French Series: Women's Impact on Political Life and Development

Embassy of France - La Maison Française
March 8 | 3:45 p.m.

Hear two panels of brilliant women and celebrate International Women's Day with us at the Maison Française. We are pleased to invite you to our next French Series event on March 8 to discuss women’s impact on political life and economic development. Registration is free but required to attend.

Online Registration is required for this free admission event.

Register here

READ MORE

Environmental Film Festival

March 17 & 21
Embassy of France - La Maison Française

The Environmental Film Festival (DCEFF) is the largest and longest-running festival of its kind in the United States and is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2017. DCEFF seeks to advance public understanding of the environment and inspire stewardship of the earth through the power of film.

Visit DCEFF.org to view the full Festival lineup! Festival dates: March 14-26, 2017

Galapagos III
by Christian Zuber
1974 – France – Part 1: 35 min; Part 2: 33 min
March 17 | 7:00 p.m

In 1959, Paris Match and Life Magazine made headline of Christian Zuber, a 28 year old French cinematographer, who left for the Galapagos with only a 16 mm Pathe film camera and a Rolleiflex still camera - the same Islands where Darwin foresaw his theory of evolution a hundred years earlier. From his one-year journey in the Pacific, Christian Zuber brought back with him a film of a lost paradise and photos of rare and endangered species.

In 1972, twelve years later, Zuber returned to the Galapagos Island to assess the first results of his work as an early environment and media activist.

Galapagos Islands III is the unseen movie being presented for the first time this year at the Environmental Festival in the Nation Capital.

Antarctica: In the Steps of the Emperor
by Jérôme Bouvier
2016 - France - 90 min
March 21 | 7:00 p.m

Joining the "Wild-Touch Antarctica" expedition, initiated by Oscar-winning director Luc Jacquet and his NGO Wild-Touch, photographers Vincent Munier and Laurent Ballesta head for the Dumont d'Urville base in Antarctica to unveil the treasures of the immense natural reserve. Blending land and underwater points of view, they turn their artistic perspectives to a rapidly changing continent and its inhabitants in the face of climate change. Forming unique images, the ice pack's gentleness clashes with dense seabeds covered in ice.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Jérôme Bouvier and extreme photographer and extreme diver Laurent Ballesta.

All films are in French with English subtitles.

Online registration is required for these free admission screenings.

READ MORE

French Film Festival Richmond

March 30 - April 2, 2017
Byrd Theatre - Richmond, VA

For 25 years, the French Film Festival has earned acclaim, in the U.S. and in France, for introducing more than 430 French and francophone films to American audiences. Each year, the Annual French Film Festival will continue its tradition of showcasing a diverse sampling of France’s newest feature films by established, award-winning directors complemented by a screening of short films, by France’s next generation of groundbreaking filmmakers.

All films are presented by their directors and/or starring actors. A question-and-answer session with directors and actors follows each film. All movies have English subtitles, and discussions are in English or in French with an interpreter. Films are screened at the historic Byrd Theatre in Carytown, in Richmond, Va.

Full schedule here

READ MORE

The French Cinémathèque at the Avalon Theatre Presents: Max and Leon

March 15 | 8:00 p.m
Avalon Theater

The monthly French Cinémathèque series at the Avalon Theatre, in partnership with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, presents the screening of the film Max and Leon by Jonathan Barré and written by PALMASHOW's Grégoire Ludig and David Marsais.

In this epic WW2 comedy—in the vein of LA GRANDE VADROUILLE (which was for 40 years the most popular French film in the history of France)—our two heroes, Max and Léon, will try by all means possible to avoid going into battle… which leads the duo into a series of demented and wild adventures. This over-the-top but good-natured parody is filled with truculent puns, unusual details and a strong desire to laugh at everything and never apologize for it.

In French with English subtitles.

For more information and ticket reservations, please click here.

READ MORE

Struggle for Life

March 8 | 8:00 p.m
Avalon Theater

Struggle for Life / La Loi de la Jungle
by Antonin Peretjatko
2016 - France - 99 min

Marc Châtaigne, intern at the Department of Standards, is sent to French Guiana to implement European standards in the GuianaSnow construction site: the first indoor ski slope in the Amazon aimed at boosting tourism in French Guiana.
His misadventures lead to the appointment of a teammate. Of course, she's no pin-up. Worse: she's no pushover.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Antonin Peretjatko.

For more information and tickets please click here

READ MORE

Northern Virginia Community Center Jewish Film Festival

Angelika Film Center & Cafe at Mosaic
March 24 | 1:15 p.m
March 27 | 7:30 p.m

The Law/La Loi
by Christian Faure
2015, France, 90 min

This taut courtroom drama recounts the true story of Simone Veil, France’s tenacious health minister under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing who led a groundbreaking campaign to legalize abortion in the fall of 1974. In the face of fierce resistance from the opposition party, the Catholic Church, and scathing personal and anti-Semetic attacks, Veil continued to intensify her efforts to upend society’s dangerous misconceptions about abortion and a woman’s right to choose.

This event is part of the Northern Virginia Jewish Film Festival (NVJFF).

In French with English subtitles

Get your ticket here.

READ MORE

Little Gems

Embassy of France - La Maison Française
March 7 | 7:00 p.m

Come support a great cause through giving to "For a Child's Smile" while enjoying an enlightening documentary about this NGO's work.

The French Embassy proudly presents the 2016 film Little Gems by Xavier de Lauzanne. This special screening is a fundraiser for PSE - For a Child's Smile and is part of our Month of Francophonie.

French NGO « Pour un Sourire d’Enfant » (For a Child’s Smile), or PSE, was born in the spring of 1996. The project started with around twenty children, to whom a daily meal was given directly on the Cambodian landfill they lived on; they lived in a rented house that quickly became too crowded. Soon, it is hundreds, even thousands of small children saved.

After the screening, you will have the opportunity to interact with PSE's local representatives while sharing a drink and savoring Cambodgian finger food.

In French and Khmer with English subtitles

Online registration is required for this free admission screening.

READ MORE

My Life as a Zucchini

March 9 | 7:45 p.m.
Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema
In partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland

Enjoy this touching movie about a 9-year-old boy and his unique but surprisingly universal story. A light reception with Swiss food and drink promises some captivating discussions after the screening.
This event is organized by the Embassy of Switzerland in partnership with the Cultural Services of the Embassy of France.

My Life as a Zucchini / Ma vie de Courgette
by Claude Barras
2016 - Switzerland/France - 70 mn

Zucchini is a rather unusual nickname for a 9-year-old boy and his unique story is surprisingly universal. After his mother’s sudden death, Zucchini is befriended by a kind police officer Raymond, who accompanies Zucchini to his new foster home filled with other orphans his age. At first Zucchini struggles to find his place in this strange, at times, hostile environment. Yet with Raymond’s help and his new found friends, he eventually learns to trust, finds true love and at last a new family of his own.

In French with English subtitles.

Book your tickets here.

READ MORE

The Promise

Embassy of France - La Maison Française
March 10 | 7:00 p.m
In partnership with the Embassy of Serbia

The Promise
by Zeljko Mirkovic
2016 – Serbia – 74 min

The Promise is a character driven feature documentary. In a sort of “cinema verité” style follows an extraordinary experience of a French family who moved in a remote village of Rogljevo in Serbia to make wine. Protagonists of this film, Europeans from two opposite sides of the continent, have come together in a sleepy village to try starting something new together.The French promised to revive the ancient wine glory of a forgotten region, but clash of cultures and mentalities puts that goal in question.

The movie won 2 top awards - Best Documentary Award at Eugene Intentional Film Festival, Oregon, USA, and Mediterranean Film Festival in Italy.

The screening will be followed by Q and A with director Zeljko Mirkovic and producer Dusan Gajic and a wine tasting reception.

This event is part of the D.C. Francophonie Cultural Festival.

In French and Serbian with English subtitles.

Online registration is required for this free admission screening.

READ MORE

Grande Fête de la Francophonie

Embassy of France - La Maison Française
March 31 | 7:00 p.m
In partnership with Smithsonian Associates

Get ready for a spectacular party with a French accent. The annual Francophonie Cultural Festival spotlights the music, art, literature, film, cuisine, and customs of French-speaking countries and regions from across the globe. Its closing celebration, La Grande Fete is always magnifique, and this year’s bash is no exception.

Beginning at 7 p.m., launch into a world tour of francophone cultures. Sample food and drink from more than 30 embassies as you explore each nation’s unique attractions and traditions. There are plenty of giveaways to take home as souvenirs. Share your experiences throughout the night on Instagram using #at8enfrancais.

Later, DJ Princess Slaya spins music from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and plenty of destinations in between. Don’t miss this chance to experience the best of the French-speaking world—all without leaving home.

Get your tickets here - don't wait, this event will sold out fast!

READ MORE