La Lettre de l - Alliance Française of Greenwich

La Lettre de l’
Learn French, Live French
JULY - AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2016
(French)
(English)
Chers amis francophones et francophiles,
Dear francophone friends,
Nous sommes heureuses de vous présenter les nouveautés de cet été, à commencer par la célébration du 14 juillet avec le lever du drapeau français et
américain à 8h devant la mairie de Greenwich. Le maire de Greenwich
Monsieur Peter Tesei ainsi que Monsieur Yann Yochum du Consul Général
de France à New York seront présents. Toutes les personnes présentes sont
invitées au petit déjeuner au meeting room de Town Hall.
We are happy to present to you the new events of the season starting with
the Bastille Day (July 14th) raising of the French and American flags in
front of the Greenwich Town Hall. The First Selectman of Greenwich,
Peter Tesei will be with us along with Yann Yochum from the French Consulate in New York. Everyone is invited to a complementary breakfast at
the Town Hall meeting room.
Venez nombreux le 14 juillet à la soirée exceptionnelle inspirée par
l’exposition Paris Electrique au Musée Bruce. Une fête d’art, de musique
française (live) et de délicieux plats français en plein air!
Don’t miss on July 14th an exceptional evening inspired by the exhibit
Electric Paris at the Bruce Museum. The casual outdoor bash features a
brilliant art show, live music, French food and wine, all under the stars!
A ne pas manquer notre pique nique de homard qui aura lieu le 26 juillet à
l’American Yacht Club.
Our lobster picnic will be held on July 26th at the American Yacht Club.
On August 9th the French Cinematheque at the AVON will present the
Le 9 aôut venez voir le beau film « Dheepan » presenté à la French Cinéma- amazing film « Dheepan ». This screening is in partnership with the Indian
Cultural Center (ICC).
thèque de l’Avon. Nous présentons ce film en partenariat avec le Indian
Cultural Center (ICC).
Our opening Cocktail will be held on September 14 at the Round Hill Community Church. We look forward to seeing you all for a friendly and conNotre Cocktail de rentrée aura lieu le 14 septembre à la Round Hill Community Church. Nous vous attendons tous pour une soirée amicale et sym- vivial evening.
pathique.
The Alliance Française continues to develop its education programs and
cultural events such as the summer camp.
L’Alliance Française continue de développer son programme éducatif et
culturel en proposant maintes nouveautés comme la colonie de vacances
The entire team of the Alliance Française of Greenwich joins us in wishing
pour enfants.
you a wonderful summer vacation and thank you for your support.
L’équipe de L’Alliance Française de Greenwich se joint à nous pour vous
souhaiter de bonnes vacances et vous remercier de votre fidélité.
Renée Ketcham & Gail Covney
Sommaire
Pages 2-3:
Page 4:
Page 5:
Pages 6-7:
Page 8:
Bastille Day
Exhibit
Cine-Club
Book Clubs
French Cinemathéque
Page 9:
Page 10:
Page 11-12
Events
Education
Membership
Cocktail de Rentrée
299 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830 Tel: (203) 629-1340 info@afgreenwich.org www.afgreenwich.org
Join the Alliance Française of Greenwich for
The French and American Flag Raising
Thursday July 14 | 8am
Greenwich Town Hall
101 Field Point Road
Come sing La Marseillaise & the Star-Spangled Banner!
In the presence of Greenwich First Selectman, Peter J. Tesei and
Yann Yochum of the French Consulate in New York
Following the ceremony,
A complimentary “petit dejeuner” of
Coffee, Juice, croissants & pain au chocolat
Will be served at the Town Hall meeting room
MANY THANKS TO LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN FOR THEIR
GENEROUS DONATION OF BREAKFAST
2
BASTILLE DAY EVENING CELEBRATION
3
BRUCE MUSEUM | ELECTRIC PARIS TOUR
Friday July 1 | 3 pm
Tour for our members of the exhibit Electric Paris | Bruce Museum
Join us for a tour in French of the exhibit Electric Paris at the Bruce Museum
Led by Bruce Museum Docent, Fereshteh Priou
Paris had been known as the City of Light long before the widespread
use of gaslight and electricity. The name arose during the Enlightenment
when philosophers made Paris a center of ideas and metaphorical
illumination. Electric Paris explores the ways in which artists responded
to older oil and gas lamps and the newer electric lighting that began to
supplant them around the turn of the twentieth century.
The exhibition will feature approximately 50 works- paintings, prints,
photographs and drawings- by artists as Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt,
Pierre Bonnard, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec among many others.
The tour of the exhibit is free for members
OPTIONAL
Join us after the tour for a glass of
Rosé de Provence and a selection of
amuse-bouches on the terrace at L’Escale
$25/person
Bruce Museum: 1 Museum Drive Greenwich, CT 06830
L’Escale: 500 Steamboat Road, Greenwich, CT 06830
4
Ciné-Club
Byram Shubert Library | 7:00pm on a Thursday
Mustang | Thursday July 28
Early summer in a village in Northern Turkey, five free-spirited teenaged sisters splash about on the beach with their male classmates.. A neighbor passes and reports what she considers to be illicit behavior to the girls’ family.
The family overreacts, imprisons the girls subjecting them to endless lessons
in housework in preparation for them to become brides.
Flyboys| Thursday August 18
Flyboys is 2006 British American war film directed by Tony Bill.
Before the United States enters World War I, some American youths volunteer for the French military. Subsequently, they become the first U.S. fighter
pilots and form a squadron known as the Lafayette Escadrille, whose exploits and heroism become the stuff of legend.
The movie will be introduced by Serge Gabriel.
Intimate Strangers ( Confidences trop intimes)
Thursday September 29
When a beautiful woman named Anna (Sandrine Bonnaire) mistakes a psychiatrist's office for that of tax attorney William (Fabrice Luchini), she unwittingly confesses her deepest and darkest secrets to a perfect stranger. Sexually repressed and lonely, William doesn't have the courage to reveal his
true identity to Anna. Maintaining the deception, William begins to enjoy the
fake therapy sessions. Every week, the pair meet, and they forge an odd
and erotic relationship.
Les Nouveautés à la Téléthèque
Marie Heurtin
2014 Jean Pierre Améris.
Marie born blind and deaf is sent
to an order of nuns that manages
a school for deaf girls.
Les Amants de Montparnasse
1958 Jacques Becker.
Biogaphic movie about the last
year in the life of the famous
painter Amedeo Modigliani.
Parlez-Moi de la Pluie
2008 Agnès Jaoui—Set in a
small town in Provence, the
film is a comedy of middleclass French life.
With Isabelle Carré and Ariana
Rivoire.
With Gérard Philipe and Anouk
Aimée.
With Jean Pierre Bacri and
Agnès Jaoui
5
Rêves de Poussière
2006 Laurent Salgues.
An unbelievable movie
about a Nigerian peasant
looking for work in a dusty
gold mine in Burkina Faso.
With Mekana Diop.
Proust Corner
Comtesse Greffuhle
By: Fereshteh Priou
Born Elisabeth de Riquet de Caraman
-Chimay in 1860, Comtesse Greffulhe
was not only the toast of the Belle
Époque Parisian society, but also a
philanthropist, a music enthusiast and
an art devotee. A woman of extreme
beauty and extraordinary style, she
was Proust’s muse and inspiration for
Duchess de Guermantes - one of the
characters in his book, “In Search of
Lost Time”. Proust was first introduced to Comtesse Greffuhle by her
cousin, the dandy poet, Robert de
Montesquiou who was Proust’s friend
and himself the inspiration for another
Proutian character, Baron de Charlus.
Proust’s correspondence with the two
cousins testifies to his obsession for
Comtesse Greffulhe. This fixation also
mirrors the fascination that the narrator of his book has for Duchess de
Guermantes.
In Proust’s book, Duchess de
Guermantes is depicted as the true
blue blood aristocrat married to the
wayward and unfaithful Duc de
Guermantes who rides the wave of
the change in the French class system and the book demonstrates her
rise and fall throughout the 19th century society. Comtesse Greffuhle, just
like Duchesse de Guermantes, had an
unhappy marriage. She met the 29
year old Vicomte Henry Greffulhe in
1887 in Paris. He was of Belgian ancestry and known for his good looks
and his blond beard. A handsome
man of wealth and noble background,
he was one of the most eligible bachelors of his time whom all society
mothers wanted for their daughters.
following. A similar situation is evidenced in Proust’s book where the
narrator is obsessed with Duchesse
de Guermantes and repeatedly asks
his friend and her nephew, Robert de
Saint- Loup for a photo of the
Duchesse.
Elisabeth and Henry married shortly
after they met and to the disappointment of Henry’s mother - who wished
for a boy to carry the name - she soon
gave birth to a daughter Elaine - their
only child. Unfortunately Henry’s passion for hunting and women made the
married life challenging for the beautiful young woman. Trapped in this
loveless marriage, she felt secluded
and lonely and therefore followed other routes to distract herself from her
loneliness and isolation. The society
code of the 19th century dictated
women to be weak and dependent,
while men were expected to be active
and powerful. Elizabeth was not timid
and in view of her dismal marriage,
she became even more independent
and focused her sights on her personal interests.
Apart from her physical splendor, her
wealthy husband, and her love of arts,
another reason for Comtesse Greffuhle’s popularity in the aristocratic
circles was her sense of style. She
was famous for her sumptuous wardrobe, furs, shoes and hats as well as
her meticulous and close attention to
her garments. Her designer robes
done by the great fashion houses of
the time such as Fortuny, Worth,
Babani and Lanvin were mere works
of art. Comtesse Greffuhle did not
simply follow the creations of these
designers, she dictated her own ideas. Her taste, her graceful body and
narrow waist, and her manner of holding herself elegantly attracted many
painters. Among many renderings and
portraits of her, there are a series of
drawings in simple lines by Paul
César Helleu that show her in various
intimate poses. Helleu’s famous portrait depicted on this page is the most
beautiful representation ever created
of her.
By pursuing the causes she cherished, Comtesse Greffuhle became
the queen of Paris high society and
one of the most talked about women
of her time. Her beauty, grace, demeanor and her interest in arts specifically in music, contributed to her success. She was a talented pianist and
met Franz Liszt among other famous
musicians and composers. In her salon, one could meet and enjoy the music of extraordinary talents such as
Debussy, Fauré, Stravinsky and
Ravel. Along with her aristocrat and
society guests, she invited the Ballets
Russes founder, Serge Diaghilev and
dancer Isadora Duncan and many
other artists. Proust himself was a habitué and at times annoyed the
Comtesse with his stubborn insistence
to receive one of her photographs. In
that period of time, photography was a
new medium and it was customary to
gift one’s photos. Comtesse Greffuhle
was photographed by the famous
photographers Nadar and Laszlo. She
gave these photos on occasion to
close friends in order to cultivate her
6
In one of his letters to Robert de Montesquiou, Proust mentions meeting
the Comtesse at her salon and raves
about her beauty and grace. He
writes; “She is difficult to judge, because to judge you need to compare,
but no elements of her persona can
be found in anyone else. The entire
mystery of her beauty is in the glow,
above all in the enigma of her eyes. I
have never seen a woman as beautiful as she.”
In 2015, Palais Galliera, a fashion museum in Paris, had an exhibition with
a focus on Comtesse Greffuhle, her
photos, paintings and wardrobe. The
show
was
called
“La
Mode
Retrouvée”, which is a play on the
word used in the title of the last volume of Proust’s book, “Le Temps
Retrouvé” implying the everlasting
connection between these two ex-
Proust Group
Byram Shubert Library | 5-7pm
Thursday, July 7, August 11 & September 15 - Captive & Fugitive
The Proust Group is an informal book group engaged in a close reading of Proust’s book,
“In Search of Lost Time” (À la recherche du temps perdu). The group started reading the
5th Volume, “Captive & Fugitive” in March 2016. The discussions are in English.
In Proust group, you don’t choose the book, the book chooses you…
To join, contact Fereshteh Priou at: Fereshp@yahoo.com (203-918-1238)
International Book Club
Byram Shubert Library | 5-6pm | rsvp: info@afgreenwich.org - 203.629.1340
Tu e s d a y, J ul y 1 9
A M o ve a bl e Fe a st b y E r n es t Hem i n gw a y
A Moveable Feast is a softer novel-cum-memoir, a story of a young artist--impoverished and living
in Paris. The book is also tribute to the numerous characters he meets. Hemingway projects himself
to us as a young man. He examines his younger self--his foibles--but we also get a sense of nostalgia for the struggle and hardship that characterized his introduction into a writer's life in literature.
The book is often hilariously funny, as well as incredibly touching. The novel is a tour of many of the
great figures in modern literary history, and a remarkable evocation of their bohemian lifestyle.
Tuesday, August 16
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
All the Light We Cannot See won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2015 Andrew Carnegie
Medal for Excellence in Fiction.
In 1934, Marie-Laure LeBlanc is the daughter of a widowed master locksmith at the Museum of Natural History in Paris whom she often accompanies to work. Marie suffered from rapidly deteriorating
eyesight before becoming fully blind at the age of 6. Her father promises that he will always be there
for her and creates a wooden scale-model of their neighborhood in Paris for her to memorize by
touch so that she is able to navigate by herself. He also keeps her mind sharp by hiding birthday
gifts in intricate puzzle boxes that he carves. Marie learns to read braille and her father gives her
new novels in Braille to read.
Tuesday, September 20
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist tells the story of an Andalusian shepherd named Santiago who travels from his
homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. This enchanting novel tells us of Santiago’s journey who has a dream and the courage to follow it. After
listening to the signs, the boy ventures in his personal journey of exploration and self-discovery,
symbolically searching for his hidden treasure. As he decides to go, his father’s only advice is
“travel the word until you see that our castle is the greatest and our women the most beautiful”.
Club de Lecture
Byram Shubert Library | 13h30
Wednesday September 7
Première réunion de l’année 2016-2017
Réunion amicale des membres du Club de Lecture. Distribution
des livres et les dates des futures discussions.
7
French Cinémathèque
Presented by Focus on French Cinema & the Avon Theatre in Stamford
Please note this event is now changed to Tuesdays
Pre-screening wine and cheese at 7pm
Prior to every projection
Tuesday August 9 | 7:30pm - Avon Theatre
Dheepan
Screening is in partnership with the Indian Cultural Center (ICC)
Winner of the Palme d’Or Award at the 2015 Cannes Festival, the new film from acclaimed director Jacques Audiard is
a gripping human tale of survival. On the losing side of the
civil war in Sri Lanka, a Tamil solder poses as the husband
and father of two other refugees in order to escape their ravaged homeland. Arriving in France, the makeshift family sets
about establishing a new life, only to find themselves ones
again embroiled in violence on the mean streets of Paris. A
heartbreaking saga of three strangers united by circumstance
and struggle. Dheepan is a powerful depiction of the immigrant experience.
Tuesday September 13 | 7:30pm - Avon Theatre
MICROBE AND GASOLINE (Microbe et Gasoil)
Microbe, a shy, aspiring artist, has trouble making friends at
school until he meets Gasoline, a likeminded outcast. Together
they hatch a plan to build a car and spend their summer on an
epic road trip across France. This charming adventure from
Michel Gondry has been called his “most satisfying movie” reminding us how friendships can help us reach our true potential.
This movie was screened at our French Movie Festival
Focus on French Cinema 2016.
At the Avon Theatre - 272 Bedford Street - Stamford, CT 06901
Carte Blanche: FREE | Avon & AFG Members: $7| Nonmembers: $12
8
EVENTS
LOBSTER DINNER
American Yacht Club | 499 Stuyvesant Ave, Rye, NY
Tuesday July 26 | 6pm
Please join Renée Ketcham as guests
at the American Yacht Club Picnic Point
for a casual steamed lobster dinner
dessert and wine.
$60/ guest
RSVP limited to 20 guests
203-629-1340
Prepayment required to Alliance Française of Greenwich
COCKTAIL DE RENTRÉE
Wednesday September 14 | 6 -8pm
Join friends and the Alliance Française
members for the annual Cocktail de Rentrée
an evening of French wine and
“amuse-bouches”
Renée and Gail will announce many of the
fabulous programs for the coming year
Free for members
$5 Non-members
Fee will be applied to new
memberships if
joined that evening
Members are welcome to bring a friend
who might be interested in joining the AFG
Round Hill Community Center
395 Round Hill Rd, Greenwich, CT
RSVP info@afgreenwich.org | 203-629-1340
9
Education
One Week Sessions
June 27-August 19
LITERATURE WORKSHOP
Saturday September 17
1pm - 3pm
AFG Classroom
299 Greenwich Ave
$64/2hours
RSVP info@afgreenwich.org
Aimez-vous lire? Plus encore, aimez-vous parler de vos impressions de lecture, analyzer
les personnages, l’histoire et le style de l’auteur? Venez joindre notre groupe pour ce
second workshop. Cette fois-ci nous lirons le roman d’Antoine Laurain
Le Chapeau de Mitterand
Les personnes se joigniant à nous recevront un document pour les accompagner dans la lecture
10
Board of Directors
2016 - 2017
President
Co-President
Treasurer
Renée Ketcham
Gail Covney
Fereshteh Priou
Bordeaux
Between Stones & Vineyards
Board & Committees
Honorary Board Member
Board member
Ciné-Club
Ciné-Critique
Conferences
Jean-Louis Gerin
Karen Bacon
Gail Covney
Mimi Wind
Catherine Ladnier
Harry McLachlin
Francis Polizio
Renée Ketcham
School Relations
Bourses et Prix
Education outreach
Francophonie
International Book Club
Table Francaise
Proust Group
Cultural Liaison
Office
Gail Covney
Gail Covney
Anne Kern
Lucie Chabrol
Renée Ketcham
Sylviane Leibowitz
Fereshteh Priou
Miguel García-Colón
Farah Walczuk &
Antoine Bancharel
Les activités habituelles de l’Alliance
Conférences
Round Hill Community Church Parlor
Tuesdays |1.30pm
397 Round Hill Road
Les Causeries
Le deuxième lundi du mois à 13h30 à moins d’un avis
contraire @ Cos Cob Library
Marie Agnès Peters, Tél: (203) 355-1787
Gérard Laurent, Tél: (203) 661-9420
Reed Lecture Conversation
Troisième mardi à 13h30
@ Byram Shubert Library
Francis Polizio, Tél: (914) 939-1092
VeronicTravel is organizing a unique trip to Bordeaux
that will benefit the educational program of the
Alliance Française of Greenwich
Experience Bordeaux’s wine as only a native can and gain entrée
to fields of vineyards, then dine in private château chambers.
Also take an insider’s peek into the local culture and archeology.
Included is a visit to Arcachon with its Atlantic Coast seaside
that will refresh your senses and invigorate your soul.
For more information visit www.veronictravel.com
PAST EVENTS
Distribution of awards at Bourses et Prix
Café franco-américain
Tous les deux vendredis à 9h30.
Discussion chez un particulier. Une heure en anglais
et une heure en français.
Susan Benthall, Tél: (203) 322-9219
Club de lecture
Discussion dirigée de 5 livres dans l’année.
Viviane Ponslet, Tél: (914) 630-0654
Robert Henrey, Tél: (203) 661-8378
Ciné-Club
Le dernier jeudi du mois à 19h @ Byram Shubert Lib.
Ciné-Critique
Le jeudi à 13h00 @ Cos Cob Library
Pour les amoureux du cinéma français.
Projection vidéo suivie d’une discussion.
Mimi Wind, Tél: (203) 355-9499
Proust Group
17h00 See page 7 for dates & location
Fereshteh Priou, Tel: (203) 918-1238
La Table Française
Le premier jeudi du mois
Sylviane Liebowitz, Tel: (914) 536-8643
11
Volunteers needed for Focus on French Cinema 2017
If you enjoyed FFC 2016, the festival team is looking for volunteers for the 13th annual Focus on
French Cinema festival the week of March 27- April 2.
If you are interested in working with a great team on everything from communication, event
planning, sponsorship, education and outreach, please e-mail Renée Ketcham at
amory777@aol.com.
The Alliance Française of Greenwich
Centennial in 2018.
The AFG is having a very important " anniversaries" in 2018 and we are looking for volunteers to help us plan a great celebration.
We need volunteers to assist in research, event planning and outreach. AFG
Board member, Karen Kelleher Bacon has offered her long career in film making to create a short film honoring the centennial that will tentatively focus on
why is France so important in the American experiment and how in Greenwich
we have kept the spirit of French culture alive.
There will be a lot of opportunities to help us research the AFG's 100 years
in Greenwich.
Please call Farah at 203-629-1340 or
Email: info@afgreenwich.org
if you are interested in planning what we anticipate to be a great event in 2018.
Membership
Le Centre de l’Alliance Française: our center, located in the Arts Center, 299 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich,
CT is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
French Classes: classes are held at the AFG Center, Monday through Saturday. Call Farah Walczuk
(203) 629-2301.
Become a member and enjoy a co-membership with FIAF/New York as well as take advantage of all our
fabulous cultural events throughout the year.
For more information on our membership and level of membership, please visit our
Website: www.afgreenwich.org or call 203-629-1340
The Alliance Française of Greenwich is a member supported, non-profit organization.
12