The French Language and Francophone Week was initiated in 1995 by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication with the aim of promoting the French language widely and is marked annually around 20th March, World Francophone Day. It is an occasion to celebrate a language that unites and links over 200 million people around the world, bringing together a diversity of cultures that continue to enrich the language.
Dates: March 14-18, 2011
Venue: Alliance Française Nairobi
Events: Theatre and Movies
Entry: Free
Theatre Play in French: Le Petit Prince
Dates: march 15-17, 2011
Time: 10am and 2pm shows,
Audience: Performance for schools
Entrance free
Heartstrings Kenya presents the celebrated story ‘Le Petit Prince’ by the French writer and aviator, Antoine de Saint Exupéry.
This production in French targets students of French, especially those practicing for the annual Schools’ Drama Festival. ‘Le Petit Prince’ is a French classic, a wonderfully touching and creative story of a man who meets an extraordinary boy and relearns what it means to be a child.
FRANCOPHONE CINEMA
In French, with English subtitles
FINYE by Souleymane Cisse, 1983, 1h45 (Mali)
Mon. 14 March @ 6pm
Vivid social satire, ‘Finye’ (The Wind) tackles the generation gap in post-colonial West Africa.
COMPLICES by Frédéric Mermoud, 2009, 1h33 (Switzerland)
Awards : Lucerne, Swiss Film Prize Quartz “Best Screenplay” 2010, Chicago International Film Festival, Gold Plaque 2009
Tue. 15 March @ 6pm
Vincent and Rebecca have been in love ever since they first set eyes on each other. But two months later Vincent’s body is found in the river Rhone. Inspector Hervé and his colleague Karine lead the investigation… presented by the Embassy of Switzerland
LES MAUVAIS JOUEURS de Frédéric Balekdjian, 2005,1h20 (France)
Wed. 16 March @ 6pm
Vahé, Sahak, and Toros run a bonneteau game on the streets of Paris. They’re Lebanese French of Armenian descent. Vahé also works with his father, a cloth merchant, and is in love with Lu Ann, Chinese French, who’s broken off their affair. Vahé wants to make things right with Lu Ann, with his father’s business, and with Yuen, Lu Ann’s younger brother.
HOP by Dominique Standaert, 2002, 1h44 (Belgium)
presented by the Embassy of Belgium
Thu. 17 March @ 6pm
HOP is the story of the trials and tribulations of a young illegal pygmy, confronting the Belgian authorities in order to recover his expelled father.
QUESTIONS A LA TERRE NATALE by Samba Felix Ndiaye, 2006, 52min (Sénégal)
Fri. 18 March @ 6pm
After many years abroad, Samba Félix N’diaye returns to his hometown Dakar and questions experts and leaders on the future of the continent.
