Committee Member: Adrianna, Treasurer 2013

Adrianna Galioto

What are you studying at La Trobe? 

I am currently in my second year studying Speech Pathology. I am absolutely loving the course and my ultimate career goal would be to work alongside children with disabilities assisting them with speech and language.

What do you love about French language and francophone culture?

The thing I love most about French language is the way it sounds. As corny as it sounds whenever I hear someone speak French it makes me tingle with excitement. It really is such a beautiful language. It is much to hard to summarise what I love about French/francophone culture but I love how passionate they are about anything and everything! Not to mention francophone cuisines such as Moroccan, Tunisian and French delicates! The aroma, the taste, the sights, need I mention more!

Any francophone movies/books you could recommend?

One of my favourite French films would be Les Intouchables. It is a wonderful story based on real life events. The film revolves around a beautiful friendship that arises between a millionaire quadriplegic and a young troubled man who becomes his carer. It's one of those films that makes you laugh, cry and feel inspired all within two hours! Definitely worth watching!

Club Event: Weekly Catch-up at the Eagle Bar

Want to catch up with fellow French students and club members outside of class? Come along and join us for a verre 5pm every Thursday at the Eagle Bar!

This will be an opportunity to chat about about all things French, for beginners students to ask advanced students for homework help (we are very friendly, please ask us!), to make new friends, to catch up with old ones and to simply unwind from a gruelling week of classes in pleasant company. As opposed to the Weekly Conversation Sessions (5pm Mondays in HU3 234), this event will be predominantly English-speaking.

When? 5pm every Thursday during semester.
Where? The Eagle Bar.
How much? Free to come along, drinks available to purchase at the bar.

Club Event: Careers Seminar with Pascale Chifflet

It is with great excitement and anticiptation that we at the La Trobe French Club announce our inaugural Careers Seminar!

We hope this will be the first in a series, wherein prominent figures in the francophone community who have led careers of note can share their stories, wisdom and advice. It will also be an opportunity for La Trobe University French students to discover what they can do with their newfound bilingual capabilities!

Our first guest will be Pascale Chifflet, a former Legal Officer at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The proceedings will include a lecture from Pascale about her career and a brief Q&A. All are welcome!

When? 5pm Thursday 18 April 2013 (i.e. Week 6).
Where? Hooper Lecture Theatre.
More info? Keep an eye on our Facebook Events Page to stay up-to-date.

Film Review: “Le Prénom”

Un film surprenant et amusant!

Vincent, un homme qui est très riche va être père pour la première fois. Sa sœur a organisé une réunion avec les leur meilleures amis pour célébrer la nouvelle fantastique. Mais, cette réunion a créé beaucoup de chaos dans la famille à cause du prénom scandaleux de l’enfant.

Ce film a été réalisé par Alexandre de la Patellière et Matthieu Delaporte et le scénario s’inspire de la pièce « le Prénom. » Si vous aimez les films créatifs, drôles et uniques, il faut que vous regardiez ce film! Les acteurs, Patrick Bruel, Valérie Benguigui et Charles Berling sont incroyables et je vous promets que ce film vous fera plaisir.

Review by Adrianna Galioto

Melbourne Event: Monet’s Garden at the NGV

Waterlilies (Nymphéas) (1916–19)
by Claude Monet

Opening in May 2013, this stunning exhibition will be devoted to Claude Monet’s iconic garden at Giverny and will include more than fifty masterpieces from the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris, as well as paintings from leading international museums and private collections.

Renowned as the ‘father of French Impressionism’ Monet’s forging of a new artistic style was inspired by his direct experiences of nature, culminating in the ravishing depictions of his own lily and flower gardens in the rural property at Giverny, northern France, that became his lifelong obsession. Through a magnificent and sweeping series of paintings, visitors will experience every facet of Monet’s picturesque garden; the iconic Japanese footbridge and water lily ponds, but also the irises, agapanthus, wisteria, weeping willow and alleys of roses with which Monet surrounded himself and which he painted repeatedly.

Club Event: Annual General Meeting 2013



Partake in choclate and cheese!
C’est grauit!

The French Club AGM for 2013 is mere days away! Would you like to nominate yourself for a position on our Committee? Oui? C’est génial! Click “read more” to get an idea of each position. No need to prepare anything too special for the night, just be your awesome self and give us a little spiel about why you’d like to be involved.

Remember, we also have “General Committee Member” positions up for grabs, which allows you to be part of the team, without having the handle a specific portfolio, as it were. We are happy to have several of these, so please come along and nominate yourself!

Got some incredible ideas for the French Club bubbling away? The AGM is the perfect time to bring them to our attention! We have slated some time for collective ideas storming, so please come along and join the storm!

Proceedings will be fairly informal, and mostly concerned with the eating of cheese and the drinking of wine. So come along, be part of things and have a lovely evening with the lovely people running your La Trobe University French Club!

What? La Trobe French Club Annual General Meeting.
When? 5pm Monday 25 March 2013.
Where? HUED 103.
Why? To elect a new committee and brainstorm ideas for our glorious club.
More info? Follow our Facebook Event Page.

Club Event: Crêpe Day March 2013

Crêpes for all in the Agora, courtesy of the French Club!

Our secretary, Imogen (foreground) and our president, Karena (background), hard at work!

Deliciousness!

Our menu

As always, the obligatory Nutella!

Melbourne Event: White Night 2013

From dusk till dawn, White Night Melbourne will transform the city into an all-night wonderland with over 80 free events celebrating music, food, film art and light!

Le concept de la nuit blanche est né en France il y a plus de 10 ans et s'exporte aujourd'hui à Melbourne pour la première fois. C'est une nuit entière dédiée aux arts et une nuit pour découvrir le centre-ville sous un nouveau jour.

Le Samedi 23 février 2013 à partir de 19h (7pm) jusqu'à 7h du matin (7am) venez découvrir le centre-ville comme vous ne l'avez jamais vu! Venez assister gratuitement à une nuit de concerts, de pièces de théatre, de films, d'installations artistiques interactives.

Cliquez-ici pour le programme complet!

Melbourne Event: Alliance Française Film Festival 2013

It's that magical time of year again when Melbourne gathers round to revel in the crème de la crème of French cinema... Oui! C'est vrai! The Alliance Française Film Festival is on again!

Les Enfants du Paradis will close this year's
AF French Film Festival

Kicking off in Melbourne on Wednesday 6 March and closing on Sunday 24 March, the festival takes place across Kino Cinemas (on Collins Street) and Palace Cinemas (including Como, Balwyn, Westgarth and Brighton Bay).

As always, there is a breathtaking array of films to inspire and delight and some juicy special events, including the Opening Night film Haute Cuisine, starring the comedy legend Catherine Frot (you may recognise her from such classics as The Dinner Game) and the Closing Night film, considered one of France's greatest ever mastepieces, Les Enfants du Paradis.

French Retro Pop: Claude François

Claude François (1939--1978)

Imagine the daggiest thing of all time. Then double it. Then put it in a silver suit. Then add dancers! That’s the best way I can describe France’s 60s/70s national treasure Claude François, or “Cloclo” as he is better known to his throngs of adoring (now very old or dead) fans.

His hits are countless. His dance moves, unbeatable. And by “unbeatable”, I of course mean utterly insane. But having been thoroughly converted to the church of Cloclo during my time in France, I can confidently say there is no better way to kick off 2013 than with a little “Cette année-là”!

What’s that you say? This reminds you of another song? That’s because it IS another song! “Cette année-là” was first released by Frankie Valli and the Four Season as “Oh, What a Night”.