The French Cultural Services in Los Angeles present :

Human Rights: Student Voices December 10 through January 4, 2009
	Don't miss “Images for Human Rights: Student voices”, a beautiful exhibition of 25 posters by top students at Art Center College of Design, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. These visual interpretations of the Declaration provide vibrant new perspectives on the universal theme of human rights, and were recently shown at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The exhibition is presented by Designmatters, Art Center's socials and humanitarian educational initiative, and is made possible through the generous support of the France Los Angeles Exchange (FLAX).
Location: Great Hall at the Pasadena Central Library / 285 E. Walnut St. - Pasadena, CA 91101 Info: http://cityofpasadena.net/library/

Architectures of Survival December 4 through December 14, 2009

Komplot curate at the Open Gallery several video installations with some of the most influents French artists of the moment. The French collective Bad Beuys Entertainment presents the video 'Champion' (2003), an animated gif file that is a series of logos of products, brands, companies and organisations called CHAMPION collected on the web. Pauline Bastard works on the detournement of functional objects, transforming their use value in moments of contemplation. Her work 'Fresh' associates a plastic bag and a ventilation fan in a very iteral visual pun. Movement and playfulness are also characteristic of the fountains she creates out of domestic wrapping paper.Jean-Philippe Convert made a piece by associating the Flemish flag with the cover album 'The Wall' by Michael Jackson. Like in his video 'Advise to Iraki People', he puts together different sources to question poetically what seems to be accepted in the media. Yona Friedman will be in Los Angeles, in January 2009. Before his visit, we wish to introduce his work by distributing manuals for building and creating spaces and structures that he puts together like recipes for public and private environments, sculptures and shelters. Hugues Marechal will stage a re-enactment of a performance where he stood at the entrance of an exhibition opening, demanding cigarettes from the visitors, whilst sporting a tattoo of the crocodile logo of Lacoste reversed on his chest in place of a shirt. A photograph of the original will act as a teaser for the visitor. Operating on the margins of the art world, Hugues Marechal tackles the question of survival facing artists in society & nature, with idiom based works on T-shirts (images from military survival manuals), plastic bags (Y€$) or graffiti tags which point to social phenomenon's, sex, community. With the support of the Commissariat général aux relations internationales, the Ministry of Culture of French Community of Belgium, the French and Belgian Consulates in Los Angeles

Location: Open Gallery - Outpost for Contemporary Art / 6375 N. Figueroa St. - Los Angeles, CA 90042 Info: http://www.kmplt.be/; http://www.outpost-art.org/; http://www.art2102.org/

Etant Donnés: The French-American Fund for Contemporary Art
	The Fund for Contemporary Art is dedicated to nurturing and supporting the outstanding programming of contemporary artists from France and the United States. It facilitates the discovery of emerging talent and firmly believes in the need to sustain interest in established artists whose work inspires younger generations. Etant Donnés is instrumental in creating a network of curators from both countries who work together and exchange ideas.
Info: http://facecouncil.org/etantdonnes/contemporaryart.html

Sébastien Tellier December 3, 2008
	Sébastien Tellier is a French singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is currently signed to Record Makers, a French independent record label. He sings in English, French and Italian.
Location: Henry Fonda Theatre / 6126 Hollywood Blvd. - Los Angeles, CA 90028 Info: www.sebastientellier.com/; henryfondatheater.com

Marianne Dissard December 5, 2008 at 10:00 pm
	Calexico fans will recognize Marianne as Madame to Joey Burns' lovestruck gold digger on Calexico's hit single, "Ballad of Cable Hogue" from their 2000 album "Hot Rail". She also duetted with Naïm Amor on the 2001 album "Tête A Tête/ABBC" by Amor/Belhom/Burns/Convertino, and she is featured, along with Jane Birkin, Françoiz Breut and other filles, on the 2007 "Filles Fragiles" CD compiled for Dutch label Essential Dance Music. Marianne contributes to the upcoming tribute to American folksinger Kath Bloom by Australian label Chapter Music and to compilations that include the "Christmas In Tucson" CD produced by Olivier Mosset with tracks by Bob Log III, Al Foul and other garcons. For that release, Marianne collaborated with Jonathan Richman's drummer Tommy Larkins to cover the 1980 British hit, "Stop The Cavalry". She also wrote an original Christmas song with Amparo Sanchez of Amparanoia for the Dutch blog Filles Sourires. Finally, UK label Regular Beat Recordings has announced a March 2008 release date for a split 7 inch vinyl with Alaska in Winter, featuring Beirut, on the flipside. Support shows have been scheduled for April 2008 in the UK. A first 7 inch vinyl (4 tracks with bonus 11 tracks digital download) was self-released in the spring 2006, selling out shortly afterwards.
Location: Montevista Cocktail Lounge / 100 N. San Francisco St. - Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Info: http://mariannedissard.com/; http://www.hotelmontevista.com/MVLounge.php

Marianne Dissard December 6, 2008 at 8:00 pm

Location: Raven Cafe / 142 N. Cortez St. - Prescott, AZ 86301 Info: http://mariannedissard.com/; ravencafe.com

Sébastien Tellier December 6, 2008 at 8:00 pm

Location: Larimer Lounge / 2721 Larimer St. - Denver, CO 80205 Info: www.sebastientellier.com/; http://www.booklarimer.com/schedule.htm

Sébastien Tellier December 7, 2008 at 8:00 pm

Location: Bluebird Theatre / 3317 E. Colfax Ave. - Denver, CO 80206 Info: www.sebastientellier.com/; http://www.bluebirdtheater.net/

Elodie O November 10, 2008 at 9:00 pm
	ElodieO is a staple of the New York City LES/Nublu electro scene that nurtured Kudu and The Brazilian Girls. Her sound is an elegant mix of 60's Nico-esque pop and 90's golden era trip-hop and down-tempo. Stubborn is a brilliant and complex album that is a suitable soundtrack for both a night on the town, and, the more intimate activities that often follow. Originally from Paris, elodieO sings, composes and arranges all the music on Stubborn with the exception of two re-arranged songs of by Serge Gainsbourg and The Cure. The album features guest spots from several internationally know artists, including Aaron and Jesse of the Brazilian Girls.
Location: Air Conditioned Bar / 625 Lincoln Blvd. - Venice 90291 Info: http://www.elodieo.com/start.html; http://www.airconditionedbar.com

ElodieO December 11, 2008 at 8:00 pm

Location: Beauty Bar LA / 1638 N. Cahuenga Blvd. - Los Angeles, CA 90026 Info: http://www.elodieo.com/start.html; http://www.beautybar.com/

ElodieO December 12, 2008 at 8:00 pm

Location: Beauty Bar SD / 4673 30th St. - San Diego, CA 92116 Info: http://www.elodieo.com/start.html; http://www.beautybar.com/

Guns’n’Bombs November 12, 2008 at 9:00 pm
	Guns 'n' Bombs is an electronic duo formed in August of 2006 by Filip Nikolic and John Dal Santo and based in Los Angeles. The group quickly produced two songs, "Nothing Is Getting Us Anywhere" and "Crossover Appeal," and were offered a record contract over MySpace by Gildas Loaec, the founder of Kitsune Records and co-manager of Daft Punk. Pitchfork Media declared that GNB's debut album "should make a serious impact on the culture of U.S.-bred dance music," and the Montreal Mirror said "Unpretentious and unforgiving badass, L.A.'s Guns 'n' Bombs (including an Ima Robot member) single-handedly put the United States outside New York back on my techno map, blow current German electro standards out of the water and give Paris’s New French Touch a run for its money."
Location: Chasers / 3615 El Cajon Blvd. - San Diego, CA 92104 Info: Guns’n’Bombs; http://www.detroitbar.com/

The French Music Export Office USA on My Space: a platform of French produced artists!

www.myspace.com/frenchmusicusa is a platform to discover the original made in France sounds (click on our friends’ page and hear parts of their latest productions)! Find links to the French Music Export Office’s website where you can find many more goodies: bios in English, dates of the French artists’ concerts around the world, professional contact information for each artist, etc., www.myspace.com/frenchmusicusa goes hand in hand with their official website www.french-music.org/. Support our artists abroad, post a comment on our page, and enjoy the diversity of the music produced in France!

Info: www.myspace.com/frenchmusicusa/

The French-American Jazz Exchange
	This project was created by Chamber Music America (CMA), the French Embassy and FACE to foster collaborative projects that unite French and American jazz artists. The program supports initiatives in both countries. In forming international relationships, artists are encouraged to think beyond traditional boundaries. Collaborations with musicians who champion world, electronic, contemporary classical, or other genres are welcome. Projects may include (but are not limited to) composition, touring, recording, and audience-development activities. Public performance is required, with the understanding that jazz speaks to diverse populations and experiencing music together bridges differences.
Info: http://www.facecouncil.org/jazz/index.html/

Should you apply to this program, please contact the French Cultural Services in Los Angeles.

Etant Donnés: The French-American Fund for the Performing Arts
	The Fund for the Performing Arts is dedicated to encouraging French-American cooperation in theater in the United States and in France. Application deadline: February 15, 2008.
Info: www.facecouncil.org/

FUSED: French U.S. Exchange in Dance
	FUSED brings together the French and American dance communities by fostering dialogue and exchange, consolidating professional relationships, and providing opportunities for choreographic innovation.
Info: http://www.facecouncil.org/fused/index.html/

Should you apply to this program, please contact the French Cultural Services in Los Angeles.

Holiday Party and French Movie December 6, 2008 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
	A "share our traditions" holiday buffet will be offered from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Goodies and activities for kids. Bring your camera for a photo opp with Santa! French music and a raffle! Movie " Le Pere Noel est une ordure" at 6:00 pm. Everyone in France (almost) knows this movie by heart! Wonderful dialogues and genuinely funny situations. A must see! The movie is in French with English subtitles (PG-13)
Location: Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center / 4126 Executive Drive - La Jolla, CA 92037 Info: www.afsandiego.org

Face Before Against - Face devant contre by Isabelle Garron / Translated by Sarah Riggs

In Face Before Against, each utterance (poem) opens a little theatre, arenas of silence and disturbance. Syntactical quanta orbit, hovering around the human voice. Cast adrift, we find Sapphic brackets as guard rails and arrows that indicate, invite and stave off the unavoidable ruptures: love, war, history, and the simple fact of seeing all encroach on language´s pastoral scene. The sudden stops, turns, drops evinced in these poems (so beautifully and delicately translated by Sarah Riggs) articulate along the human range, and at the farther reaches we are transported into “when / a world would be. American Publisher: Litmus Press, 2008 ISBN : 978-1933959047

Blue Pills A Positive Love Story - Pilules Bleues by Frederik Peeters / Translated by Anjali Singh

From one of Europes most acclaimed young comics artists, a deeply personal story that will resonate with all of us who have chosen to love in the face of great challenges. One summer night at a house party, Fred met Cati. Though they barely spoke, he vividly remembered her gracefulness and abandon. They meet again years later, and this time their connection is instantaneous. But when things become serious, a nervous Cati tells him that she and her three-year-old son are both HIV positive. With great beauty and economy, Peeters traces the development of their intimacy and their revelatory relationship with a doctor whose affection and frankness allow them to fully realize their passionate connection. Then Catis son gets sick, bringing Fred face to face with death. It forces him to question the meaning of life, illness, and love -- until a Socratic dialogue with a mammoth helps him recognize that living with illness is also a gift; it has freed him to savor his life with Cati. As in the best graphic memoirs, Blue Pills puts into art and human terms a daunting subject in a way that is refreshingly honest and profoundly accessible. A brave and unsentimental romance, Blue Pills will resonate with anyone whose love has faced great obstacles and triumphed. American Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company , 2008 ISBN: 978-0618820993

The EU and the US: Strengthening an Ambitious Relationship December 5, 2008 at 7:30 am
	In 1993, independent sovereign countries formally joined to­gether to form the EU, a political and economic union. Today, the EU comprises 27 member states. France is the current six-month president of the EU, with the Czech Republic to take over the presidency in 2009. The Ambassador of the European Union and the Ambassadors of the Czech Republic, Germany, France and the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, member states of the EU, will discuss the important partnership that exists between the EU and the US. Today, the EU, the US and the global community face many major challenges—the global financial crisis, the risk of terrorism, pro­liferation of weapons of mass destruction, rogue states and failed states, climate change, dependence on imports of gas and oil, and the development and promotion of renewable energy sources. To respond to these major challenges and challenges yet unknown, a strong EU-US relationship is imperative. Please join us at breakfast on Friday, December 5, 2008, to hear our panel of prominent Ambassadors from the European Union discuss the relationship between Europe and the United States. We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the Honorable David Martinon, Consul General of France, for his leadership in arranging this important program.
Location: The Omni Hotel / 251 S. Olive St. - Los Angeles, CA Info and reservation: www.lawac.org or (213) 628-2333

	Through December 31st, 2008, France holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The logo of the French Presidency illustrates the strength of the bond uniting France and the European Union. It symbolizes the Presidency’s commitment to work for the general European interest. Simple and clear, it is aimed at all Europeans. It is both political and popular.
Info: http://www.ue2008.fr/PFUE/lang/en/accueil/

Québec Research Initiative Program
	The Québec Research Initiative was created to foster greater understanding of Québec in the United States, particularly with regard to Québec’s primary areas of interest. Through the initiative, the Ministère des Relations internationales (MRI) hopes to increase cooperation between Québec and American institutions. Priority will be given to projects carried out in partnership with educational institutions in Québec.
Deadline: December 19, 2008 Contact: yanick.godbout@mri.gouv.qc.ca Info: http://www.quebecusa.org/quebecstud

Universciné
	In collaboration with the association "Le meilleur du cinéma français", the French Cultural Services is offering an Internet portal that enables Universities and Cultural Centers to access films online and to organize public screenings more easily throughout the U.S. More than 60 feature-length independent films are available in the U.S. most of which figured among the most prominent French independent films inthe last few years.
Info: http://www.frenchculture.org/spip.php?article436&tout=ok/

French Podcasts
	The students of the Lycée International de Los Angeles have recorded podcasts about cultural, historic, scientific or music events in French. A great opportunity for people who want to learn French.
Info: Can be listened at http://blog.lilaschool.com/

The French-American Fund for University Partnerships
	This program is managed by FACE, a U.S. nonprofit organization which works in cooperation with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. The Fund's first objective is the creation of innovative partnerships between institutions of Higher Learning in France and the United States to foster joint and shared graduate diplomas. Long-term agreements between French and US Graduate Schools are encouraged to jointly develop new shared courses and research in both Hard Sciences and the Humanities. The Fund's second objective is to give French and American graduate students the opportunity to explore cross-cultural, interdisciplinary approaches in their training and/or research, thereby acquiring globally-minded professional competencies. The long-term goal is to strengthen ties between France and the United States through these structured partnerships.
Info: www.facecouncil.org/education/

The French Heritage Language Program
	This program was created in 2005 by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and received additional support from the Alfred & Jane Ross Foundation. It is designed to support and enrich the teaching and learning of French language, literature, and culture for students of Francophone background enrolled in New York City public schools. The primary objectives of the program are to help these students develop proficiency in French (reading comprehension, writing, oral expression and other literacy skills), and keep a connection to their respective cultures and identities, while increasing their opportunities for success in their new environment. Through university partnerships, this project also hopes to contribute to scholarly research in the field of heritage language learning. As a pilot program, it is a place for pedagogical and methodological exploration, and a way to build new partnerships. We seek to develop curriculum models that can be replicated and adapted in other cities in the United States, in France as well as in other countries. The French Heritage Language Program works closely with the Internationals Network for Public Schools, which includes nine high schools for new immigrants in New York City, all working on the development of models for global education. The French Heritage Language Program currently serves 75 students in five different Internationals high schools.
Info: http://www.facecouncil.org/fhlp/index.html

Should you apply to one of these programs, please contact the French Cultural Services in Los Angeles.

“Please Be Seated”, a Video Installation by Nicole Cohen at The J. Paul Getty Museum, South Pavillon Info: www.getty.edu/

“In Focus: The Landscape” at the Getty Center Info: http://www.getty.edu/

Jean-Pierre Hébert at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Art Forum Info: http://jeanpierrehebert.com/; http://www.sbcaf.org/

Julien Audebert at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Art Forum Info: www.vasistas.org/Audebert.htm; http://www.sbcaf.org/

“Phantasmagoria : Specters of Absence” at the USC Fisher Museum of Art Info: USC Fisher Museum of Art

"A light Touch: Exploring Humour in Drawing” at the Getty Center Info: www.getty.edu

“Sur le Motif: Painting in Nature around 1800” at the Getty Center Info: www.getty.edu

Louise Bourgeois at the Museum Of Contemporary Art Info: http://www.moca.org/

Marcel Duchamp Redux at the Norton Simon Museum of Art Info: http://www.nortonsimon.org/

“Houdon from the Louvre” at the Bonfils Stanton gallery Info: http://www.denverartmuseum.org/

“Image Makers and Rule Breakers: French Art, 1860–1960” at the San Diego Museum of Art Info: sdmart.org

"An afternoon with Bernar Venet” at the Scott White Contemporary Art Info: http://www.bernarvenet.com/; http://www.scottwhiteart.com/

“360 DEGREES” at the Alliance Française de Los Angeles Info: Annie Clavel ; Ghislaine Gargaro ; www.afdela.com

“Chantal Rialland” at the Museum of Neon Art Info: www.leslumieresdepheta.com; Museum of Neon Art

“Olivier Pojzman” at the Lurie Gallery Info: www.iriswork.com; http://www.luriegallery.com/

“The Belles Heures of the Duke of Berry” at the GettyCenter Info: www.getty.edu

“The Bourgeois Gentilhomme” at City Garage Info: www.citygarage.org

Continental Rifts: Contemporary Time-Based Works of Africa February 22, 2009 to June 14, 2009
	Continental Riffs brings together work by five contemporary artists with deep connections to Africa— Yto Barrada, Claudia Cristovao, Alfredo Jaar, Georgia Papageorge and Berni Searle — in a compelling display of the potency of new media to represent complex transnational, post-colonial identity politics. These five artists consider the question of “whose Africa?” through video and digital film works that explore geology, geography, botany, memory, exile, and loss, especially as these areas of inquiry relate to a world that is simultaneously globalizing and fragmenting. In the process, the boundaries between continents become blurred as lived experience and remembered pasts transcend these arbitrary divides.
Location: Fowler Museum / UCLA W Medical Campus - Los Angeles, CA 90024 Info: For more info, click here

§ Alliance Française de Los Angeles: www.afdela.com

§ Alliance Française de Pasadena: www.afdepasadena.org

§ Alliance Française d’Albuquerque: www.afabq.com

§ Alliance Française de Denver: www.afdenver.org

§ Alliance Française de Phoenix: www.afphx.org

§ Alliance Française de la Riviera Californienne: www.aforange.org

§ Alliance Française de San Diego: www.afsandiego.org

§ Alliance Française de Tucson: http://www.afusa.org/af/tucson/

§ Maison de la France: www.franceguide.com

§ Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz: http://theatreraymondkabbaz.com

§ USC Francophone Resource Center: USC Francophone Center

§ UCLA Department for French and Francophone Studies: www.french.ucla.edu

§ The Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States: www.frenchculture.org

§ French American Cultural Exchange: www.facecouncil.org