Bulletin CulturelFebruary 2009

Amélie Nothomb

Amelie Notomb’s words from « Tokyo Fiancée » her last novelare welcomed like winter first flurries, so are Rene de Ceccaty’swords about his favourite country and literary Heaven: Japan!With no reason, just like surrealism and French experimentalgroup for literature « Oulipo » love it; this is a surprisingencounter around the same country by chance. TheCinematheque offers us a dense programming of film about Holyhero Joan of Arc in February; in April, former actress FlorenceDelay, who starred in Bresson’s film « Joan of Arc Trial » andlater became a writer and a member of the French Académie,will visit us to give a lecture about her books.At the University of Toronto School of Music, at the CBC GlennGould Studio, at the TSO, French Music is performed by thegifted artists Jacques Israéliévitch, Ivan Ilic and Charles Dutoit.For fun, enjoy French Songs and Blues with emerging artistsBleu, Blanc, Blues at their Alliance Française cabaret. How aboutgoing out to theatrical performances with English subtitles «Lefilet », « Regarde-moi » and « Une maison face au Nord »?

Joël SAVARY, Cultural Attache

EditorialContents

Theatre - PAGE 3

Music - PAGE 4

Cinema - PAGE 6

DVD releases - PAGE 6

Conferences - PAGE 9

Exhibitions - PAGE 11

Televison - PAGE 11

FOCUS

Retrospective aboutJeanne d’Arc at the

Cinematheque Ontario.

With, among others,the chefs-d’oeuvre byDreyer, Bresson, and

Rivette.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1

2

Television

Les

chansonsd’amour

3Cinema

Bestshortfilms

TelevisionLa

chinoise

4

Theatre

The Net

(Untilfeb.14)

5

Conference

AmélieNothomb

AlsoFeb.6

6

MusicFrench

chambermusic

-Bleu,Blanc,Blues

7 8

Cinema

Jeanne laPucelle

9

Television

La

question

humaine

10

Television

Histoiredu

cinéma

11

Cinema

Bamako

12

Cinema

Feb. 6and 12

The pas-sion of

JoanofArc

13 14 15

16

Television

Lablessure

17

Cinema

BamakoTelevisionLes Nuits

deVarennes

18

Theatre

Look atme!

19

Conference

L’amouràladérive

MusicIvan Ilić

20

ConferenceIvan Ilić

21Cinema

UTheatrePoems

andsongs ofthe BlackResistance

22

Cinema

Vivre savie

23

Television

Paria

24CinemaOne day

you’ll un-derstand

DVDsLe fils del’épicier

25MusicFeb. 24and 25Y a d’la

joie

26

TheatreA North-FacingHouse

ConferenceRené deCeccatty

27

Conference

HistoryoftheSahara

28

Music

Feb. 26and28

TheDamnation

ofFaust

Cultural calendar - February 2009

2

Inspired by riots that broke outin the Maritimes in 2003 whenthe New Brunswick governmentwanted to give a percentage ofthe fish quota to Aboriginals,this piece presents a genera-tional conflict within one family.Between the blindness of thegrandfather and the fanaticismof the uncle, the idealism andintegrity of the grandson aregravely shaken. Without sensa-tionalizing or moralizing, the au-thor paints a portrait of a societywhere the values that protectthe collective fall down in theface of the furious quest of indi-vidual interest. An intense the-atrical story, The Net providesheart-stopping suspense in atightly knit universe, one behinda closed familial door. Contraryto the societal and linguistic

battles, the enemy is not theOther, but is instead rootedwithin the chaos of a family. Theauthor brings us inside a force-ful story that, thanks to thepower of theatre, has a univer-sal reach.

The Net From February 4 to 14

The Net

With Éric ButlerBertrand Dugas and

Robin-Joël Cool.

Directed by:Michel Monty

- Feb. 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12,13, and 14: at 8:00 pm- Feb. 8: 2:30 pm- Feb 14: 3:30 pm

Berkeley Street Theatre26, Berkeley Street

(South of Front Street,one block west of Parlia-

mant)416.534.6604

TThheeaattrreeTThheeaattrree

A period of transition where expe-rimentation and questioning goeshand-in-hand with self-assertionand the desire to conform, adoles-

cence at times seems contradictory.Misplaced pride can make us forgetwho we really are and can push usto act in ways dictated by our en-tourage, advertising, and consumer

society. This is what the authormanages to convey through thevivid portrayal of three inseparablefriends, Noémie, Thomas and San-drine. Sandrine receives a magicmirror for her birthday. Whoever isreflected in it experiences an ex-treme desire to distinguish oneselfby transforming... at the expenseof friendship. Faced by an obses-sion that becomes destructive,Sandrine tries to foil the mirror sothat she may stay true to herself.Inhabited by captivating charac-ters, the world created by IsabelleBélisle is one with which we caneasily identify. The text remainslight, accessible, and direct, and of-fers keys to finding self-acceptance.

A production of Théâtrede la Catapulte

Look at me! February 18

Look at me!

Directed byIsabelle BÉLISLE

With Elsa Dallaire, JoséeLeblanc, Andrée Rainville

and John Doucet

Wednesday, February 18 at 8:00 pm

For teens and adults

Berkeley Street Theatre26, Berkeley Street

(South of Front Street,one block est of Parliament)

416.534.6604

3

Oscillating between familydrama and a comedy of man-ners, A North-Facing Housetakes on some serious subjects,such as the rural exodus, the in-tegration of immigrants, andgenerational conflict, all ofwhich are dramatized with theauthor’s humour spicing up thetext. Between a son pursued for

money laundering, a youngGuatemalan worker, and an eld-erly Pole, a man in his twilightyears (played by Guy Mignault)feels at a dead end despite thekindness and good sense of hiswife (played by Louisette Dus-sault). He sees the heritage thathe created and the country ofhis dreams inexorably losing itssense and future. Far from wit-nessing the collapse of a micro-scopic world, something quitedifferent happens, which allowsus to tackle questions of spiritu-ality confronting today’s reality.Jean-Rock Gaudreault, whosework TfT first presented in 1999with La Raccourcie, has sincebecome a definite pillar of Canadian francophone theatre.

A North-Facing House From February 26 to March 7

A North-Facing House

With, among others: Guy Mignault,

Louisette DussaultMarcelo Arroyo and

Sara Simard

Directed by: Jacinthe Pontvin

- Feb. 25 to 28: 8pm- Mar. 4 to 7: 8 pm- Mar. 1 and 8: 2:30 pm- Mar. 7: 3:30 pm

English surtitles: Feb 26and 27; Mar. 4 and 7

Berkeley Street Theatre26, Berkeley Street(South of Front Street,

one block west of Parliamant)416.534.6604

Poems and Songs of the Black Re-sistance.

An overview – past and future.

Directed by George MulambaArtistic collaborators: Emery T.Lumembo and Vital Kasongo.

February is Black History month.The TfT invites you on this occasionto come and discover the texts ofLéopold Sédar Senghor, Aimé Cé-saire, Ousmane Sembène, BiragoDiop and Nicolas Machiavel in atheatrical and poetic ambianceblending melancholy, humour, de-spair and hope.

For further information, go to :http://www.theatrefrancais.com

Poems and Songs of the Black Resistance February 21

Poems and Songs of theBlack Resistance.

Directed byGeorge Mulamba

Saturday, February 21At 8:00 pm

Berkeley Street Theatre26 Berkeley Street

Upstairs

20 $ for all

4

MMuussiiccMMuussiicc

5

Piano quartets for violin, viola, celloand piano:

The Quatuor en La Majeur Opus30 by Ernest Chausson (1855 –1899) and the Quatuor en Do mineurOpus 15 Gabriel Fauré (1845 –1924).

Performed by:- Jacques Israelievitch, violin, - Teng Li, viola,- Shauna Rolston, cello,- Henri-Paul Sicsic, piano.

Gabriel Fauré Ernest Chausson

French chamber music February 6

French chamber music

Friday, February 6At 7:30 PM

Walter HallFaculty of Music

Edward Johnson Building,University of Toronto,

80 Queens ParkToronto

As part of Black History Month, theAlliance française of Toronto pres-ents “Bleu, Blanc, Blues”, a cabaret-chanson with Treasa Levasseur andDonné Roberts sketching the some-times unsuspected links betweenblues and the French chanson.

Blues is a genre that has travelledfar and wide. From its roots in WestAfrican it followed the slave migra-tions as far as the Mississippi Riverand then boarded the train for SaintLouis, Chicago and New York. Fromthere, it conquered the whole

world, crossing every border andfinding expression in every lan-guage – including French and joual!

This is the heritage that Treasa Lev-asseur and Donné Roberts revisit in“Bleu, Blanc, Blues”. AlthoughTreasa hails from North Bay, youwould swear comes from Memphiswhen you hear her sing. GuitaristDonné was born in Madagascar butwears the blues as comfortably asa sweater knitted with his ownhands. These two rising stars ofCanadian music have appeared to-

gether on the same stage only afew times – so Bleu, Blanc, Blues isa special occasion in more waysthan one.

- Dominique Denis, Artistic Director

Bleu, Blanc, Blues February 6

Bleu, Blanc, BluesWith Treasa Levasseurand Donné Roberts

Friday, February 6at 7:00 pm

Admission:$ 5Free admission for AFTmembers and students.

AFT SpadinaGalerie Pierre-Léon24 Spadina Road

The vocal ensemble “Les voix ducoeur” presents its cabaret: Y ad'la joie!

The vocal ensemble « Les voix ducœur », was established by BernardDionne in 1994. Directed since 12years by Manon Côté, the Ensem-ble counts more than 30 choristers,and is devoted to francophonerepertoire, mainly from Canada andEurope. The Ensemble; composed by non-professionals choristers, is,without doubt, one of the most dy-namic, and though years has builda strong reputation over Ontario. In

this modest francophone Ensemble(the only one in the province), wecan see the happiness of singing,and a strong friendship; whichmake their audience more andmore faithful…

Y a d’la joie February 24 and 25

The vocal ensemble“Les voix du Coeur”

presents

Y a d’la joie

February 24 and 25At 7:30 pm

At the Lula Lounge1585 Dundas St. West

Reservation905-883-7951

jnc@rogers.com

From the uniquely imaginativepen of France’s favourite Ro-mantic, Hector Berlioz comes adazzling retelling of the classicstory of the learned doctor whosold his soul to the Devil in re-turn for great knowledge.Charles Dutoit, today’s unsur-passed master of French reper-toire, presides over a stellar castof singers, a full chorus, and theTSO.

Charles Dutoit, conductorSusanne Mentzer, mezzo-so-prano Gregory Kunde, tenor Sir Willard White, bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu, bass Toronto Mendelssohn ChoirToronto Children's Chorus

The Damnation of Faust February 26 and 28

The Damnation of Faustby Hector Berlioz

Conducted by Charles Dutoit

February 26 and 28at 8:00 pm

At the Toronto Symphony Orchestra

212 King Street West, Toronto

6

The Consulate General of France inToronto and the Alliance Françaiseof Toronto are pleased to presentIvan Ilic. The Paris-based greatpianist visits Toronto to give hisCanadian recital début on Thu-rsday, February 19, at 8 PM, atGlenn Gould Studio. Ilić will also present a soirée on theevening following his concert to dis-cuss the relationship between cul-ture and music in France. Recently praised by the New Yorkeras an "adventurous pianist" who"likes his music on the brainy side",Ivan Ilic is rapidly gaining a stronginternational reputation. In 2007,he was applauded all over the worldincluding Boston, Washington,Dublin, New York, or Belgrade. His first CD of music by Claude De-bussy, lauded as "masterly" by

Gramophone Magazine, recently re-ceived Mezzo Television's CriticsChoice Award in France.Ivan Ilic’s Canadian recital débutwill include Canadian premières ofworks by the Canadians Brian Cur-rent and John Metcalf, and by theAmerican Keeril Makan, and De-bussy Préludes from his new CD.Composer Brian Current will give apre-concert chat at 7:30 p.m.

For more information about IvanIlić, visit his website atwww.IvanCDG.com

Ivan Ilić February 19 and 20

Ivan Ilić

Concert : February 19at 8:00 pm

At the Glenn Gould Studio250 Front St. West

Conference: Feb. 20At 7:00 pm

In French and EnglishAFT Spadina

24 Spadina RoadFree admission

CCiinneemmaaCCiinneemmaa

7

The trial of Joan of ArcBy Robert BressonWith Florence Delay et Jean-ClaudeFourneau1962Running time: 65 min.

Focused on Jeanne’s trial, thismovie is, since his releasing in1962, considered as a master-filmof Bresson. Bresson said of Trial, “I am not onlygoing to paint Joan’s passion andmartyrdom. I hope to make this

marvellous young woman into aliving person,” and at that he en-tirely succeeded. “For the first timein film history, one feels that Joan

was really burnt”

Le procès de Jeanne d’Arc February 12

Le procès de Jeanne d’ArcA film by Robert Bresson

February 12 at 7pm

Florence Delay will bein Toronto, in the early

April, to present this film.

La passion de Jeanne d’ArcBy Carl Theodore DreyerWith Maria Falconetti, MichelSimon, Antonin Artaud192881 min.

The Passion of Joan of Arc concen-trates on the last eight hours in thelife of the martyred saint, in whichshe refuses to sign a confessionand is burned at the stake. The filmis famous for, among other things,the script’s adherence to the trial

records; Rudolph Maté’s cruel,canted, and cropped compositionsof Joan and her tormentors, andthe abstract use of space; theshocking topography of flesh, often

in intense close-up, and its anoint-ments of blood, tears, and spittle;and, especially, Falconetti’s self-obliterating performance as Joan.

The passion of Joan of Arc February 6 and 12

The passion of Joan of ArcA film by Carl Dreyer

Friday, February 6 at 7 pmThursday, February 12

at 8:30 pm

Joan the MaidBy Jacques RivetteWith Sandrine Bonnaire, AndréMarcon1994Running time: 331 min.

Rivette: “The two great intimidat-ing films about Joan of Arc, byDreyer and Bresson are purely po-etic,” he said, “whereas I was aim-ing for a more narrative approach –

though I hope there are poetic mo-ments.”Jeanne la Pucelle, Parts 1 (Les

Batailles) & 2 (Les Prisons) will bescreened in its entirety on February8 at 1:00 p.m. There will be an in-termission between Parts 1 & 2.

Jeanne la pucelle February 8

Jeanne la PucelleA film by Jacques Rivette

Sunday, February 8At 1:00 pm

JOAN THE WOMAN - The Maid of Orléans on film

At the Cinematheque Ontario, Jackman Hall, Art Gallery of Ontario 317 Dundas Street West

And many other Joan of Arc films... See on: www.cinemathequeontario.ca

8

Les Lutins du court-métrage hasbeen actively promoting the publicdistribution of short films since1998.It has participated in the emer-gence of such directors and actorsas François Ozon, Jérémie Rénier,Ludivine Sagnier, Sylvie Testud andmany others, thereby playing avital role in discovering the newcinematic talents of tomorrow.The organization’s objective is tobring the short film out into the

open through a variety of initia-tives; these include a festival and atour of several French cities as wellas overseas initiatives. Among thelatter are the upcoming co-screen-ing by the Alliance française ofToronto and the National Film Boardof a selection of the best short filmsfeatured in the 2008 festival.

Best short films February 3

Best short films,selected by Les

Lutins du Court Métrage

Wednesday, February 3At 7:30 pm

Admission: $ 6 Free for the AFT and NFBstudents and members

At the NFB Cinema150 John Street

Under the Roof of the WorldA documentary by Izabel Barsivefor SRC/RDI

“Sous le toit du monde” is a docu-mentary that reflects the new rushto exploit the subsoil of the North insearch of its treasures of gold, dia-monds, nickel and uranium. Thepeople who inhabit this region goabout their business above thissubsoil; it does not belong to them,however, and is now being exploredand exploited by the mining com-panies with renewed fervour. Thelocal residents want to benefit fromthese riches and gain control overthem; but this is a long-term strug-gle that is sometimes part of theirautonomy claims.How are these Northerners making

the transition towards the extrac-tive industry? To what extent arethey taking part in the employmentadvantages being offered? Whatconditions apply to their becomingworkers and managers? Is this ac-tivity attracting young people?

“Sous le toit du monde” examinesthis issue by introducing us to min-ing industry players in three terri-

tories: Quebec’s Nunavik region,Nunavut and the Northwest Territo-ries. Whether optimistic or pes-simistic, they are at all times clearheaded and share a great passionfor this little-known region ofCanada.

Sous le toit du monde February 12

Sous le toit du mondeA documentary

by Izabel Barsive

Thursday, February 12At 6:30 pm

AFT Spadina24 Spadina Road

Toronto

By Abderrahmane SissakoWith Hélène Diarra, Aïssa Maïga,Tiécoura Traoré2006 Running time : 118 min.

With English subtitles

Mele and her husband Chaka aregoing through a tough time and di-vorce may lay ahead. While theirrelationship lies in the balance out-side their front door a court hasbeen set up, where local residentsof the African town in which theylive, have taken proceedings against the World Bank and the IMF

whom they blame for their woes...

Bamako February 11 and 17

BamakoA film by

Abderrahmane Sissako

February 11, at 7:30 pmAt the AFT Mississauga

4261 Sherwoodtown BlvdMississauga ON L4Z 1Y5

& at the AFT North York

95 Sheppard Avenue W.North York, ON M2N 1M4

February 17 at 7:30 pmAt the AFT Spadina24 Spadina Road

To live her lifeA film by Jean-Luc GodardWith Anna Karina, Sady Rebot…1962Running time: 85 minutes

The story of Nana, a young Frenchwoman, whose empty life, moneyissues, and her dream to becomean actress lead step by step toprostitution…This movie is certainly one of Go-dard master-piece, releasing at thehighly-point of his career. The inno-vating rhythm of the movie, con-sisting in twelve tableaux, is, in

it-self, most interesting; makingthis film, for personalities such asSusan Sontag, among others, “[…]the most important film I’ve seen inmy life.”

Vivre sa vie February 22

Vivre sa vieA film by

Jean-Luc Godard

February 22 at 3:00 pm

Jackman Hall Art Gallery of Ontario

317 Dundas Street WestTORONTO

An animation movie by GrégoireSolotareff & Serge EllissaldeWith Vahina Giocante, Isild LeBesco, Marie-Christine Orry Running time: 75 min. 2005

Mona lives in a ruined castle by thesea. She is a princess but lives a life

of misery, mistreated by an odiouspair of rats. But one day anadorable little unicorn U appearsand declares that she is there tohelp her through life and to assureher happiness. The two become in-separable. One day U brings homea charming and funny Lizard,Lazare. Scandalized by this intru-sion to their home, the rats demandthe newcomer leaves. In the sur-rounding woods they meet Lazare'sfamily, the Wewes, a family of mu-sicians living in a tree. Here lifecouldn't be more different than in

the castle, full of pleasure, musicand merrymaking. Mona discoverstwo new things: the wonder ofmusic and a blossoming attractionto the young guitarist Kulka. How-ever U suddenly becomes aware ofa worrying dilemma. What will hap-pen to her if Mona finds the happi-ness which is the sole reason forher existence...?

U February 21

UAn animation movie byGrégoire Solotareff &

Serge Ellissalde

Saturday, February 21At 2:00 pm

At the NFB Cinema150 John Street

TORONTO

Un jour tu comprendrasA film by Amos GitaïWith Jeanne Moreau, EmmanuelleDevos, Hippolyte Girardot, Do-minique Blanc2008Running time: 89 minutes

Madame Gornick, an aged womanwho prowls around her apartmentlistening to her television set, istuned to the Klaus Barbie trial of1987, in which testimonies aboutarrests, incarcerations and deporta-tions that took place during the

Holocaust were recounted. Mean-while, her son Victor is trying to as-semble the bits and pieces of theirfamily legacy through photographs,letters and memorabilia.

One day you’ll understand February 24

One day you’ll understandA film by Amos Gitaï

February 24 at 8:00 pm

Jackman Hall Art Gallery of Ontario

317 Dundas Street WestTORONTO

9

10

CCoonnffeerreenncceessCCoonnffeerreenncceess“L’amour à la dérive” is a show withmusic and song about love on therun. Gisèle Fredette, a well-knownopera and jazz singer, will performseveral songs written by PaulSavoie. She will be accompanied byLarry Lewis, an outstanding Torontoguitarist who specializes in classicaland fado music. Larry will also per-form a few musical works for guitarand Paul Savoie will improvise onthe piano. This is an evening youwill not want to miss.

Gisèle Fredette has appeared in anumber of operas with the Cana-dian Opera Company; she has also

performed in musical comedies andin jazz and blues shows. She lovesdancing on stage and is especiallyfond of Spanish and South Ameri-can music. Gisèle has also recordeda few CDs.

Paul Savoie is the author of some30 books in several literary genres.He also writes songs and composesmusic for the piano. His poetry col-lection, Crac, won the 2007 TrilliumPrize. He also won the Prix du Con-sulat de France for the entirety ofhis poetic works.Larry Lewis is an outstanding ac-companist and is a regular on the

Toronto club scene. He has alsowritten some plays and is fluent inFrench and Spanish.

L’amour à la dérive February 19

L’amour à la dérive

Thursday, February 19At 6:30 pm

Galerie Pierre-LéonAFT Spadina

24 Spadina Road

In FrenchFree admission

DDVVDD rreelleeaasseessDDVVDD rreelleeaasseessLe Fils de l'épicierA film by Eric GuiradoWith Nicolas Cazalé, Clotilde Hes-mes, Daniel Duval2007Running time: 96 min.

Antoine Sforza, a thirty-year-oldyoung man, left his village tenyears before in order to start a newlife in the big city, but now that hisfather, a traveling grocer, is in hos-pital after a stroke, he more or lessreluctantly accepts to come back toreplace him in his daily rounds.Back in the village, accompanied byClaire, a young woman he loves butwho hesitates to commit herself, he

does the job half-satisfactorily. Tooblunt, not in harmony with the lo-cals, he offends them more than heserves them. Fortunately Claire, who has morebusiness acumen, helps him to im-prove his skills. On the other hand,the relationships are tense with hisbrother François and even worsewith his father, who despises him.So when the latter is back in the vil-lage, the situation deteriorates…

Le fils de l’épicier In stores since February 24

Le fils de l’épicierA film by Eric Guirado

In stores since February 24

This slide show relates the historyof a widely-scattered people whohave taken up the challenge ofcoming together again. Long neg-lected, Creoles are now strugglingto have their voice heard. From theearliest days of colonization to thepresent time, the images reviewthe journey of people who owe theirethnically diverse roots to the forceof events.

Paul Comarmond has lived inToronto for a number of years. AMauritian by birth, he worked in thefield of graphic communications be-fore devoting himself to the Creolecause. He founded the Canadianchapter of the International Orga-nisation of Creole People.

The Creole world, from its origines to the present February 25

The creole worldFrom its origines to the

present

Tuesday, February 25At 6:30 pm

Galerie Pierre-LéonAFT Spadina

24 Spadina Road

11

Since her debut on the French liter-ary scene over a decade ago,Amélie Nothomb has become aworldwide literary phenomenon.Her books have garnered both crit-ical acclaim and enormous popularsuccess and have been translatedinto over fifteen different lan-guages. Her numerous awards in-clude the French Academy’s 1999Grand Prix for the Novel, the René-Fallet prize, and the Alain-Fournierprize, and most recently the GrandPrix Giono for her entire oeuvre.

Nothomb was born in Japanof Belgian parents in 1967 and haslived in China, New York,Bangladesh, Burma, and Laos. Herfirst novel, “Hygiène de l’assassin”,was published in 1992. Since then,she has published approximatelyone novel a year, all with Frenchpublisher Albin Michel. Her novelsinclude “Le Sabotage amoureux”(“Loving Sabotage”, W. W. Norton &

Co 2000), “Stupeur et tremble-ments”

(“Fear and Trembling”, Faber andFaber 2002), and “Métaphysiquedes tubes” (“The Character ofRain”, Faber and Faber 2003).

Amélie Nothomb will present herlast book: “Tokyo Fiancée” (EuropaEditions - “Ni d’Eve ni d’Adam”)during two conferences, on will takeplace at the Alliance Française deToronto, the second will takes placeà the Northern District Toronto Pub-lic Library. For this second confer-ence, she will be accompanied bythe Canadian author Martha Baillie.Baillie’s first novel, “My Sister Es-ther”, was published in 1995, fol-lowed by “Madame Balashovskaya’s

Apartment” in 1999. She has hadpoems published in journals includ-ing Descant, Prairie Fire and TheAntigonish Review. Baillie has beenawarded grants from the CanadaCouncil for the Arts and the OntarioArts Council. She’s now working onher fourth novel.

Sponsored by the Consulate Ge-neral of France in Toronto.

Amélie Nothomb February 5 and 6

Amélie NOTHOMB

Thursday, February 5At 6:30 pm

At the Alliance françaisede Toronto

24 Spadina RoadToronto

and

Friday, February 6At 6:30 pm

At the Toronto Public LibraryNorthern District

40 Orchard View Blvd.Toronto

Towards an Ecocolonial History ofthe Sahara: Water and Economy inAlgeriaWith George Trumbull IV, AssistantProfessor of History, DartmouthCollege, Hanover, New Hampshire,USA

Lecture in English

Towards an Ecocolonial History of the Sahara: February 27Water and Economy in Algeria

Friday, February 27At 3:30 pm

AFT SpadinaRoom 303

24 Spadina Road

EExxhhiibbiitt iioonnssEExxhhiibbii tt iioonnssAn exhibition by Rita Leistner

Abitibi-Consolidated’s Camp Vermil-lon, in the Mauricie region of cen-tral Quebec, is one of the largest ofthe province’s 200-odd loggingcamps. The 150 men who work thesite will tell you that they’ve come along way from their profession’sroots. These days, they’re not loggers somuch as mechanics, drivers, andmachine operators. Logging beganto move away from the romanticimage of the traditional logger asthe technological shifts that haverapidly evolved since the advent ofthe chainsaw in the 1920s requirefew workers and fell entire forestsat a dizzying speed.

Yet the lure of life in the forest re-mains. The landscape has a silent,

isolated quality that verges, evenamid the big machines, on theserene. Asked what drew him towork in the woods, thirty-nine-yearveteran Jean Paquin did not hesi-tate to respond: “C’est la liberté.”Rita Leistner is an award-winningindependent photojournalist. Herwork has been exhibited widely andpublished in books and magazinessuch as Vanity Fair Italy, RollingStone, The Walrus, Time and

Newsweek. She is co-author of Un-embedded: Four Independent Pho-tojournalists on the War in Iraq,and is represented by Redux Pic-tures in New York.

The last Lumberjacks From February 12 to March 6

The last LumberjacksAn exhibition by

Rita Leistner

From Wednesday February 12 to Friday March 6

Galerie Pierre-LéonAFT Spadina

24 Spadina Road

Free admission

12

René de Ceccatty was born in Ja-nuary 1st, 1952, in Tunis. He wrotealmost thirty novels, essays and bi-ographies. He is the translator of several Ita-lian authors (among others:Moravia, Pasolini, Umberto Saba).In partnership with Ryôji Naka-mura, he also translated modernand classic Japanese novels (Oe,Abe, Mishima, Tanizaki, Tsushima,Sôseki, Kunio Ogawa). René deCeccatty also wrote pieces for the-atre.

Intimate Time and daily time, rea-lism and fantisizing

From a lecture of some japaneseauthors and through his own expe-rience, René de Ceccatty will try tothink about the links and the con-trasts, between the intimate per-ception of time and the narration.Does the description of dreams,constituent of the imaginary of se-

veral authors, an influence on fi-ctional narration? Is it a counter-point to realism or does it foundrealism? He will read in particularextracts of two books from YûkoTsushima (Ô vent, ô vent quiparcours le ciel et Album de rêves)and of one book by Kunio Ogawa(Le rivage d'une tentation).

He will set them against somebooks from Kenzaburô Oé (M/T et

l'histoire des merveilles de la forêt)and Natsumé Sôseki (Oreillerd'herbes), but also against one ofhis own fictional writings (La sen-tinelle du rêve, Une fin, L'hôte in-visible). How art, dream, imaginaryproduction are used as a basis tothe realistic story?

René de Ceccatty February 26

Intimate Time and dailytime, realism and

fantisizingby René de Ceccatty

In English

February 26At 7:00pm

At the Japan Foundation131 Bloor Street West,

Suite 213416 966 1600

TTeelleevviissiioonnTTeelleevviissiioonnMonday, February 2

Les chansons d’amour2007By Christophe HonoréWith Louis Garrel, LudivineSagnier, Chiara Mastroianni.

Running time : 132 min.

In the hope of sparking their stalledrelationship, Ismael and Julie entera playful yet emotionally lacedthreesome with Alice. When tragedystrikes, these young Parisians areforced to deal with the fragility of lifeand love. For Ismael, this means ne-gotiating through the advances ofJulie's sister and a young collegestudent; one of which may offer himredemption.

Tuesday, February 3

La chinoise1968By Jean-Luc GodardWith Anne Wiazemsky; Jean-Pierre Léaud, and Michel Se-meniakoRunning time : 96 min.

A small group of French studentsare studying Mao, trying to findout their position in the world andhow to change the world to aMaoistic community using terror-ism.

Monday, February 9

La question humaine2007By Nicolas KoltzWith Mathieu Amalric, MichaelLonsdale, Jean-Pierre KalfonRunning time : 134 min.

Paris today. Simon works as psy-chologist in human resources de-partment of petrochemicalcorporation. When Management getshim to investigate one of the fac-tory's executives, Simon's percep-tion goes disturbingly chaotic andcloudy. The experience affects hisbody, his mind, his personal life andhis sensibility. The calm assurancethat made him such a rigorous tech-nician starts to falter.

Tuesday, February 10

Histoire du cinéma - mo-ments choisis2000A documentary by Jean-LucGodard

Running time : 90 min.

After « Histories of Cinema », Jean-Luc Godard directed severals history,to reveal the splendor of cinema. Wecould find Becker, Rossellini, Langand Truffaut…

FRENCH FILMS ON TFO (ALL MOVIES ARE SCREENED AT 9 PM)

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Monday, February 16

La blessure2005Drama by Nocilas KlotzWith Noëlla Mabassa, AdamaDoumia, and Matty DjmaboRunning time : 160 mins

Blandine arrives in France, flyingaway from Congo.Despite articulate claims for asy-lum, she is held in a crampedcell along with a number of fel-low Africans, humiliated, mis-treated and told that they canexpect immediate deportation…

Tuesday, February 17

Les Nuits de Varennes1982Historical movie by Ettore ScolaWith Jean-Louis Barrault, Mar-cello Mastroianni, Jean-ClaudeBrialyRunning time : 150 min.

In June of 1791, a group of pas-sengers in a stagecoach findthemselves caught up in theevents of the French Revolution,when they find themselves in thecity of Varennes when revolution-ists arrest the fleeing King Louis.

Thursday, February 19

Le jour se lève1939By Marcel Carné With Jean Gabin, Arletty, andJules BerryRunning time : 86 min.

Francois, a sympathetic factoryworker, kills Valentin with a gun.He locked himself in his fur-nished room and starts remem-bering how he was led tomurder.

Monday, February 23

Paria2001By Nicolas KlotzWith Cyril Troley, GérardThomassin and DidierBerestetskyRunning time : 125 min.

Two homeless men are broughttogether by fate in this gritty ne-orealistic drama from France.After quarreling with his family,college-age Victor (Cyril Troley)decides to move out and find anapartment of his own. However,Victor's desire for independenceisn't coupled with a bankroll, andwhen he falls behind on the rentat his tenement flat, he's evictedon New Year's Eve and is forcedto fend for himself on thestreets…

Thursday, February 26

Le Quai des Brumes1938By Marcel CarnéWith Jean Gabin , Michèle Mor-gan, Michel SimonRunning time : 87 min.

Jean, a deserter from the Frencharmy arrives in the port of Le Havrewhere, he meets and falls in lovewith a young woman, Nelly. Jean'sfortunes take a turn for the worsewhen he makes a stand to protectNelly from her guardian, Zabel, anda former admirer, both of whom areruthless crooks.

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