Day of the Francophonie

Overview

Croissants, crêpes, the Moulin Rouge, Serge Gainsbourg, Louis Vuitton, Coco Chanel, Paris, Baudelaire,  Monet and kisses. There's plenty to thank the French for.

March 20 marks the 16th International Day of the Francophonie, celebrating the diversity (not falsity as the name may imply) of the 33 French-speaking nations around the world.  To honour these stylish people, Auckland Art Gallery is celebrating with their own French Language Weekend with a host of free activities .

Saturday kicks off at 12 with a selection of some of the best French animated films. Subtitles in English, bien sûr. For the kids (and kids at heart), there's a chance to get experimental. See what happens when you make art with food... For those who actually speak French (or think they can), take a trip back in time as Blandine Massiet du Biest gives a virtual tour of Paris and France at the beginning of the 20th century via the works in the Seeking Modernity exhibition.

Writer Thanh-Van Tran-Nhut will also give a talk on her work (in both French and English). Born in Viet Nam, but raised in America and France, she is the author of a collection of short stories Le Palais du Mandarin (The Palace of the Mandarin) 2009  and La Femme Dans Le Miroir (The Woman in the Mirror).

Sunday offers more gallery tours and talks from 11 am onwards and rounding off the weekend is another movie session with four short films. Check out the programme for details.

Feature Image: Robert Doisneau – Le baiser de l’Hotel de Ville, 1950