French Institute in Scotland

Fête de la musique

Vanessa Bismuth — 2013-05-13T15:34:33Z

Just like every year on 21 June, let's celebrate summertime in music!

Launched in 1982 by the French ministry for culture, La Fête de la Musique has since become an unmissable annual event. Its concept: offering free concerts on the street and in public places, performed by voluntary musicians, both amateur and professional.
Celebrated in over 110 countries around the world, it is now the world's largest music event.

Once again, Edinburgh will join the event, so let's get together to celebrate the summer solstice in music!

PROGRAMME

ROSIE NIMMO
6.00 pm (50 mins)

Key figure of the Edinburgh scene and regular at the Fete de la Musique, this talented singer/songwriter combines jazz, folk and blues tones associated to her smooth voice, all in an uncluttered style. Her concert will be the occasion to rediscover her musical universe, from her debut album “Lazy and Mellow” which received good national reviews and was played on BBC radio stations throughout Britain, to the latest one, “Home”.
www.rosienimmo.com

LA CLINIK DU Dr POEMBAK
7.00 pm and 8.30 pm (30 mins)

La Clinik du Dr. Poembak will add a touch of madness to this 2013 Fete de la Musique.

Coming from Belgium, this Brussels-based fanfare brings together twenty musicians of diverse backgrounds, either amateur, semi-professional or professional. Whimsical, burlesque and festive, La Clinik du Dr. Poembak will make you discover an eclectic repertoire mixing all genres, including, world music, tango, jazz and techno. This likeable brass band condenses all the elements of fantasy, burlesque and festivity that tickle our toes, warm up our ears and put us up in the air as soon as the music starts!
www.dr.poembak.org

THE BEAT POETS
7.30 pm (50 mins)

The Beat Poets were formed in 1986 by guitarist Tom Rafferty and saxophonist Keith Bruce and made their first recordings for seminal Edinburgh label 53rd and 3rd co-founded by Stephen Pastel of Glasgow surf rock'n'roll, before releasing their sole album Totally Radio on Imaginary Records.

The band were instrumental in bringing over the legend of the surf guitar Dick Dale to play concerts in Scotland after his track Miserlou featured on the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and supported his trio at the Garage, Glasgow and Edinburgh's Citrus Club.

The Beat Poets also performed with legendary Memphis singer and songwriter of Big Star and the Box Tops, the late Alex Chilton, at the Glasgow Fair on Glasgow Green. They recently marked their 25th anniversary with an appearance at Glasgow Jazz Festival.
www.myspace.com/originalbeatpoets

JACK AND THE'
9.00 pm (50 mins)

Jack and The' is a pop project led by Edinburgh-based French musician Julien Lonchamp. Strongly influenced by 60s pop music, their debut album “Vacation ( a pop up manifesto), has been subsequently mixed by the crème de la crème of French pop: Orwell, Variety Lab and Cascadeur. Performing as a quartet (vocals/guitar, flute, bass and drums) Jack and The'combines catchy melodies with elaborate orchestrations and song structures.

After touring around Ireland, Scotland and France, Jack and The' will now bring their charming pop touch to the Institut francais!
www.vimeo.com/jackandthe

Johnny the storywriter (video) from Jack and the on Vimeo.

Admission is free
THE BISTROT WILL BE OPEN ALL EVENING FOR DRINKS AND SNACKS

French and Science at the Science Festival in Glasgow

Marie-Christine — 2013-05-09T18:34:03Z

Glasgow Science Festival 2013 at the Alliance Française de Glasgow
The Alliance française de Glasgow will host a special bilingual French/English exhibition in June entitled “L'eau au coeur de la science", along with the screening of Yann Arthus-Bertrand's acclaimed documentary “La Soif du monde”.
The exhibition was prepared for the International Year of Water Cooperation 2013. It is co-produced by the Institut Français, the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and the Centre de Culture Scientifique et Technique de la région Centre.
As with previous years, there are also running specialised workshops for secondary school pupils : A scientist from Marseille will be coming to the AF Glasgow on 12th and 13th June to work with secondary school pupils during their visit of the exhibition. Interactive activities will be available to the pupils in order to make them understand the various environmental and scientific issues surrounding water.
There are two options available for the schools:
A visit of the exhibition with activities (1hr) ;
A visit of the exhibition with activities (1hr) and the screening of Yann Arthus-Bertrand's film “La Soif du monde” (1hr30).
A tour of our multimedia Library (around 30mins) can also be arranged before/after the exhibition.
Dates: Wednesday 12th June & Thursday 13th June.
Please note that places are strictly limited and must be booked in advance.
Contact the Language Office for more information and bookings:
0141 331 4080 / admin afglasgow.org.uk

SCREENING: “La Soif du monde" (A Thirsty world), directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
This documentary explores one of the major challenges to human survival: water. Today, against a backdrop of sharply increasing demand, growth in the world population and the growing impact of an unsettled climate, water has become one of the most precious natural resources of our planet. Engaging internationally recognized personalities or simple front-line players, illuminate the film with their energy, their imagination and their enthusiasm. Because access to clean drinking water is more than ever the big challenge of tomorrow.
Born in 1946, Yann Arthus-Bertrand has always had a passion for the animal world and the natural environment. He became a photographer and focused mostly on environmental issues, collaborating frequently with Géo, National Geographic, Life, Paris Match etc. Yann Arthus-Bertrand also created the Goodplanet Foundation which aims to raise public awareness of environmental issues, implement carbon offset programmes and fight deforestation with local NGOs. Due to his involvement with the foundation, Yann Arthus-Bertrand is today considered more an environmentalist and activist than a photographer. It is because of his strong commitment that he was designated Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme on Earth Day (April 22nd, 2009).

Vive le Fringe

Vincent Guérin — 2013-05-09T11:40:02Z

http://www.vivelefringe.org

- Ads module

'A l'affiche'

Vanessa Bismuth — 2013-05-01T13:24:10Z

‘I consider my posters as I would a painting. It is an image to give to the street – nobody is waiting for it, nobody needs it. Posters must fight, and win the attention of the passer by' — Philippe Apeloig

Influenced by the poster design culture of France, and the work of Philippe Apeloig in particular, this exhibition, by a group of final year graphic design students, and their tutor from Edinburgh Napier University, explores the territories between graphic design and art.

They ask – can the graphic cultures of France inspire us to create a new graphic culture for Scotland?

This exhibition of large scale posters, curated in the style of Galerie Anatome in Paris, graphically reimagines history, culture and society, using typography and composition to create thought provoking graphic forms and visual language.

This exhibition is the first stage in a multi layered project initiated by the BDes(Hons) Graphic Design programme at Edinburgh Napier University. Many students have the opportunity to study for a Trimester at ESAG Penninghen in Paris, and are taught by celebrated French poster designers.

This project aims at exploring a new graphic culture for Scotland through collaborative practice with French colleagues.

From 7 June to 6 July 2013
Admission free

Summer intensive courses

Vanessa Bismuth — 2013-04-29T16:47:09Z

Make the most of your summer months and sign up for one of our intensive courses in June, July, August or September 2013.

We offer lots of opportunities to learn French before your holiday!
If you need more information, please call us: 0131 225 5366.

Download the offer about our summer intensive courses June-September 2013
Download the enrolment form

Du Rififi chez les hommes

Vanessa Bismuth — 2013-04-25T14:06:19Z

Part of a season of French film noir to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary crime author and master of 'argot' Auguste Le Breton. Get ready for some Rififi !

Recently released from jail, the aging Tony le Stephanois (Jean Servais) is reluctant to return to a life of crime until he discovers that his girlfriend has thrown him over for a rival gangster so agrees to attempt one last job. Together with three collaborators - young father Jo (Carl Mohner), boisterous Franco-Italian Mario (Robert Manuel) and sentimental Milanese safecracker Cesar (played by Jules Dassin under the pseudonym of Perlo Vita) - Tony meticulously engineers his biggest heist yet: robbing the most heavily guarded jeweller in Paris. But when a rival gangster, Pierre Gruter (Marcel Lupovici) finds out about their haul, he stakes a claim to a cut of the take in a most persuasive manner.

Jules Dassin's second European film after being blacklisted from Hollywood and landmark film noir, Rififi is best known for its celebrated half-hour silent robbery sequence

Du Rififi chez les hommes - trailer (US version)

By Jules Dassin (1955, 118 mins)
Film script by Jules Dassin, René Wheeler and Auguste Le Breton
Based on Auguste Le Breton's novel
Dialogues : Auguste Le Breton
Cast : Jean Servais, Carl Mohner, Robert Manuel, Perlo Vita, Marie Sabouret, Janine Darcey, Claude Sylvain...

IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
TICKETS: £5
BOX OFFICE: 0131 225 5366

Screening followed by a discussion with Pierre Fourniaud, General Director of the French publishing house La Manufacture de livres specialising in gangsters' biographies and crime novels. In 2010 he published a new edition of Le Breton's “Les Pégriots” (2010) which tells the true story of ‘Jo la terreur' – one of the latest ‘knights' of the early 20th century Parisian mob. Les Pégriots will be soon adapted by actor and film director Olivier Marchal (‘36', ‘MR73', ‘Braquo'…).
Discussion chaired by Martine Pierquin, Course Organiser and Film Tutor at the University of Edinburgh.

Refreshments will be provided during
the screening courtesy of Innis & Gunn.

Auguste Le Breton season

Le Breton established himself as an emblematic author with a special insight into the world of French criminal underworld. Close to the Parisian mob, he frequented the bars, gambling dens and gangs of Montmartre and gathered real life experiences which he nourished his novels with. Inventor of the word ‘Rififi', he is best known for having introduced argot and slang to literature and for the screen adaptations of many of his novels that instantly became noir classics.

Also in this season:

Bob le flambeur

Vanessa Bismuth — 2013-04-25T14:06:11Z

Part of a season of French film noir to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary crime author and master of 'argot' Auguste Le Breton. Get ready for some Rififi !

Both a tribute to classic American gangster films and the source of inspiration for French New Wave filmmakers, Bob le Flambeur is the first in a series of stylish noirs that Jean-Pierre Melville started in the mid-'50s. The story of ex-bank robber and compulsive gambler Bob, who plans a heist at the Deauville casino. He assembles a team of old friends and new acquaintances to do the job and is determined to perform it despite all the odds that continue to pile up before him.

By Jean-Pierre Melville (1956, 98 mins)
Cast : Isabelle Corey, Daniel Cauchy, Roger Duchesne, Guy Decomble, André Garet
Film script by Jean-Pierre Melville and Auguste Le Breton
Dialogues : Auguste Le Breton

IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
TICKETS: £5
BOX OFFICE: 0131 225 5366

Refreshments will be provided during
the screening courtesy of Innis & Gunn.

Auguste Le Breton season

Also in this season :

Razzia sur la chnouf

Vanessa Bismuth — 2013-04-25T14:06:01Z

Part of a season of French film noir to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary crime author and master of 'argot' Auguste Le Breton. Get ready for some Rififi !

Jean Gabin plays Henri Ferré aka Le Nantais, the curiously sympathetic head of an international narcotics ring, invited from across the Atlantic to oversee the European branch of his operation. Using the fancy restaurant ‘Le Troquet' as a cover, the drug lord keeps his fingers in several crooked pies.

By Henri Decoin (1955, 110 mins)
Cast : Jean Gabin, Magali Noël, Paul Frankeur, Marcel Dalio, Lino Ventura
Film script by Henri Decoin, Auguste Le Breton and Maurice Griffe
Based on Auguste Le Breton's novel
Dialogues : Auguste Le Breton

IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
TICKETS: £5
BOX OFFICE: 0131 225 5366

Refreshments will be provided during
the screening courtesy of Innis & Gunn.

Auguste Le Breton season

Also in this season :

Le Clan des Siciliens

Vanessa Bismuth — 2013-04-25T14:05:52Z

Part of a season of French film noir to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary crime author and master of 'argot' Auguste Le Breton. Get ready for some Rififi !

A Sicilian family, headed by Vittorio Manalese (Jean Gabin), plan to steal a cache of diamonds. Roger Senet (Alain Delon), in prison for murder, is hired for the occasion and sprung with the help of the family. However, once the caper is successfully carried out, Senet finds himself on the wrong side of the clan when they discover that he has been having an affair with Manalese's daughter-in-law.

Le clan des siciliens - générique

By Henri Verneuil (1969, 113 mins)
Cast : Jean Gabin, Alain Delon, Lino Ventura, Irina Demick, Amedeo Nazzari, Sydney Chaplin
Film script based on Auguste Le Breton's novel
Music: Ennio Morricone

IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
TICKETS : £5
BOX OFFICE : 0131 225 5366

Refreshments will be provided during
the screening courtesy of Innis & Gunn.

Auguste Le Breton season

Also in this season :

Rosés et amuse-bouches

Vanessa Bismuth — 2013-04-22T17:14:08Z

Before summer and warmth come, what could be more pleasant than an evening over a refreshing glass of rosé? By introducing the wide range of rosé wines we will show that they are in no case simple wines or an alternative to “neither red, nor white”. Rosé wines are numerous and different, quiet or strong, light or coloured, with their own personality and with their own cepages, terroirs and types of vinification.

For this last event of the season, we'll be offering some amuse-bouches especially chosen to accompany our wines.

In French (advanced level) by Maurice Mallet
120 mins
Members: £20 / Non members: £22
Please book before Wednesday 12 June: 0131 225 5366

You must be over 18 to participate in this event.