Ciné Midi en Janvier

"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 !

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

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 ! ---

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

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.