Events

The FIAF Gallery is proud to present from March 24-April 23 the US debut of a new exhibit of photos of France's legendary bad boy, Serge Gainsbourg.

Initials L.G. features portraits as well as rare and unusual images of the icon from noted photographers who documented his celebrity.

Chelsea’s Agora Gallery will feature a French artist, Did Dontzoff, in Degrees of Abstraction. The exhibition is scheduled to run from March 25, 2011 through April 15, 2011 (opening reception: Thursday, March 31, 2011).

About the Artist
Fun, unexpected, original – there are many words that could be used to describe Did Dontzoff’s paintings because this artist's unique style refuses to fit into ordinary categories. However you characterize them, it is certain that Dontzoff has created a singular body of work with a veritable brand appeal to it. The Russian native crafts wild images of otherworldly figures that appear to zigzag and fold into their surroundings, themselves, and each other. The beings alternate between proud, statuesque poses and others that deflate into a thrilling jumble of lines. They often seem to split apart or reach toward one another so that you cannot tell where one figure ends and another begins. Dontzoff employs a robust, graphic style with areas of flat, vivid col

From April 4th to April 17th, Claire Catoire, the French designer of "Claire Veut la Lune" will exhibit her creations at the Fashion Institute of Technology. For this project, Claire Catoire has worked in association with Pascal Auvé, a French photographer.

This exhibit is an illustration of our world-famous lace heritage, typical of Northern France.

Through photographs, cocktail and wedding dresses, Claire and Pascal propose a dream-like anthem to lace.

This event - organized by 2 teachers and the students of Lycée Saint Jude located in Northern France - is the first of a series of events aiming at presenting and promoting Northern France through its most attractive aspects.

April will be the month of Northern France in New York!

dossier presse Lace exhibit.doc

Isabelle Refouni

The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), New York's premiere French cultural center, celebrates the spring with a new CinémaTuesdays series exploring Paris, the City of Light.

How does one capture the essence of a city, recreate its soul, the beatings of its heart, and describe its mutations while celebrating what makes it timeless and unique among all of the other cities of the world? These questions continue to guide us through the evolving history of thousands of films that feature Paris as either subject or backdrop. By summoning the first films of young filmmakers alongside works by recognized directors and blending the genres of fiction, documentary and animation, FIAF shares with you the eternal city of light.

The Paris au présent series is co-curated by Marie Losier, Laurence Herzberg of The Forum Des Images and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

EXPRESSIONS DENTELLE: exposition au Fashion Institute of Technology du 1er au 17 avril 2011

From April 4th to April 17th, Claire Catoire, the French designer of "Claire Veut la Lune" will exhibit her creations at the Fashion Institute of Technology. For this project, Claire Catoire has work…Organized by Lycée Saint Jude, Armentières- Northern 

Isaach De Bankolé, An Unexpected Gentleman

Frequent star of films by Claire Denis, Jim Jarmusch, and Lars Von Trier, the French actor Isaach De Bankolé has become the preeminent leading man in a contemporary wave of cinema tackling the effects of Western colonialism on Africa.

Originally born on the Ivory Coast before moving to Paris, where he was discovered on the street., Isaach De Bankolé has changed the face of French cinema as a pioneering leading man of color in French Cinema.

A César award winner, De Bankolé is well know to European audiences for his powerful, subtly intense, and compelling performances. Whether an assassin, Cameroonian houseboy to French colonialists, or asylum seeker, De Bankolé’s presents his characters will dignity, power, and refinement. No matter how complicated the moral code or choices a role tackles, De Bankolé’s imbues each performance with the grace and strength of a gentleman.

Surveying this extraordinary actor’s career, MAD is proud to team with the Fre

Kumari Issur: Littérature mauricienne et (alter) mondialisations

Wednesday, April 13, 5:30 p.m.
Lecture in French.

Enseignante-chercheure au département de français de l'Université de Maurice depuis 1994, Kumari Issur a soutenu une thèse sur les littératures francophones des îles créoles de l'Océan Indien et de la Caraïbe à l'Université de Paris-13. Auteure de plusieurs articles sur ces littératures, elle a également co-édité L'Océan Indien dans les littératures francophones (Karthala, 2001) et Baudin-Flinders dans l'Océan Indien (L'Harmattan, 2006) et coordonné le nº 48 de la revue Francofonia sur « La littérature mauricienne de langue française » (septembre 2005). Ses recherches actuelles portent d'une part sur la mondialisation dans les littératures francophones et d'autre part sur les contes, mythes et traditions populaires de l'Océan Indien. Elle bénéficie cette année d'une bourse Fulbright pour séjourner à l'University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Adam Gopnik, Charles Kolb, Rosemary Feal, Antonin Baudry and Souleymane Bachir Diagne in a Roundtable Discussion

Does French still matter? If so, why? This roundtable discussion is a response to recent concerns about the status of the study of French and other foreign languages and cultures in U.S. higher and secondary education at a time of increasing globalization. Fiveleading voices in different fields bring a variety of perspectives to bear in a lively discussion about why French matters today.

Adam Gopnik, writer and essayist for The New Yorker magazine

Charles Kolb, president of the Committee for Economic Development

Rosemary Feal, Executive Director of the Modern Language Association and Professor of Spanish in the Department of Romance Languages, University of Buffalo
Antonin Baudry, Cultural Counselor at the French Embassy to the United States
Souleymane Bachir Diagne, professor of French and Philosophy at Columbia University.

This event is fully sponsored by the Florence Gould Fo

Acclaimed journalist, author and teacher Patricia Wells will talk with popular cookbook author and television personality Ina Garten about her new cookbook Salad as a Meal. Wells will discuss how our heightened concern about nutrition and our great wealth of choice in what we eat allow us to turn a salad into an entire meal. Wells and Garten will also share sourcing ideas, cooking tips and some of their favorite places to eat in Paris and New York. The conversation will be followed by a cooking demonstration and book signing by Patricia Wells.

Burning Bridges Comedy @ McSwiggans: Wednesday April 13th ed.

The curmudgeon Brooklyn odd couple of Ray Field and Todd Montesi have decided to come together and produce a weekly bibulous filled good time and mirth at their hangout, The New York Classic known as McSwiggans. Featuring top comics, great laughs, cheap drink specials ( for ex. $3 beers, ALL 16 DRAFTS), and a laid-back atmosphere, how can you go wrong with that on a Wednesday night? C'mon, who's tying you down? Forget all of your commitments, burn all your bridges and join us! JOIN US! You won't regret it. (Well, unless you really did burn up all your bridges. It's only a figure of speech dude.)

This week's guests (Wednesday April 13th):

Troy Alan

Alex Fossella

Don Jamieson

Dan Goodman

Meghan Hanley

Pat O'Shea

Randy Epley

Hosted by Newlywed Ray Field and his former neighbor Todd Montesi

Burning Bridges @ McSwiggans

 Presented by Ray Field & Todd Montesi

 Wednesdays 8PM showtime @

McSwiggans: 393 2nd ave (corner of 23rd st.)

No Cover,