Events
Table Ronde
As an ongoing part of the “French Outside of French” lecture series, two Penn State faculty gave talks in early November. The first, given by Prof. Robert Bernasconi, of the Department of Philosophy, was entitled “Situating Franz Fanon’s Account of Black Experience”, on November 11th, 2009. The second talk given by Prof. Claire Colbrook of the Department of English on November 18th, 2009, was entitled “Feminist Extinction”.
Film Series: C’est dur d’être aimé par des cons (It’s hard being loved by jerks)
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C’est dur d’être aimé par des cons (It’s hard being loved by jerks) This important documentary on the freedom of the press, censorship, and the right of religious minorities looks at a crucial 2007 Paris trial. Several Islamic organizations brought charges of slander against the French news weekly Charlie Hebdo for reprinting 12 satirical cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed that had originally appeared in a Danish newspaper in 2005. Director Daniel Leconte follows the entire course of the trial, with Philippe Val, editor of Charlie Hebdo (a publication that’s an equal opportunity offender), giving the filmmaker complete access to the magazine’s editorial and strategizing meetings. Amid the media circus surrounding the case, Leconte captures cogent, passionate speakers on both sides of the argument, including such prominent witnesses as Claude Lanzmann, reminding viewers of the absolute necessity of both the right to publish and the right to protest. (Documentary, 105 minutes) |
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Film Series : Paris
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Paris by Cédric Klapisch (2007) In Cédric Klapisch’s wistful ensemble film about the City of Light, characters of different backgrounds intersect, providing a sense of the complex multitude contained within this great metropolis. The beating heart of Klapisch’s love letter to the city is the relationship between Pierre, a former dancer at the Moulin Rouge, and his older sister, Elise, a divorced, overburdened social worker raising three young children. After Pierre discovers that he has a potentially fatal illness, Elise and her brood move into his cramped apartment, taking care of and comforting a man who now fully appreciates the preciousness of life. Though his flat is small, Pierre has an incredible view from his balcony, where he frequently observes the teeming street life below. Regardless of whether you’ve never been to Paris or have visited several times, Klapisch’s stunning compositions of the city will inspire you to see the French capital in a whole new way. (Drama, 130 minutes) |
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Table Ronde
French filmmaker Elisabeth Lenchener-Citroën screened of a portion of Bernard Kouchner, A Man Without Borders as well as discussed her work during a question and answer period.
Table Ronde
Charles Castelman presented a talk entitled "César Franck's Sonata for Violin: Correlations between Musical Composition and French Language Syllabization."
Table Ronde
Rachel Williams presented a talk entitled "Women Translators in Nineteenth-Century France: Genre, Gender and Literary Creativity."
Table Ronde
Rachel Williams presented a talk entitled "Women Translators in Nineteenth-Century France: Genre, Gender and Literary Creativity."