Cine Club

2008-02-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

L'Alliance Francaise organise tous les mardi midi une projection de films francais pour ameliorer la comprehension orale de ses etudiants et favoriser leur connaissance en culture francaise.
N'hesitez pas a venir decouvrir les classiques du cinema francais!!

The Alliance organizes french movies projections every tuesday at 12 to improve oral comprehension of the studients and to develop their knowledges about french culture...
Do not hesitate to discover with us famous french movies!!