Brighton & Hove French Circle

The wines of Bordeaux are renowned and enjoyed all over the world, and help to extend the reputation of France, its culture and its gastronomy ; they are an important part of its identity. A byword for quality, refinement, luxury, the cultivation of the vine for two thousand years in this region has been quite eventful over the centuries, especially in the Middle Ages, when Aquitaine was English : these connoisseurs across the Channel particularly appreciate "claret", and they are the ones who first made a great contribution to the economic development of the vineyards of Bordeaux.

A broad and interactive look at translation as it is and how it is changing because of new technologies, market requirements and the evolution of languages.

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Paul Cézanne, master of form and colour, and recognised as the « father of modern art », spent his life painting portraits, landscapes and still-lifes. But, to paint a person in an outdoor setting presented him with acute problems. We shall examine together the development of Cézanne's style in these two areas, his efforts to reconcile them,  and his ultimate success in the final portraits. Images will be circulated in advance to stimulate discussion.

Hector Malot was a prolific writer. He wrote about 50 novels all of which dealt with the life and problems of his time. The two supposedly children’s novels, ‘En Famille’ et ‘Sans Famille’, in particular, reveal a man who had a sympathetic understanding of the lives of the poor of the 19th Century.

Discover Brittany from before and nowadays, its history, its culture and its inhabitants. Talk accompanied by an accordionist and a tasting of Breton cider.

"Fashion is the mirror of history". Louis XIV
Fashion and "haute couture" across the years. From Coco Chanel to Yves Saint Laurent, how has fashion changed and how has fashion influenced us?

Charles de Gaulle is a national hero, like Joan of Arc and Napoleon.
He has left an indelible stamp on the history of France of the 20th century. Leader of the Free French after the 1940 defeat, founder of the 5th Republic, his destiny is also deeply linked to the history of the United Kingdom, where he took refuge in 1940. Facing him, a no less eminent figure : Winston Churchill.

Later, as head of State, he opposed the entry of the United Kingdom into what was then the Common Market. This was according to his conception of Europe and of the European idea, but also of the place of the United Kingdom in the European entity.

These are the two themes that the lecturer will aim to clarify and examine in greater depth.

Vincent will tell you about Aznavour's life : - Born in 1924 in Paris, to a couple of refugees from Armenia, he was a friend of Edith Piaf, he began to appear in films, was interested in social issues, created the "Aznavour for Armenia" foundation....There'll be film clips to watch, extracts of songs to hear. There'll be singing!

A brief historical and cultural tour of the “French Rome”, capital of the département of the Gard in Occitanie (the region formerly known as Languedoc-Roussillon).

"Sans toi les émotions d'aujourd'hui ne sont que les peaux mortes des émotions d'autre fois" Amélie Poulain

Jeunet is known all over the world for his film "Amelie". Strange, poetic and fantastic stories. But what inspires this great director ? What are the symbols inside his films? Come and discover Jean-Pierre Jeunet's world!

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