FRANCOPHONIE FESTIVAL 2017
7 - 24 Mars

Singapore premiere film, award-winning and Cannes-nominated movies, iconic comics, pop-folk music and topical
conferences, catch it all at the Francophonie Festival 2017!

The Francophonie Festival organised by Alliance Française, French Embassy – Institut Français Singapore and the diplomatic representatives of Belgium, Canada and Switzerland, will be held throughout March at Alliance Française and various other venues across the island. The new edition of the Francophonie Festival is proud to continue the promotion of intercultural dialogue and celebrate the diversity of the French language and francophone communities around the world, through a series of exciting cultural events. Francophonie is not only about the language, but is first and foremost about the spirit.

This year the Festival is bringing promising productions and talent as well as established artists of francophone countries contributing to the unique and vibrant local cultural scene.

Les Pépites by Xavier de Lauzanne, will open the Festival with a message of hope, love and kindness. Singapore Francophiles crowd and curious minds will enjoy Diamond Island in the presence of Davy Chou, film director who won the screenwriter award at the Cannes Festival. Music will not be neglected with no less than three concerts: you will have the choice to listen to the hits of Axelle Red who sold more than 5 million albums in the world, discover La Femme, an alluring French indiepop group mixing genres from synthpop to surf-rock or enjoy a free concert of O, young French talent. The public can also meet Christine Ockrent, famous Belgian journalist who is an icon of French TV journalism, and also travel through 33 years of Les triplés an iconic comics by Nicole Lambert who will be here to meet and greet fans alike in a retrospective of her work at La Galerie.

- CINEMA

LES PÉPITES

HIGHLIGHT - OPENING NIGHT

Rating: PG
En français avec sous-titres français
France, 2016, 88mins

Director: Xavier de Lauzanne

Cast: Christian des Pallières,

Marie-France des Pallières,

Bertrand des Pallières

Genre: Documentary

In French and Khmer with

English subtitles

• WHEN: 11 March — 7.30PM
• WHERE: Alliance française
• TICKETS: $16 (AF members) and $19(non-members)

Synopsis: Two worlds colliding for the best: the one of the children of Phnom Penh, scavenging the dump-site to survive, and the one of a recently retired French couple discovering Cambodia. This is the extraordinary human story of Christian and Marie-France and how they changed the lives of more than 10,000 kids over 20 years.

All the persons who attend the movie are cordially invited to the opening of the exhibition “33 ans avec les Triplés” at La Galerie at 6pm

LADIES’ TURN

PREMIERE

Rating: PG

France, Senegal l 2012 | 70 mins

Director: Hélène Harder

Cast: Jennifer Browning, Seyni N’Dir Seck, Gaëlle Yomi

Genre: Documentary, Action, Sport

In French and Wolof with English subtitles

• WHEN: Saturday 13 March - 8pm
• WHERE: Alliance française
• TICKETS: $11 (AF members) and $11 (non-members)

Synopsis: The challenge for Ladies’ Turn, a Senegalese association, is to organize a soccer tournament for... girl soccer teams! Seyni, one of the pioneers of women’s football in Senegal has taken the risk and seeks to overcome prejudices on soccer fields. Through competition and the several characters’ personal lives, get to know the many facets of the modern Senegalese society as well as the daily struggles for women in this country.

MOKA

PREMIERE

Rating: (M18) Sexual Scene

Switzerland, France l 2016 | 89 mins

Director: Frédéric Mermoud

Cast: Emmanuelle Devos, Nathalie Baye, Diane Rouxel

Genre: Drama

In french with English subtitles

• WHEN: Sunday 14 march – 8pm
• WHERE: Alliance française
• TICKETS: $11 (AF members) and $13 (non-members)

Synopsis: Diane Kramer is led by one obsession: to find the driver of the mocha coloured Mercedes which hit her son and devastated her life. With a few belongings, some money and a gun, she goes to Evian, in France, where she tries to find the driver and infiltrates her life. But sometimes, the path of revenge is more tortuous than it seems... Diane will have to face another woman, friendly but mysterious.

In association with: Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore

GUIBORD S’EN VA-T-EN GUERRE

PREMIERE

Rating: TBA — Please wait for rating to be out before buying tickets for 18 years old and below

In French and Creole with English subtitles

Canada l 2015 | 108 mins

Director : Philippe Falardeau

(non-members)

Cast : Patrick Huard, Irdens Exantus, Suzanne Clément

Genre: Comedy

• WHEN : 15 March – 8pm
• WHERE: Alliance française
• TICKETS: $11 (AF members) and $13

Synopsis: Guibord, an independent Member of Parliament, represents Prescott- Makadewà-Rapides-aux Outardes, a vast county in Northern Quebec. As the entire country watches, he unwillingly finds himself in the awkward position of holding the decisive vote to determine whether Canada will go to war. Accompanied by his wife, his daughter and an idealistic intern from Haiti named Sovereign, Guibord travels across his district in order to consult his constituents.

In association with: Canada

L’ÉCONOMIE DU COUPLE

PREMIERE

Rating: PG13 - some coarse language

In french with English subtitles

France, Belgium l 2016 | 100 mins

Director: Joachim Lafosse

Cast: Bérénice Béjo, Cédric Kahn, Marthe Keller

(non-members)

Genre: Drama

• WHEN: 16 March – 8pm
• WHERE: Alliance française
• TICKETS: $11 (AF members) and $13 (non members)

Synopsis: After 15 years of common life, Marie and Boris decide to split up. She is the one who bought the apartment in which the couple live in with their twin daughters whilst he is the one who has completely renovated it. They are obliged to live together and share this flat, as Boris cannot afford a place of his own. When it comes to settling accounts, none of them wants to give an inch on what they brought to this apartment and their relationship, and they constantly reach a stalemate.

In association with: Kingdom of Belgium

POLINA, DANSER SA VIE

PREMIERE

Rating: PG13 - Scene of intimacy

In French and Russian with English subtitles

France l 2016 | 108 mins

Directors: Valérie Müller, Angelin Preljocaj

Cast: Baptiste Gilliéron, Julia Faure, André Wilms

Genre: Drama

• WHEN: 17 March – 8pm
• WHERE: Alliance française
• TICKETS: $11 (AF members) and $13 (non-members)

Synopsis: Russia, in the 90’s. Since she was a little girl, Polina, a very promising ballerina, is trained by Professor Bojinski, a rigourous and demanding ballet teacher. When she is about to enter the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet, she attends a contemporary dance performance which will have a profound impact on her. This is an artistic shock which will question all of her conceptions. Consequently, Polina decides to quit everything in Russia to join a new dance group in Aix-en-Provence and find her true self.

EN SORTANT DE L’ÉCOLE

PREMIERE

Rating: TBA

France, 2015 | 82 mins

Director: Miscellaneous

Genre: Animation

In french with English subtitles

• WHEN : 19 March – 4pm
• WHERE: Alliance française
• TICKETS: $11 (AF members) and $13 (non-members)

Synopsis: These series of 13 short movies of 3 minutes each, pay homage to one of the most beautiful poem by Jacques Prévert, famous French poet from the 20th, titled “En sortant de l’école”. Directed by young promising animation artists, discover the surreal and poetical world of these schoolchildren, going out of school and discovering the universe. Your kid will enjoy a snack at 4pm courtesy of Tiong Bahru Bakery, the screening is at 4.30pm

In association with: Institut français

In partnership with: Tiong Bahru

- Cinema – CinÉ-Club

DIAMOND ISLAND

HIGHLIGHT - In the presence of film director Davy Chou

Rating: PG13 - some coarse language France, Cambodia, Germany, Qatar,

Thailand l 2016

Director: Davy Chou

Cast: Sobon Nuon, Cheanick Nov, Madeza Chhem

Genre: Drama

In Khmer with English subtitles

• WHEN: 21 March – 8pm
• WHERE: Alliance française
• TICKETS: $7 (AF members) and $9 (non-members)

Synopsis: Diamond Island is an island located on Phnom Penh’s riverbanks, which has been transformed by land developers to modernize the city and create an ultramodern heaven for rich people. Bora, 18, leaves rural Cambodia to become a construction worker on this vast undertaking. On this island, he will make some friends and even reunite with his missing older brother, Solei, who will introduce Bora to an exciting new world, full of colours and illusions.

Special screening: The movie will be introduced by the director, Davy Chou and the lead actor, Sobon Nuon, and followed by a Q&A.

Davy Chou is a Cambodian-French filmmaker; we welcomed him in 2015 for his movie Golden Slumbers and we are happily welcoming him again for his first feature-length film Diamond Island, which won the screenwriter ’s award at

the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

- EXHIBITION

HIGHLIGHT - 33 years with “Les Triplés”

By Nicole Lambert

• WHEN: 7 March - 1 April 2017 / vernissage on 11 March.
• WHERE: Alliance française - La Galerie
• Free entrance

“Les Triplés” are the most cherished children of the French comic books world. They have been created by Nicole Lambert, a comedian and keen observer of children. Since 1984, they are published every week in the French magazine Madame Figaro. They have been the subject matter of more than 30 comic strip albums, sold over one and a half million copies and have also been adapted as an animated series for TV. The Triplets live in Paris, next to the Eiffel Tower. They often take a bite out of their beautiful mother and are surrounded by their sweet grandfather and their philosophical French bulldog, Toto. The Triplets can reach a double audience: Children, who enjoy their foolishness and Parents, who can get emotional and recognize their own children. The exhibition, which celebrates the 33 years of the comic’s existence, will allow you to discover the best comic strips for each year. You will witness the changes throughout time in our society as well as the innovations which have changed our way of life: smartphones, computers, GPS are just a few examples. As on a runway show during Paris Fashion Week, you will be able to admire the Triplets’ mother fashion tastes. Finally, you will discover Nicole Lambert’s sense of humour: more

than a Parisian appeal, she shows us, on a deeper level, that children are all the same around the world.

Gallery supported by: Société générale

- CONFERENCE

HIGHLIGHT - MEET CHRISTINE OCKRENT

• WHEN: 22 March — 8PM
• WHERE: Alliance Française
• Free entrance

Christine Ockrent is a famous Belgian journalist whose career has principally centered on French television. Challenged by a twofold transformation, being, the changes in the pattern of information consumption by the public on the one hand and the reconsideration of the business model of the media on the other hand, how can the profession of journalist adapt itself ? Journalism is more than ever threatened by new media and communication technologies, which allow anyone to be informed, enabling the circulation of information without the need of being a professional journalist and without using traditional press means and channels, as radio or television. How can traditional journalists go through these mutations, which are often brutal? Should the specificities of this profession, recently discredited and described as a cast, be considered as a protection or a disability? Finally, in consideration of the generalization of instant communication, the outstanding spurt of information’s circulation speed and its banalization, how can this profession survive?

- Music

AXELLE RED

• WHEN: 23-24 March
• WHERE: Alliance française

Axelle Red is a Belgian singer-songwriter. She received many awards (Victoire de la musique, NRJ music Award) and is 9 times platinium record. Her most famous songs include: Sensualites (1994), A tatons (1998), Rester femme (1998), Toujours moi (1999), Parce que c’est toi (2000) and Manhatan Kaboul (2002).

In partnership with: Kingdom of Belgium

Produced by: Sing' Pouning production & The Theatre Factory

THE DAY OF FRANCOPHONIE

Half a billion Francophones around the world celebrate International Day of Francophonie on 20 March. This event began in 1998 as a way for the then 49 members of La Francophonie to celebrate their common bond, the French language, as well as their diversity. Today Francophonie refers to the ensemble of people around the world who speak French. French is an official language in 33 countries on 5 continents. French is one of the official language of a dozen international organizations and is the second most commonly studied foreign language in the world.

Come Celebrate Francophonie Day!

7pm - Free

Alliance Française is delighted to continue francophonie festivities by welcoming O, French band on stage. After a few years as a bandmate in the best French pop bands of the last decade (Syd Matters, Chiros, Mina Tindle), Olivier Marguerit started a new solo project called O in 2015. Playing pop melodies and folk feeling, he is helped on stage by

two fantastic musicians to reach the energy and the emotion that the songs needs.

ABOUT ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE DE SINGAPOUR

Founded in 1949, Alliance française de Singapour is a non-profit educational and cultural organization, affiliated to the international network whose headquarters, the Fondation Alliance française, are located in Paris, France. AFS is one amongst the 800 Alliances françaises worldwide who serves and gathers a multilingual and multicultural community of Francophiles. The cultural and educational programming is extremely rich but coherent in achieving its goal: to create a desire of France (and French) to an everlasting greater community of people whose strength is built from cross-cultural understanding which is at the heart of all dialogue.

Practical information

Alliance française de Singapour

1 Sarkies Road

Singapore 258130

www.alliancefrancaise.org.sg

T: +65 6737 8422

F: +65 6733 3023

[email protected]