French Edinburgh

Overcoming the gender bias in French!

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:00:56 PDT

It's got to be said, one of the most difficult task for any student of French is to try and guess the gender of a noun... which seems to be without rhyme or reason!!

In French, a chair (chaise) is female, but an armchair (fauteuil) is male - which is fair enough, if you consider the virile attributes of the said "fauteuil"...
But what about this: a shirt (chemise) is female, while a blouse (chemisier) is male!

A tie (cravate) - surely this has got to be male! -- Nope! la cravate it is!

I could go on forever with the strange list of oddities, which also goes as far as including countries, believe it or not: you may or may not be pleased to know that Ecosse is female (as is France incidentally), whereas Denmark, Mexico or Wales are decidedly male!

Having said that, statistically, the odds are in your favour: you only have a 50% chance of getting it wrong... (or if you care more for the glass half empty routine, 50% of getting it right!)

Besides, the French just love the little gender mistakes - why ever else is Jane Birkin so popular in the Hexagone? You would think that after over 40 years of living in France, she would have got the gender of table right by now! But no, she seems to have cultivated the gender bias to perfection!!

In any case, should you be interested in discovering simple rules, easy to memorise, about French gender, you need to look no further than this web page: it will increase your chances of getting it right tenfold!

Enjoy!!

La France à Edimbourg: Octobre 2007

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:59:40 PDT

VENDREDI 12 OCTOBRE 2007

CINE ------ 9:20pm >>>>> Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10

SAMEDI 13 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–1:00pm >>>>> EcoUrbanisme >>>>> GRATOS
>>>>> Trois photographes se penchent sur la question de l’« EcoUrbanisme » et nous donnent leur point de vue sur l’influence de la nature dans l’espace urbain : Philip Martin (France), Simon Crofts (Scotland) et Sylwia Kowalczyk (Poland). Avec l'aimable soutien de la Scottish Polish Cultural Association . >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse
CINE ------ 1:05pm >>>>> Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10
SPORT ------ 7:00 PM >>>>> Rugby: Demi-Finale France-Angleterre >>>>> GRATOS: FRENCH MEETUP!
>>>>> "Etant donnee notre performance contre la Nouvelle-Zelande samedi dernier, je me dis que ce sera pas mal d'aller voir ensemble le match France-Angleterre (quelle que soit l'equipe que vous souteniez!!):..."
CINE ------ 9:20pm >>>>> Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10

DIMANCHE 14 OCTOBRE 2007

CINE ------ 1:05pm >>>>> Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10
CINE ------ 9:20pm >>>>> Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10

LUNDI 15 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–6:30pm >>>>> EcoUrbanisme >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> GRATOS
CINE ------ 1:05pm >>>>> Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10
CINE ------ 3:30pm >>>>> A Few Days in September >>>>> Filmhouse >>>>> Prix du Billet - £2.00-£6.00
CINE ------ 8:40pm >>>>> A Few Days in September >>>>> Filmhouse >>>>> Prix du Billet - £2.00-£6.00
CINE ------ 9:20pm >>>>> Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10

MARDI 16 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–6:30pm >>>>> EcoUrbanisme >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> GRATOS
CINE ------ 1:05pm >>>>> Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10
CINE ------ 3:30pm >>>>> A Few Days in September >>>>> Filmhouse >>>>> Prix du Billet - £2.00-£6.00
CINE ------ 8:30pm >>>>> Days of Glory (Indigenes) >>>>> Odeon Fort Kinnaird >>>>> £4.50-£7.00
CINE ------ 8:40pm >>>>> A Few Days in September >>>>> Filmhouse >>>>> Prix du Billet - £2.00-£6.00
CINE ------ 9:20pm >>>>> Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10

MERCREDI 17 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–6:30pm >>>>> EcoUrbanisme >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> GRATOS
CINE ------ 1:05pm >>>>> Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10
DISCU ------ 5:30pm–7:00pm >>>>> Café ciné >>>>> £6/£4 tarif réduit (verre de vin compris)
>>>>> L'histoire au cinéma entre document et fiction. Découvrez des aspects du cinéma français avec Rolland Man, critique de cinéma. En français, et avec un verre de vin. >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse
RENCONTRE ------ 8:00 PM >>>>> Exchange Wednesday - French/English spoken >>>>> GRATOS – FRENCH MEETUP!
>>>>> "A new type of activity to allow our French native speakers to practise their English in a friendly environment! And also a good opportunity for those of you guys who may not be so confident..."
CINE ------ 8:40pm >>>>> A Few Days in September >>>>> Filmhouse >>>>> Prix du Billet - £2.00-£6.00
CINE ------ 9:20pm >>>>> Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10

JEUDI 18 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–6:30pm >>>>> EcoUrbanisme >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> GRATOS
CINE ------ 1:05pm >>>>> Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10
CINE ------ 3:30pm >>>>> A Few Days in September >>>>> Filmhouse >>>>> Prix du Billet - £2.00-£6.00
CINE ------ 6:00pm >>>>> A Few Days in September >>>>> Filmhouse >>>>> Prix du Billet - £2.00-£6.00
CINE ------ 8:40pm >>>>> A Few Days in September >>>>> Filmhouse >>>>> Prix du Billet - £2.00-£6.00
CINE ------ 9:20pm
Two Days in Paris >>>>> Cameo >>>>> Prix du Billet - £3.60-£6.10

VENDREDI 19 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–6:30pm >>>>> EcoUrbanisme >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> GRATOS
DISCU ------ 4:30pm–6:00pm >>>>> Café Philo >>>>> £6/£4 réductions (verre de vin compris)
>>>>> Venez discuter d’un sujet d’une manière philosophique. Aucune connaissance préalable de la philosophie n’est requise ! >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse
LECTURE ------ 6:00pm >>>>> Lire en Fete >>>>> GRATOS - Contact: culture@ifecosse.org.uk
>>>>> Venez célébrer la magie des livres avec cette soirée sur le poète René Char: A l'occasion du centenaire de sa naissance, l’IFE rend hommage à René Char, poète de la résistance. Gavin Bowd, Maître de conférence à l’université de Saint Andrews, donne une conférence sur la vie et l’œuvre de René Char, suivie du film de Jérôme Prieur « René Char, nom de guerre Alexandre ». >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse

SAMEDI 20 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–1:00pm >>>>> EcoUrbanisme >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> GRATOS
LECTURE ------ 11:00am >>>>> Lire en Fete >>>>> GRATOS. Réservations: library@ifecosse.org.uk ou T. 0131 220 7758
>>>>> Célébration des livres et de la lecture avec un Café « Lire en Fête »… Venez lire publiquement vos passages préférés sur le thème « Une ville, une œuvre » et découvrir une exposition documentaire sur les poètes français contemporains. Café et croissants chauds pour tous ! >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse

LUNDI 22 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–6:30pm >>>>> EcoUrbanisme >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> GRATOS

MARDI 23 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–6:30pm >>>>> EcoUrbanisme >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> GRATOS

MERCREDI 24 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–6:30pm >>>>> EcoUrbanisme >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> GRATOS

JEUDI 25 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–6:30pm >>>>> EcoUrbanisme >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> GRATOS
TELE ------ 6:30pm–8:00pm >>>>> 24 Heures de la Television >>>>> GRATOS
>>>>> Dans le cadre de la journée mondiale du patrimoine audiovisuel créée par l’Unesco, venez profiter de 80 minutes de courts extraits du meilleur de la télévision française ! Version française sous-titrée en anglais. >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse

VENDREDI 26 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–6:30pm
EcoUrbanisme >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> GRATOS
DISCU ------ 4.30-6pm >>>>> Arts Café >>>>> £6/£4 tarif réduit (verre de vin compris). Réservations: courses@ifecosse.org.uk
>>>>> Animé par Agnes Ness. Venez découvrir les mouvements artistiques et les artistes français >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse

SAMEDI 27 OCTOBRE 2007

EXPO ------ 9:30am–1:00pm >>>>> EcoUrbanisme >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> GRATOS
CONTES ------ 11:00am–12:00pm >>>>> L'Heure du Conte >>>>> £3/£5 tarif famille. Réservation recommandée: 0131 225 5366 ou courses@ifecosse.org.uk
>>>>> Contes en français et en anglais – par Peter Snow. Enfants de 4 à 8 ans >>>>> Institut Français d'Ecosse >>>>> £3/£5 tarif famille. Réservation recommandée: 0131 225 5366 ou courses@ifecosse.org.uk
MUSIQUE ------ 7:30pm >>>>> Simon Bertram : Concert intitulé: 'Anniversaries III: Celebrating the French Romantics' >>>>> Reid Memorial Church
PARTY ------ 8:00 PM >>>>> Trick or Treat? (Soirée Halloween) >>>>> GRATOS (BYOB) – FRENCH MEETUP!
>>>>> "Come along to celebrate Halloween with the Edinburgh French Meetup! We are planning to party until dawn at my place ! J'espère que vous allez relever le défi!"

Learn something new this autumn!

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:56:46 PDT

So....you're wondering about what to do in the autumn....

Maybe you should learn French:

- because you would like to be able to speak to people:
. when you go skiing in Val d'Isere, or for the apres-ski!
. when you support Scotland for the rugby world cup
. when you go to Nice, Biarritz or Montreal for your holidays

- to seduce that really nice French guy or girl at work,

- to impress your friends with witty comments about French grammar (yes, OK, that is stretching it a tad!!!),

- to take your revenge on your horrible French teacher at school, and swear at her/him in French next time you see her/him casually walking down the road,

- because you like couture, champagne and creme brulee,

- or maybe just for the hell of it, to meet cool people and learn something interesting in the process...

Whatever your reasons,
..... you've got to check out my classes: they are in the evening, mostly, but I also offer individual classes.

Anyway, don't hesitate to check out my website

Or get in touch by email (lise@edilang.com) or by phone (0131 557 2734)

Merci! And see you soon!

Lise

French workshop for children

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Mon, 14 May 2007 11:49:20 PDT

On Saturday 12 May, I was asked to take part in the Parents Like Us festival, in Leith.
I created a 45 minutes interactive workshop, in which parents and children could interact and learn some classic French songs and nursery rhymes.

It was a scary prospect, as this was the first time I had done anything like this (certainly within that context!), but it was all worth it!

I couldn't have achieved much without the help of Hubby, Bundle-of-Love, Foxy Roxy and of course Thom the lovely wolf! Merciiiii !!!

Here is a selection of photos taken on the day!

For more information on future French workshops for parents and children, check this page out!

Decouverte de Cali, un chanteur francais

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Mon, 14 May 2007 08:03:24 PDT

Bon, evidemment, je suis toujours un peu en retard, hein - c'est normal, avec la distance et l'age, bon c'est pas gagne d'avance...
Cela dit, mes nouveaux (jeunes) amis m'ont fait decouvrir des sites ou on peut ecouter de la musique en streaming, ce qui est pas mal pour tester...
Et voici donc ce que j'aime ecouter en ce moment...

Enjoy!

Talentueuse etudiante!

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Mon, 14 May 2007 06:26:10 PDT

Oui, je sais que ca n'a pas grand chose a voir avec le francais, mais... Ma talentueuse etudiante Maxine y participe et donc, voila, il me semble important de la soutenir!!!

French classes! Start 23 April 2007!

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:38:19 PST

20 Avril Soiree Albator, Goldorak et Capitaine Flam....

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 17:01:33 PDT

CORNOFULGURE!

Plus d'infos? >>>>> Par ici!

French film festival....

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 08:43:22 PDT

Yes, it's that time of the year again.... Soon, very soon, French films will invade the Filmhouse and also the Ocean terminal....

I will soon be onto it, but am a bit too busy just now!!!

Come back in a couple of days, and you will have it all!
:-)

Happy Days!

What a week!

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:32:35 PST

Tuesday 6 February FILM
The Double Life of Veronique (La Double vie de Véronique)
Film de Krzysztof Kieslowski, avec: Irène Jacob, Philippe Volter, Claude
Duneton, Wladyslaw Kowalski.

“With its tale of two physically identical 20-year-olds, this film was one of Kieslowski’s most opaque in terms of its precise meaning. Weronika and Véronique are two young women in Poland and France, both singers, the same age and physically the same in every respect, unaware of each other’s existence, yet unconsciously sensing a spectral companion. Weronika, who has a weak heart, dies onstage mid-song, and, hundreds of miles away, Véronique, without knowing why, senses that she too has a cardiological flaw and that there is danger in pursuing a demanding singing career. She abandons it - to the horror of her teacher - and her artistic and spiritual life is displaced into a difficult love affair. The trope of double-identity becomes a brilliant meditation on choices and alternative lives, on the presence of death which forces these choices on us, and on the terrible demands which art can make - if we choose to let it.”

WHERE? Filmhouse, Lothian Road, tel. 0131-228-2688
WHAT TIME? See website
WEB: http://www.filmhousecinema.com

Thursday 8 February TALK
Rolland Man: The Devil in the Machine: Modern Life in the films of Jaques Tati

“2007 is the centenary of the birth of Jacques Tati, a very good reason to reconsider the work of this great French film-maker whose style is at the same time off-centre, humanist and funny. Rolland Man, film critic, will analyse the description of modernity through Jacques Tati.”

WHERE? Institut Français d’Ecosse, Randolph Crescent. Tel. 0131 225 5366

HOW MUCH? £3.00-5.00 (Booking recommended)
WHAT TIME? 6.30pm
MORE INFO? http://www.tativille.com/

Friday 9 February MEETUP

CINECLUB/PARTY

“Pour ce soir, vous avez le choix - soit regarder le classique de Pagnol, Fanny montré sur grand écran dans le confort de mon salon... Ou bien de discuter tout simplement, autour d’un verre (ou trois) de vin, dans ma salle de classe (maintenant rénovée, et toute belle!)
C’est à vous de voir!
Pour en savoir plus sur Fanny: http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/fnf02n12.htm
Pour en savoir plus sur Pagnol: http://www.marcel-pagnol.com/
The film will have English subtitles, and so is accessible to all regardless of your level of French.”

WHERE? Private (got to the French meetup website for more info!)
HOW MUCH? Free
WEB: http://french.meetup.com/1

Friday 9 February MUSIC
Royal Scottish National Orchestra: Je t’aime Valentine’s.

A romantic Valentine’s evening, full of French passion and charm, lovingly crafted by Stéphane Denève - especially for you and your loved one. Includes French film music by Michel Legrand and Georges Delerue, as well as Bizet’s Carmen Suite, Massenet’s Mediation from Thaïs and, of course, Ravel ’s Boléro.
Stéphane Denève (CONDUCTOR)
Edwin Paling (VIOLIN)
BIZET Selections from Carmen
CHAUSSON Poème, Op. 25
MASSENET Meditation from Thaïs
VAN PARYS Générique from Les Misérables
DELERUE La nuit américaine
DELERUE Le Mépris
PETIT Cyrano de Bergerac
LEGRAND The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
RAVEL Bolero

WHERE? Usher Hall, tel. 0131 228 1155
HOW MUCH? £10-£28
WEB? http://www.rsno.org.uk/

Friday 9 to Tuesday 13 February FILM
Gabrielle
Film français de Patrice Chéreau

“The unfathomable mystery of marriage is the subject of Patrice Chéreau’s handsomely furnished movie, taken from a story by Joseph Conrad. In the Paris of the belle époque, Jean Hervey (Pascal Greggory) congratulates himself on his success, and on the beauty and intelligence of his wife Gabrielle (Isabelle Huppert), until an act of madness causes them to confront the evasions on which their existence is founded. A remarkable, wholly unsentimental attack on bourgeois suppression and self-deception, with extremely fine performances from Huppert and Greggory.”

WHERE? Filmhouse, Lothian Road, tel. 0131-228-2688
WHAT TIME? See website
WEB: http://www.filmhousecinema.com
MORE INFO? http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3476,36-693403,0.html

Pour acheter Gabrielle en DVD…

“Buñuel’s cool, elegant version of Joseph Kessel’s novel is an amoral comedy of manners. Beautiful, bored and bourgeoise Séverine, married to a surgeon, decides to while away her afternoons by working in a high-class whorehouse, where she encounters a variety of characters - a Chinese man with a strangely erotic box, a depraved Duke, and a gangster with gold teeth, with whom she falls in love. Or does she?
Allowing us no indication of what is real, what is not, Buñuel constructs both a clear portrait of the bourgeoisie as degenerate, dishonest and directionless, and an unhysterical depiction of Deneuve’s inner fantasy life, where she entertains dreams of humiliation galore.”

WHERE? Filmhouse, Lothian Road, tel. 0131-228-2688
WHAT TIME? See website
WEB: http://www.filmhousecinema.com

Sunday 11 February FILM
Freedom For Us (A Nous La Liberté)

“Deux prisonniers, Louis et Emile, tentent de s’évader. Seul Louis y parviendra. Quelques années plus tard, Emile se fait embaucher dans l’usine dont Louis est le patron. Après quelques péripéties, nos deux compères resteront amis et choisiront de fuir ensemble, tellement heureux de jouir de leur liberté.”

WHERE? Edinburgh Film Guild. Tel. 0131 623 8027, Filmhouse, Lothian Road
WHAT TIME? 6pm
WEB: http://www.filmhousecinema.com

A suivre… / To look forward to:
Thursday 15 February X Factor Dance Company
Fri 16 February to Thu 8 March The Science of Sleep, avec: Gael García Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Emma de Caunes, Miou-Miou, Alain Chabat.
Sun 18 February @ 1.00 Jour de fête
Mon 19 February @ 6.00 Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (Zidane, un portrait du XXIème siècle)
Wed 21 February @ 6.00 Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (Les Vacances de M. Hulot)
Thu 22 February @ 6.00 Mon Oncle (My Uncle)
Fri 23 February to Thu 15 March Orchestra Seats (Fauteuils d’orchestre)
28 February: Café Histoire
4 Mar Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Chamber Concert: A collection of 20th century French and English miniatures from composers including Debussy, Britten...
5 March Disco Bidochons
Tue 13 March @ 6.15 Beau Travail, de Claire Denis
22 March Scottish Chamber Orchestra: the SCO are joined by acclaimed French conductor Louis Langree
27 April Royal Scottish National Orchestra: Season finale. The season ends in style with Stéphane Denève conducting top French pianist Hélène Grimaud.

Quelque chose pour le week-end...

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:36:52 PST

FILM: Them (Ils)

Un jeune couple français qui habite à Bucarest va chercher du bois et…. Bon, non c’est pas exactement ça, mais c’est un bon petit film d’horreur à la Blair Witch Project. Apparemment assez terrifiant dans l’ensemble quand même… Moi et mes nerfs n’iront probablement pas le voir, mais n’hésitez pas à dire ce que vous en avez pensé en commentaires !

Synopsis en français : « Lucas et Clémentine, un couple trentenaire expatrié en Roumanie, habite depuis peu une maison isolée en banlieue de Bucarest. Elle, professeur de Français, lui, romancier, vivent un bonheur paisible... Pourtant, un soir, dans leur maison, tout va basculer... La pluie battante fait rage à l’extérieur... Le téléphone retentit, des voix lointaines au bout du fil... incompréhensibles. Le couple n’est pas seul... Le cauchemar commence... ILS sont là... »

And in English : « Lucas and Clementine, a thirtysomething couple are expats in Romania. They live in an isolated house in the suburbs of Bucharest. Clementine, a French teacher and Lucas, a novelist, live in peaceful happiness... Yet, one evening, in their house, everything is turned upside down... Rain is beating outside... The telephone keeps ringing, distant voices at the end of the line... incomprehensible. The couple are not alone... The nightmare begins... THEY are there... »

WHERE? @ Cineworld Edinburgh: 0871 200 2000

WHEN? 2 Feb: 11.40am 4.10 8.55; 3-4 Feb: 4.10 8.55; 5-7 Feb: 11.40am 4.10 8.55

WEBSITE: http://www.ils-lefilm.com/

BLOG: http://ils-lebogdesreals.blogs.allocine.fr/

Fallait pas aller chercher du bois dans les egouts de Bucarest!!!!!

Bonne Année (Oops, on est déjà en février!!)

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 07:10:39 PST

Voilà, je suis enfin de retour après un assez long hiatus, il faut bien le dire… On en aura profité pour redécorer ma salle de classe – maintenant superbe, avec de nouvelles étagères destinées à accueillir tous mes livres (dont j’ai pu apprécier la multitude à cette occasion… Le poids d’une portion d’entre eux a réussi à casser ma chère table, que je vais prochainement remplacer grâce à la généreuse contribution d’un membre de FreecycleEdinburgh!). Les murs sont désormais revêtus d’une belle couleur terre cuite, suffisamment chaude pour réchauffer et donner de l’énergie (ce qui est bien nécessaire lors de nos longues soirées d’hiver) mais cependant moins… orange qu’auparavant. Pour ce qui est du sol, nous avons installé un revêtement à la fois élégant, confortable et facile à entretenir… Bref, que du bien !

Mes cours du soir vont reprendre la semaine prochaine, et je me dis qu’il est donc temps de me remettre au blog de French Edinburgh !
:-)

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Good Resolution #54: Speak French

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 09:23:50 PST

So....you're beginning to think about what you will do in the New Year...
... and you have decided that you want to learn French:

- because you would like to be able to speak to people:
. when you go skiing in Val d'Isere, or for the apres-ski!
. when you support Scotland for the rugby world cup
. when you go to Nice, Biarritz or Calais for your summer holidays

- to seduce that really nice French guy or girl at work,

- to impress your friends with witty comments about French grammar (yes, OK, that is stretching it a tad!!!),

- to take your revenge on your horrible French teacher at school, and swear at her/him in French next time you see her/him casually walking down the road,

- because you like couture, champagne and creme brulee,

- or maybe just for the hell of it, to meet cool people and learn something interesting in the process...

Whatever your reasons,
..... you've got to check out my classes: they are in the evening, mostly, but I also offer individual classes.

Anyway, don't hesitate to check out my website

Or get in touch by email (lise@edilang.com) or by phone (0131 557 2734)

Merci! And see you soon! (and 'bon courage' for all the good resolutions for the year to come!!)

Lise

12-15 December 2006

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 03:13:44 PST

Tuesday 12 December

21:00 : SPEAK FRENCH: @THE WORLD

Meet French speakers at The World - excellent and very recommended! I went there the other day, and there was quite a large crowd!
All ages welcome. - and best of all, it's all free!!
9-10pm: English spoken
10-11pm: French spoken
(though not necessarily that strict!)

@ The World, on Thistle Street

Wednesday 13 December

20:00 : SPEAK FRENCH : Speak, Drink & Be Merry Meetup
@ Venue to be confirmed, Edinburgh - For more info see http://french.meetup.com/1/
Email: meetup@edilang.com

Thursday 14 December

19:30 : Music: Scottish Chamber Orchestra: The Old Rivalry
"A comparison of dance music and symphonies from France and England featuring the composers Rebel, Charpentier, Haydn, Handel and Purcell by director and harpsichordist Richard Egarr." Web: www.sco.org.uk
Queen's Hall - 0131 668 2019 -- £8-£24 (£6-£18)

To look forward to....>

Coming soon: Film: PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER (15) - 26 December
Thriller based on the bestselling novel by Patrick Süskind.

5 Jan 2007: 7.30 : MUSIC :Royal Scottish National Orchestra: New Year in Vienna
"New Year Viennese-style with a liberal dash of Strauss and little splash of French operetta all conducted by Dominique Trottein." --- Web: www.rsno.org.uk -- Usher Hall - 0131 228 1155 --- £10-£30 (concessions available)

7 Jan 2007: 18:00: Book-Club Meetup
@ Private Venue, Edinburgh - For more info see http://french.meetup.com/1/
Email: meetup@edilang.com
"The first real meeting for the book club. Details of the books etc can be found here: http://french.meetup .com/1/boards/view/v iewthread?thread=238 7668"

14 Feb 2007: 2.15 - France in America
Alison McCleery explores the little-known French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. @ Royal Museum Lecture Theatre, 0131 247 4219 - £6; free for students and RSGS members

1-9 December 2006 (French in Edinburgh)

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 05:55:15 PST

Friday 1 December
12:40 : FILM : Paris Nous Appartient (12A)
@Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh
38 Home Street, Edinburgh EH3 9LZ
Email: cameo@picturehouses.co.uk

Director: Jacques Rivette Origin: France Year: 1960 Duration: 141m
Starring: Jean-Claude Brialy, Gianni Esposito, Betty Schneider,
Françoise Prévost , Daniel Crohem

"Set within Parisian Left-Bank society at its most self-obsessed, with
a good dose of Cold-War paranoia, an intriguing game for which no one
tells you the rules unfolds. Anne, a provincial student, is invited to
an arty party where she is inexorably sucked into a mystery involving
an American political refugee, a self-destructive femme fatale and a
Spanish activist who recently committed suicide. The film is just as
much about a long-vanished Paris of fleabag hotels and corduroy-clad
intellectuals as about its narrative. Charles Bitsch's cinematography
is extraordinary, managing to be both luminous and ominous at the same
time. The film is suffused with an irony that prefigures Rivette's
later fascination with the gaps between character and performance,
narrative and reality."

Note: this film is subtitled
To book tickets, call 08707 55 12 31 or book online

15:30 : FILM: Du Rififi chez les hommes
@ The Filmhouse, Lothian Road, Edinburgh - Tel.: 0131-228-2688 or website: www.filmhousecinema.com

"Jules Dassin | France 1955 | 1h58m | 35mm | French with English subtitles | 12
Cast: Jean Servais, Carl Möhner, Robert Manuel, Perlo Vita, Marie Sabouret.

A career criminal, just out of jail, gets his old crew together for one last job – a daring jewellery heist. The planning for this job is meticulous, down to experiments on a duplicate of the alarm system and the use of a stopwatch to time the movements of all local tradespeople. But all that is nothing compared to the care taken with the robbery itself. In a sequence that made Rififi's reputation and is still a model of tension and precision, Dassin spends a full 30 minutes on the actual robbery, a completely wordless half-hour (though it makes good use of sound effects) that racks the nerves and provides a masterclass in breaking and entering as well as filmmaking."

19:00 : SPEAK FRENCH : MEETUP CINECLUB
@Private venue - For more info see http://french.meetup.com/1/
Email: meetup@edilang.com

Another instance of this popular event, this time with a film chosen by members (looks as if Les Enfants du Paradis will make an appearance!). The principle is simple: you turn up with your tipple of choice (tea, coffee, wine, other...) and maybe some odds and ends to nibble on (olives, pop-corn...). We watch a film, and then we have a chat (not necessarily about the film!)
Great way to get to know people, practise your French (or your English) in a very social environment!
And it's all free!

Saturday 2 December
12:40: FILM
Paris Nous Appartient (12A): 12:40
@Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh

12:40 : FILM : Le Grand Voyage
@ The Filmhouse, Lothian Road, Edinburgh - Tel.: 0131-228-2688 or website: www.filmhousecinema.com

Ismaël Ferroukhi | France/Morocco 2004 | 1h48m | 35mm | French, Arabic, English, Italian and Turkish with English subtitles | PG
Cast: Nicolas Cazalé, Mohamed Majd, Jacky Nercessian, Ghina Ognianova.

"A tribute to the 97% of Muslims we never hear about in the Western world," is how French writer/director Ismaël Ferroukhi describes his pleasingly understated road movie. Le Grand Voyage's premise involves a devout elderly patriarch (Mohamed Majd) forcing his reluctant teenage son Reda (Nicolas Cazalé) to drive them from their home in France to Saudia Arabia on a once-in-a-lifetime religious pilgrimage. No surprises that these mismatched protagonists learn from one another, yet this remains an engaging, well-acted and compassionate film.

Wisely the director doesn't provide us with detailed information about the duo's past experiences, giving Le Grand voyage the feel of a contemporary fable, whilst the air of mystery is further heightened by the elliptical editing style. And not only does the film successfully challenge cultural preconceptions of Islamic belief, but in the climactic scenes amidst the collective fervour of Mecca, it achieves an unexpected emotional intensity.

18:30 : FILM: Du Rififi chez les hommes
@ The Filmhouse, Lothian Road, Edinburgh - Tel.: 0131-228-2688 or website: www.filmhousecinema.com

Sunday 3 December
12:40 : FILM : Paris Nous Appartient (12A)
@Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh

15:30 : FILM: Du Rififi chez les hommes
@ The Filmhouse, Lothian Road, Edinburgh - Tel.: 0131-228-2688 or website: www.filmhousecinema.com

Monday 4 December
12:40 : FILM : Paris Nous Appartient (12A)
@Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh

Tuesday 5 December
12:40 : FILM : Paris Nous Appartient (12A)
@Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh

21:00 : SPEAK FRENCH: @THE WORLD

Meet French speakers at The World - excellent and very recommended! I went there the other day, and there was quite a large crowd!
All ages welcome. - and best of all, it's all free!!
9-10pm: English spoken
10-11pm: French spoken
(though not necessarily that strict!)

@ The World, on Thistle Street

Wednesday 6 December

12:40 : FILM : Paris Nous Appartient (12A)
@Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh

19:30: MUSIC: Rudsambee
@Priestfield Parish Church, Edinburgh (£5)

"Unaccompanied voices in harmony, with songs from Scotland to Croatia, France to Iceland."

More info: www.rudsambee.org.uk

Thursday 7 December

12:40 : FILM : Paris Nous Appartient (12A)
@Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh

18:00 : LECTURE : "Marguerite Duras, a myth, an opera"
@Institut Francais d'Ecosse (French Institute), Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh - Tel.: 0131 225 5366
More info: www.ifecosse.org.uk

"Marguerite Duras, a major figure of the 20th century French literary scene remains, a decade after her death, a controversial character. Her minimal novels and to her activities in theatre, film, and journalism have given her both a national and an international notoriety. This lecture will offer an opportunity to rediscover an outstanding personality. The following evening, the Filmhouse will screen “Hiroshima, mon amour”, a film by Alain Renais on a scenario and the dialogues of Marguerite Duras, of course!"
A presentation by Joelle Pages-Pindon, an academic and author of the book 'Marguerite Duras'.

Friday 8 December

17:45 : FILM : Hiroshima mon amour
@ The Filmhouse, Lothian Road, Edinburgh - Tel.: 0131-228-2688 or website: www.filmhousecinema.com

Alain Resnais | France/Japan 1959 | 1h26m | 35mm | French, Japanese and English with English subtitles | PG
Cast: Emmanuelle Riva, Eiji Okada, Stella Dassas, Pierre Barbaud, Bernard Fresson.

"While in Hiroshima making a 'peace film', a French actress (Riva) begins an affair with a Japanese architect (Okada). Her passion for her new lover forces her to confront painful memories of a youthful affair she had with a German soldier in Nevers, France during the occupation, that soldier's death, and her subsequent shaming as a Nazi collaborator. Past melds with present, her personal pain and trauma with Hiroshima's horror, and her Japanese lover with the German, as she struggles to make her shattered psyche whole.

Alain Resnais' first feature, with a script by Marguerite Duras, has a complex structure and innovative use of flashbacks and sound, and was one of the first and most influential films of the French New Wave movement.

Joelle Pages-Pindon, an academic and author of the book 'Marguerite Duras', will introduce the film with a twenty minute presentation. Her introduction will be in French with an English translation. "

20:00 : SPEAK FRENCH : French Friday Meetup
@ Venue to be confirmed, Edinburgh - For more info see http://french.meetup.com/1/
Email: meetup@edilang.com

Saturday 9 December

19:00 : MUSIC : Madeleine Peyroux (£18)
@The Queens Hall, Clerk Street, Edinburgh
Tickets: 0131 668 2019

"Often compared to the late great Billie Holiday, Peyroux’s smoke-and-whisky vocals perform classic songs by Holiday, Bessie Smith and Patsy Cline so convincingly that they become to sound like her own.

She is an exceptional artist who channels vintage jazz and blues with pinpoint accuracy.

‘But it's Peyroux's stunning alto that delivers the unique experience. "Honeyed tones" is such an overused cliche, but in Peyroux's case completely apt - after 90 minutes of relentlessly sensual unctuousness, you feel slightly like a pollen-drunk bee. But in a good way.’ - Edinburgh Evening News"

More info: www.madeleinepeyroux.com

19:45 : MUSIC: Rudsambee
@Rosslyn Chapel (£7-£5)

"Unaccompanied voices in harmony, with songs from Scotland to Croatia, France to Iceland."

More info: www.rudsambee.org.uk

To look forward to....>

Coming soon: Film: PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER (15) - 26 December
Thriller based on the bestselling novel by Patrick Süskind.

10 Dec: 13.45: MUSIC : Rudsambee (Free) @ Museum of Scotland
10 Dec: 18:00 : MUSIC : Rudsambee (Free) @ St Giles' Cathedral
"Unaccompanied voices in harmony, with songs from Scotland to Croatia, France to Iceland."
Web: www.rudsambee.org.uk

13 Dec 13: 20:00 : SPEAK FRENCH : Speak, Drink & Be Merry Meetup
@ Venue to be confirmed, Edinburgh - For more info see http://french.meetup.com/1/
Email: meetup@edilang.com

14 Dec: 7.30 : Music: Scottish Chamber Orchestra: The Old Rivalry
"A comparison of dance music and symphonies from France and England featuring the composers Rebel, Charpentier, Haydn, Handel and Purcell by director and harpsichordist Richard Egarr." Web: www.sco.org.uk
Queen's Hall - 0131 668 2019 -- £8-£24 (£6-£18)

Heaven this week!!

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 06:50:08 PST

A French market, a radio star, some French conversation and the cineclub... What else do you want?

Tuesday 22 November... French conversation (9-11pm) (free)

Meet French speakers at The World - excellent and very recommended! I went there last week, and there was quite a large crowd!
All ages welcome.
9-10pm: English spoken
10-11pm: French spoken
(though not necessarily that strict!)

@ The World, on Thistle Street

Tuesday 22 November... The Watson Gordon Lecture: Caroline Elam (6pm) (free)

Roger Fry was Britain’s leading art critic in the first half of the 20th century. Caroline Elam will explore his journey from scholarship in Italian quattrocento art, to Post-Impressionism and modern French painting.

@ National Gallery of Scotland: Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, 0131 624 6200 - Free

Tuesday 22 November...JAZZ: Gilad Atzmon Quartet (8.30pm) (£10)

"Music with a message, as impressive Israeli sax virtuoso Atzmon welds east-European folk with hard bop, funk and French accordian tunes to tell the story of Palestine."

@ Jazz Centre, 0131 467 5200

Thursday 23 November - Philippe Meyer Event (6.30pm) (FREE)

"Writer, journalist, satirist, actor, director, animator, researcher and teacher of social sciences, all barely adequate to describe Philippe Meyer, as he has many strings to his bow. Among his investigations, he has studied the mysteries of the city of Paris through, on the one hand, a show called “Paris la Grande” based on texts and songs illustrating life in the capital and, on the other hand, a book under the same title. Not to be missed by those in love, the curious and the sceptical of the “ville lumière” and a must for the fans of Philippe Meyer!"

@ the Institut Français d’Ecosse - Admission Free - Tel.: 0131 225 5366 - contact@ifecosse.org.uk

Thursday 23 - Saturday 25 November.... FRENCH MARKET

Allez faire vos reserves de saucissons et de rillettes a ce marche francais!

@Frederick Street..

Friday 24 November... MEETUP - cineclub (free)

Go on you know you want to join the Edinburgh French meetup...

It is free, it is fun and you can watch films whilst drinking your tipple of choice...
Superbe! :)
Just click here for more info!

Saturday 25 November... TALK: George Buchanan: Scotland's voice in France (2pm) (free)

"Five hundred years after Buchanan's birth, Dr Jamie Reid-Baxter explores the poet, dramatist, philosopher and classical tutor to Mary, Queen of Scots' impact on France, his 'second homeland'."

@ Royal Museum Lecture Theatre, 0131 247 4219

To look forward to....

Fri 1 to Sun 3 Dec - Du Rififi chez les hommes @ The Filmhouse

Thursday 7 December at 6pm- Lecture by Joëlle Pagès-Pindon: "Marguerite Duras, a myth, an opera" (also Friday 8 December at 5.45pm - Filmhouse: presentation and screening of “Hiroshima, mon amour”)
"Marguerite Duras, a major figure of the 20th century French literary scene remains, a decade after her death, a controversial character. Her minimal novels and to her activities in theatre, film, and journalism have given her both a national and an international notoriety. This lecture will offer an opportunity to rediscover an outstanding personality. The following evening, the Filmhouse will screen “Hiroshima, mon amour”, a film by Alain Renais on a scenario and the dialogues of Marguerite Duras, of course!"
14 Feb 2007: 2.15 - France in America
Alison McCleery explores the little-known French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. @ Royal Museum Lecture Theatre, 0131 247 4219 - £6; free for students and RSGS members

So much to do, so little time! [2]

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 18:06:39 PST

Monday 13 November... FILM: The Page Turner

On from Monday 13 November 2006 through to Thursday 16 November 2006 (3:50 PM, 6:35 PM)

"Dercourt has crafted an expert behavioural thriller with an attention to detail that highlights both the strict social mores of the wealthy and their emotional aridity. A young girl, Mélanie Prouvost (François), nervously undergoes her piano audition, the outcome of which will determine her future. The examiner, famed recitalist Ariane Fouchécourt (Frot), allows a fan into the audition room in the middle of Mélanie’s performance, signing an autograph. Mélanie’s concentration falters and she stops playing altogether, causing her to fail. Many years later Mélanie gains employment with Ariane’s husband and works her way back into Ariane’s life. Vanity, deception, selfishness and false liberal charity play their part in this beautifully observed film that somehow works on the barest elements of both plot and character development."

@ The Cameo

Tuesday 14 November... FILM: Bob le flambeur

Bob le flambeur / Bob the Gambler: Melville’s famous film is showcased at the Filmhouse!

"The cable car leads us down from the 'heaven' of the Sacré Coeur in Montmartre to the 'hell' of Pigalle, and as the neon is extinguished for another dawn, a weary Bob the Gambler treads his way home from the tables. Melville's 'love letter to Paris' is shot, like all good city films, between the hours of dusk and dawn, and is a loving recreation of all that is wonderful about the dark American city thrillers of the '30s and '40s. What doubles the pleasure, however, is that in spite of the heist, the double-crosses and the sudden death, it is still remarkably light in tone: an underworld comedy of manners. The courtly Monsieur Bob may wear a trenchcoat and fedora, but he rescues young ladies adrift in the milieu, remains loyal to his friend l'inspecteur, and gives the impression of wanting to rob the casino, not to assuage his gambling fever, but simply so that he can perform a robbery in a dinner jacket. A wonderful movie with all the formal beauty, finesse and treacherous allure of green baize."

@The Filmhouse, various times

Tuesday 14 November... French conversation (9-11pm) (free)

Meet French speakers at The World - excellent and very recommended! I went there last week, and there was quite a large crowd!
All ages welcome.

9-10pm: English spoken
10-11pm: French spoken
(though not necessarily that strict!)

@ The World, on Thistle Street

Wednesday 15 November... Meeting other French speakers (free)

MEETUP -- Edinburgh French speakers meet in a pub. Very friendly atmosphere: people are always interested in meeting new folks!

Whether you are new in town, or you want to meet new people with an interest in French language and culture, this is the event for you!

More info.... here!

Wednesday 15 November: 7.15pm : Talk
M Denis Charles Courdent, Directeur, Alliance Française de Glasgow, Droite et gauche, de la biologie à l’histoire des idées (French)
A meeting organised by the Franco-Scottish Society: more info
All meetings are held at 7.15 p.m. in the French Institute,
13 Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 7TT.

Friday 17 - Sunday 19 November.... FILM: Le Cercle rouge

Le Cercle rouge / The Red Circle
Another Melville’s work, with Delon, Montand, Bourvil...

"Melville's special achievement was to relocate the American gangster film to France, and to incorporate his own steely poetic and philosophical obsessions. He described this, his penultimate film, as a digest of the nineteen definitive underworld set-ups that could be found in John Huston's picture of doomed gangsters, The Asphalt Jungle. Darker, more abstract and desolate than his earlier work, this shows, set piece by set piece, the breakdown of the criminal codes under which Melville's characters had previously operated. Masterful."

@ The Filmhouse, various times

Saturday 18 November... LITERATURE: Book Club (free)

First meeting of this new French book-club. You need to be a member of Meetup to come along (but it's all free!). More info on the French Edinburgh meetup website, here. You need to have a good level of French, or be a native speaker, as it will involve reading one French book a month.
@ Brandon Terrace

To look forward to....

Thursday 23 November at 6.30pm- Philippe Meyer Event

@ the Institut Français d’Ecosse - Admission Free - Tel.: 0131 225 5366 - contact@ifecosse.org.uk
"Writer, journalist, satirist, actor, director, animator, researcher and teacher of social sciences, all barely adequate to describe Philippe Meyer, as he has many strings to his bow. Among his investigations, he has studied the mysteries of the city of Paris through, on the one hand, a show called “Paris la Grande” based on texts and songs illustrating life in the capital and, on the other hand, a book under the same title. Not to be missed by those in love, the curious and the sceptical of the “ville lumière” and a must for the fans of Philippe Meyer!"
22 Nov: 6.00 - The Watson Gordon Lecture: Caroline Elam
Roger Fry was Britain’s leading art critic in the first half of the 20th century. Caroline Elam will explore his journey from scholarship in Italian quattrocento art, to Post-Impressionism and modern French painting. @ National Gallery of Scotland: Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, 0131 624 6200 - Free

22 Nov: 8.30: JAZZ: Gilad Atzmon Quartet
"Music with a message, as impressive Israeli sax virtuoso Atzmon welds east-European folk with hard bop, funk and French accordian tunes to tell the story of Palestine."@ Jazz Centre
0131 467 5200
£10

23-25 November: French Market

25 Nov: 2.00: TALK: George Buchanan: Scotland's Voice in France
"Five hundred years after Buchanan's birth, Dr Jamie Reid-Baxter explores the poet, dramatist, philosopher and classical tutor to Mary, Queen of Scots' impact on France, his 'second homeland'." @ Royal Museum Lecture Theatre
0131 247 4219

Fri 1 to Sun 3 Dec - Du Rififi chez les hommes @ The Filmhouse
Thursday 7 December at 6pm- Lecture by Joëlle Pagès-Pindon: "Marguerite Duras, a myth, an opera" (also Friday 8 December at 5.45pm - Filmhouse: presentation and screening of “Hiroshima, mon amour”)
"Marguerite Duras, a major figure of the 20th century French literary scene remains, a decade after her death, a controversial character. Her minimal novels and to her activities in theatre, film, and journalism have given her both a national and an international notoriety. This lecture will offer an opportunity to rediscover an outstanding personality. The following evening, the Filmhouse will screen “Hiroshima, mon amour”, a film by Alain Renais on a scenario and the dialogues of Marguerite Duras, of course!"
14 Feb 2007: 2.15 - France in America
Alison McCleery explores the little-known French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. @ Royal Museum Lecture Theatre, 0131 247 4219 - £6; free for students and RSGS members

What I have done in the past few days....

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 17:42:45 PST

About the Edinburgh French Meetup

It serves to bring together francophiles, including francophones, to share their mutual interest in French and French culture. People get together and speak French very informally and are interested in meeting other francophiles.

If you are wondering about coming along - just go for it!
We are a very friendly bunch, and always enjoy meeting new people!

N'hesitez pas!

Double Trouble...
Check out the latest changes!
For more info, don't hesitate to contact me... (Lise), either by email: lise@edilang.com, or by phone on 0131 557 27 34 (gets diverted onto my mobile, so useful even when I am out and about!!).

Current activities scheduled

Other useful links
Selection of useful links - other places on the web to meet French people in Edinburgh, and where to learn French! - and soon a section about where to learn English....

Look forward to seeing you soon, here or there!

Lise

NB: The club is currently sponsored by Premiere Classe, my trading name. I organise French language courses throughout the year.

Page turning amongst other things....

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 14:54:33 PST

Booh, quite a poor week, so far: have been struggling to find events even remotely linked to France and French (have - vaguely succeeded with a film by Tourneur, starring Robert Mitchum, all in Anglais, I’m afraid, so ended up not including it. It’s at the filmhouse though, on the 9th, I think, for those who might be tempted!

Cheers

Lxox

Ce week-end... (until 09/11)... FILM

The Page Turner (La Tourneuse de Pages)

"A thriller set in the rarefied world of classical music. After Melanie’s (François) childhood audition is thwarted by famous pianist Ariane (Frot), she seeks payback in this cleverly understated revenge drama from French writer-director Dercourt. When the violence comes, it’s all the more memorable for the lack of bloodshed."

@ The Cameo

Tuesday 6 November... French conversation

Meet French speakers at The World - excellent and very recommended!

@ The World, on Thistle Street

Friday 10 November... MEETUP

Film- Les Bronzes 3: plus d’infos ici

Friday 10 November.... 7.30pm... MUSIQUE

Gatechien, Le Singe Blanc and Jacob Flynch

Double-bill of math-rock/post-punk from France, with energetic bass/drums duo Gatechien, and twin-bass attack from Le Singe Blanc.

@ Henry’s Cellar Bar
0131 228 9393
£5 (£4)

Friday 10 November.... 7.30pm... MUSIQUE

Royal Scottish National Orchestra: A French Collection

Stéphane Denève directs Dame Felicity Lott in a series of sensual French works: Dukas’ ’La Péri’, etc...

@ Usher Hall, 0131 228 1155 - £10-£28 (concessions available)

To look forward to....

Tue 14 Nov only >>> Bob le flambeur / Bob the Gambler
Melville’s famous film is showcased at the Filmhouse!
Fri 17 to Sun 19 Nov >>> Le Cercle rouge / The Red Circle
Another Melville’s work, with Delon, Montand, Bourvil... @ The Filmhouse
Thursday 23 November at 6.30pm >>> Philippe Meyer Event
@ the Institut Français d’Ecosse - Admission Free - Tel.: 0131 225 5366 - contact@ifecosse.org.uk
Writer, journalist, satirist, actor, director, animator, researcher and teacher of social sciences, all barely adequate to describe Philippe Meyer, as he has many strings to his bow. Among his investigations, he has studied the mysteries of the city of Paris through, on the one hand, a show called “Paris la Grande” based on texts and songs illustrating life in the capital and, on the other hand, a book under the same title. Not to be missed by those in love, the curious and the sceptical of the “ville lumière” and a must for the fans of Philippe Meyer!
22 Nov: 6.00 >>> The Watson Gordon Lecture: Caroline Elam
Roger Fry was Britain’s leading art critic in the first half of the 20th century. Caroline Elam will explore his journey from scholarship in Italian quattrocento art, to Post-Impressionism and modern French painting. @ National Gallery of Scotland: Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, 0131 624 6200 - Free
Fri 1 to Sun 3 Dec >>> Du Rififi chez les hommes @ The Filmhouse
Thursday 7 December at 6pm >>> Lecture by Joëlle Pagès-Pindon: "Marguerite Duras, a myth, an opera" (also Friday 8 December at 5.45pm - Filmhouse: presentation and screening of “Hiroshima, mon amour”)
Marguerite Duras, a major figure of the 20th century French literary scene remains, a decade after her death, a controversial character. Her minimal novels and to her activities in theatre, film, and journalism have given her both a national and an international notoriety. This lecture will offer an opportunity to rediscover an outstanding personality. The following evening, the Filmhouse will screen “Hiroshima, mon amour”, a film by Alain Renais on a scenario and the dialogues of Marguerite Duras, of course!
14 Feb 2007: 2.15 >>> France in America
Alison McCleery explores the little-known French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. @ Royal Museum Lecture Theatre, 0131 247 4219 - £6; free for students and RSGS members

French Meet-Up in Edinburgh!

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 06:38:14 PST

I have taken over as organiser of the French Meet-Ups in Edinburgh: to find out more about that, click on the image below!

Otherwise, you may be interested in some of the activites that are in store: check out the discussion on the meetup board!

Check out our Meetup!

This week: so much to do, so little time...

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 03:38:15 PDT

This week, francophonie is being showcased in a big way with a series of fabulous African films showcased at The Filmhouse! (some are partly in French, others are in various Agrican languages: wolof, arabe, etc.)

Make sure that you also check out the Disco Bidochons free event next Monday - good times are sure back with this fab club!

Lise xox

Tuesday 24 October ::: 9-11pm
MEET PEOPLE ::: French/English @The World on Thistle Street - come and practise your French or your English with friendly native speakers....
Where? The World on Thistle Street
How much? FREE!

Wednesday 25 October ::: 6.00
FILM ::: Marie Antoinette

(12A) Coppola Jr follows her much lauded ’Lost in Translation’ with a punky biography of the misunderstood Queen of France, adapted from Antonia Fraser’s book on the subject. A daring and bold attempt to rework formulaic staid costume dramas or a feature-length pop promo that reaches new depths of shallowness? You decide.

US (2006)
Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Rip Torn
Sofia Coppola
Duration: 122 mins.

Web: www.sonypictures.com/movies/marieantoinette/

Where? Well, it’s a bit like the Scarlet Pimpernel: here, there, and everywhere...
When ? Same as above, for a time at least.....
How much? That would depend on where and when... Check out The List for details.....

Wednesday 25 October ::: 6.00
FILM ::: Touki Bouki

(15) With a title that translates as ’The Hyena’s Journey2, this Senegalese offering follows two children on an odyssey towards the promised land of Western riches in France. Director Mambety has explained that it’s ’about Africans sick with the idea of Europe, Africans who consider that Europe is the door of Africa and that it’s necessary to have been there in order to be able to come back and be highly thought of’.
Senegal (1973)
Magaye Niang, Mareme Niang, Aminata Fall, Ousseynou Diop
Djibril Diop-Mambety
Duration: 85 mins.

Where? The Filmhouse
When ? Wednesday 25 October ::: 6.00pm
How much? erm, Filmhouse prices I guess.....

Thursday 26 October ::: on opening times of the French Institute
EXHIBITION ::: Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
Have a look at an interesting exhibition, currently on at the French Institute:

The Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop invites us to view a selection of works from
the European Biennal of Contemporary Art, which took place in Nîmes, on 1-14
July 2006, under the title “Taboo or not taboo”. After a European tour, the IFE
exhibition will give the public the opportunity to discover the work of artists
from France, Scotland, Lithuania and Poland in the fields of sculpture,
photography and contemporary video.

Where? The French Institute, Randolph Crescent
When ? Wednesday 25 October ::: 6.00pm
How much? Hey, it’s free!.

Friday 27 October ::: 3.30pm & 6.00pm
FILM ::: Waiting For Happiness / Heremakono

Abderrahmane Sissako | Mauritania/France 2002 | 1h35m | 35mm | French and Hassianya with English subtitles | PG
Cast: Khatra Ould Abdel Kader, Maata Ould Mohamed Abeid, Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mohamed, Nana Kiakite, Fatimetou Mint Ahmeda.

A sleep-walking, introverted youth, an elderly electrician who can’t make lights come on, and a child worker who likes to sing are some of the inhabitants of Nouadhibou, a costal town on the edge of the Mauritian desert.

Abdullah arrives to visit his mother before leaving for Europe. He hardly knows the local language, can’t communicate with the place and the people he came from, and doesn’t want to try. Yet he becomes increasingly involved in the lives of the inhabitants of this strange and unfamiliar world. Sissako’s film is so visually beautiful it almost hurts your eyes; so poignant you can feel it pull at your heart. A vivid examination of the conflict between progress and tradition, Waiting For Happiness is more about those who leave than those who stay. They leave by train, by boat, on foot and by death.

This screening is sponsored by the Departments of Film & Media, English and Languages, at the University of Stirling.

Where? The Filmhouse
When ? Friday 27 Oct ::: 3.30pm & 6.00pm
How much? erm, Filmhouse prices I guess.....

Saturday 28 Oct :: 1.15pm
FILM :: Abouna / Our Father

Mahamat-Saleh Haroun | Chad/France/Netherlands 2002 | 1h24m | 35mm | French and Arabic with English subtitles | PG
Cast: Liamza Moctar Agud, Ahidjo Mahamat Moussa, Hamza Moctar Aguid.

Stunning, both visually and emotionally, Abouna is a story about family. Two young brothers look for their missing father only to find him where they least expect to. Their hunt takes them on a journey of love, loyalty and loss.

Taking place in director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s native country Chad, the landscape and the characters in Abouna form a breathtaking combination of picturesque aesthetics and unmitigated sincerity.

Where? The Filmhouse
When ? Saturday 28 Oct :: 1.15pm
How much? erm, Filmhouse prices I guess.....

Monday 30 October :: 1.15pm
MUSIC ::: Edinburgh Quartet - Edinburgh concerts 2006-2007
Thomas Erskine, Earl of Kelly String Quartet in A
Haydn String Quartet in G, Opus 54 No 1
Fauré Elegie Op 24
Fauré Piano Quartet in c minor Op15
(with Jill Morton, piano)

Where? All concerts will be held in Stockbridge Parish Church, Saxe-Coburg Street,
Edinburgh
When ? Monday 30 October :: 7.30pm
How much? Ticket prices: £10, £7 conc, £2 students and schoolchildren (including a free glass of wine or soft drink). To book: The Queen’s Hall Box Office, tel: 0131 668 2019.....

Monday 30 October :: from 10pm
CLUB ::: DISCO BIDOCHONS

"La Disco Bidochons est de retour le lundi 30 Ocotobre. Pour les novices, c’est une soirée francophone en boite, environ tous les 2 mois. Ca se passe au Red Vodka Club, 73 the Cowgate, de 22h à 3h, entrée gratuite, boissons pas chères, et on a meme du ricard et de la chartreuse. Pour plus d’infos ou pour toutes suggestions, contactez moi thierry.dullieux@netcourrier.com"

Where? Red Vodka Club, 73 the Cowgate
When ? Monday 30 October :: 10pm-3am
How much? Free, and also, cheap drinks!...

Things to look forward to.... Yeepee!!!

10 Nov: 7.30 >>> Royal Scottish National Orchestra: A French Collection
Stéphane Denève directs Dame Felicity Lott in a series of sensual French works: Dukas’ ’La Péri’, etc... @ Usher Hall, 0131 228 1155 - £10-£28 (concessions available)
Tue 14 Nov only >>> Bob le flambeur / Bob the Gambler
Melville’s famous film is showcased at the Filmhouse!
Fri 17 to Sun 19 Nov >>> Le Cercle rouge / The Red Circle
Another Melville’s work, with Delon, Montand, Bourvil... @ The Filmhouse
Thursday 23 November at 6.30pm >>> Philippe Meyer Event
@ the Institut Français d’Ecosse - Admission Free - Tel.: 0131 225 5366 - contact@ifecosse.org.uk
Writer, journalist, satirist, actor, director, animator, researcher and teacher of social sciences, all barely adequate to describe Philippe Meyer, as he has many strings to his bow. Among his investigations, he has studied the mysteries of the city of Paris through, on the one hand, a show called “Paris la Grande” based on texts and songs illustrating life in the capital and, on the other hand, a book under the same title. Not to be missed by those in love, the curious and the sceptical of the “ville lumière” and a must for the fans of Philippe Meyer!
22 Nov: 6.00 >>> The Watson Gordon Lecture: Caroline Elam
Roger Fry was Britain’s leading art critic in the first half of the 20th century. Caroline Elam will explore his journey from scholarship in Italian quattrocento art, to Post-Impressionism and modern French painting. @ National Gallery of Scotland: Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, 0131 624 6200 - Free
Fri 1 to Sun 3 Dec >>> Du Rififi chez les hommes @ The Filmhouse
Thursday 7 December at 6pm >>> Lecture by Joëlle Pagès-Pindon: "Marguerite Duras, a myth, an opera" (also Friday 8 December at 5.45pm - Filmhouse: presentation and screening of “Hiroshima, mon amour”)
Marguerite Duras, a major figure of the 20th century French literary scene remains, a decade after her death, a controversial character. Her minimal novels and to her activities in theatre, film, and journalism have given her both a national and an international notoriety. This lecture will offer an opportunity to rediscover an outstanding personality. The following evening, the Filmhouse will screen “Hiroshima, mon amour”, a film by Alain Renais on a scenario and the dialogues of Marguerite Duras, of course!
14 Feb 2007: 2.15 >>> France in America
Alison McCleery explores the little-known French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. @ Royal Museum Lecture Theatre, 0131 247 4219 - £6; free for students and RSGS members

Marché Français

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 02:47:45 PDT

Information fournie par le site d’Edimbourg Accueil: Marché Français - Edimbourg accueil

Frederick street - le 1er Novembre 2006

C’est le moment d’acheter du fromage et du saucisson !!! Marché français sur Castle street du jeudi 23 novembre au dimanche 26 novembre [10h à 20h] Vente de produits français, fromage, chocolats, vêtements, accesssoires...

A suivre.....

31 October - Samhuinn festival

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 06:51:59 PDT

OK OK it's not French, but... it looks like good fun!
More info on the Festival and Beltane's activities

"Come all and witness the ancient Celtic Samhuinn festival! It was the
Celtic New Year, the Day of the Dead, and marked the beginning of
winter. It was the time of year when the veil between this world and
the next, between mortality and infinity, was at its thinnest and
spirits were said to roam the lands...

Come and celebrate, feast and carouse in our procession of fire,
drumming, music and performance art! See the fight between waning
Summer and the growing darkness of Winter!

The Samhuinn procession begins from the Castle at 9 pm and ends up on
the Mound (beside the National Galleries) for performances on the
stage. It is presented by the Beltane Fire Society, a not for profit
organisation run by volunteers, the event is free but to keep it free
they rely on donations from the public on the night, so if you see
someone shaking a bucket near you, give them some change please."

There are also after-parties but I am not sure where, as have got conflicting info: either The Bongo Club or Cabaret Voltaire. Or maybe both. Who knows? (add in comments if you do! ta!)

All proceeds go the Beltane Fire Society

Création d’un Chœur Mixte – French Choir

lise@edilang.com (Lise Morel & Premiere Classe) — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 03:38:36 PDT

All levels accepted – beginners welcome.
Concert de Noël le 6 décembre 2006. / Christmas concert: 6 December 2006
Répétitions tous les mardis au théâtre de l’Institut Français. Rehearsals – every Tuesdays in the Theatre of the French Institute

Renseignements et inscriptions: 225 5366 or courses@ifecosse.org.uk