The “Francophonie” refers to people who share a common language: French, a language spoken by over 300 million people on 5 continents.
The 90 members of the Organisation Internationale de la francophonie (OIF) celebrate the French language they share and the cultural, linguistic diversity they represent, the values they have in common – promoting peace, democracy and human rights – as well as support education, training and gender equality.
The 2026 celebration of Francophonie will take place during the whole month of March at the Institut français d’Écosse with an eclectic and exciting programme of francophone cinema, talks, music, students drama performances and more. Come to celebrate with us and our partners!
PROGRAMME
Fri 27 February at 7pm
Concert with the Jen Ewan Band
Fresh from supporting the legendary Bill Bailey on tour, the Jennifer Ewan Band delivers original songs alongside swamp blues and Cajun dance music inspired by Louisiana.
£12/ £10 for members
Tue 3 March at 5pm
Writing the French Caribbean: an Introduction
Pr Lorna Milne (University of St Andrews) will explore how the small French territorial collectivities of Martinique and Guadeloupe have produced an extraordinary number of influential and prolific writers.
Free event
Wed 4 March at 2pm
Angry Annie / Annie Colère
Annie becomes pregnant in the 1970s and does not want to keep the child, so she meets with a movement that performs illegal abortions. She encounters allies and opponents along the way.
£5/ Free for members
Wed 4 March at 6pm
The Last French Canadian + Q&A with director Pascal Justin Boyer and co-creator Isabelle Corriveau
Today in Canada, can a Francophone still call themselves “French Canadian”? Actor and host Pascal Justin Boyer sets out across the country to find an answer.
Free event
Fri 6 March at 6.30pm
SPIRITUEUSES – Women and Whisky
This theatrical performance by the Collectif de l’Âtre celebrates the often-overlooked role of women in the history of spirit production (in distilleries, plantations, and factories).
£12/ £10 for members
Wed 11 March at 2pm and 6pm
La Vie est belle
La Vie est belle is a 1987 musical comedy directed by Mwezé Ngangura and Benoît Lamy. The film revolves around the vibrant music scene of Kinshasa and celebrates Congolese culture.
£5/ Free for members
12, 13, 14 March at 6.30pm and 14 March at 2pm
“Marion du Faouët, La Catin aux cheveux rouges” performed by Les Escogriffes
The Edinburgh University’s French Theatre Society, Les Escogriffes, return to the Institut français d’Ecosse to perform Colette Cosnier’s famous feminist piece.
£8/ £6 for French Institute members, students, people under 18, registered job seekers and disabled people (free for the accompanying person). A proof of entitlement will be required.
Tuesday 17 March at 5pm
Voices of Algeria: Translating Diglossia in “A Handful of Sand”
This talk will explore the challenges of translating diglossia on screen, focusing on the subtitling work of Dr Khadidja Merakchi.
Free event
Wednesday 18 March at 2pm and 6pm
The Divine Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt is at the height of her fame. An icon of her time and the world’s first star, the actress is also a passionate, free-spirited and modern woman who defies conventions.
£5/ Free for members
Friday 20 March at 6pm
Monsieur Lazhar
An Algerian professor is hired at a Montreal public school. He takes the place of a professor who recently committed suicide in her own classroom and helps his students overcome their grief.
£8/ £5 for members
Saturday 21 March at 1.30pm
Children Show: Paws Up !
Billy, a gangster’s kind-hearted son, must prove he’s tough with an unloaded gun, while a sneaky fox complicates his test in this poetic, humorous, bilingual (French-English) show.
£10 | £8 Concession | Family price £24 (4x£6)
Tuesday 24 March at 6pm
Cinetopia Salons – Finis Terrae + Live performance of a newly composed original score
Jean Epstein’s drama Finis Terrae (1929) will be presented with newly composed original score performed live by Scottish musician Dan
Abrahams and French drummer Phillipe Boudot.
£12/ £10 for members
Wednesday 25 March at 2pm and 6pm
Skies of Lebanon / Sous le ciel d’Alice
In the 1950s, a young Swiss woman finds love in Beirut with an eccentric astrophysicist, until civil war shatters their idyllic life.
£5/ Free for members
Thursday 26 March at 4pm
Meet the author Michaël Ferrier
French-Mauritian writer Michaël Ferrier will discuss his work, focusing on Mémoires d’outre-mer (2015), a novel inspired by his own family history.
£7/ Free for members
Tuesday 31 March at 12.30pm
Reading group “Jacaranda” by Gaël Faye
Jacaranda is a novel by French-Rwandan author Gaël Faye, which focuses on the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide through a multi-generational story of memory, silence, and healing.
£7/ Free for members
Venue: Institut français d’Écosse, W Parliament Square, Edinburgh EH1 1RN
Contact
- Julia Bregeron, Communications Coordinator
julia.bregeron@institut-francais.org.uk / 013 1285 6029