Cultural Newsletter
December 2008
Consulate General of France in San Francisco
CINEMA
Fritz Lang’s Metropolis at Stanford
Score by Martin Matalon; Santa Rosa Symphony, conducted by Bruno Ferrandis
Saturday December 6, 2008, at 8:00pm
Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent-film masterpiece, Metropolis, has been lauded as a visual marvel and the first science fiction film. Restored by the Munich Film Museum, this classic of German Expressionist cinema comes to the big screen with live orchestral accompaniment by the Santa Rosa Symphony. The modern score was created in 1994 by Martin Matalon, who worked at Pierre Boulez’s IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique) in Paris to produce a composition in which conventional instruments combine with computerized sound modeling and electronics in a vivid, jazz-infused soundtrack. This up-to-date soundscape complements the film’s ever-relevant themes of the wonders and perils of technology for a novel Metropolis experience both contemporary and classic.
Location: Memorial Auditorium, 551 Serra Mall, Stanford Lively Arts, Stanford, CA
West Coast Premiere
Supported by the French-American fund for contemporary music
http://www.frenchculture.org/spip.php?article1957
Friday December 5, 7:30pm
Sunday December 7, 2008, 3:00pm, 5:00pm and 7:30pm
Monday December 8, 2008, 7:30pm
Wednesday December 10, 2008, 7:30pm
Thursday December 11, 2008, 7:30pm
Location: SIFF Cinema, 321 Mercer Street, McCaw Hall, Seattle Center
http://www.frenchculture.org/spip.php?article1956
Québec Film Week at Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinema
December 10 – 14, 2008
As Quebec celebrates its quadricentennial, there could be no better time to draw attention to its singular cinematic tradition. Along with seven recent works—many of which have won awards at festivals and showcases—the Film Society pays tribute to this history with a retrospective screening of Claude Jutra’s Mon Oncle Antoine. Included are films by brilliant established filmmakers such as Denys Arcand and Léa Pool alongside particularly strong debut works and provocative nonfiction features about Antarctica and the art world. This special program highlights the best of contemporary cinema and provides Bay Area audiences with unique opportunities to view exciting new films from Quebec and engage with bold filmmakers whose voices and visions will reward the adventurous.
Location: Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinema, 601 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
http://www.sffs.org/events/index_series_quebec.html
Filmmaker Anne Aghion at the Exploratorium
December 14, 2008, starting at 11:00am
Ice Stories & the Cinema Arts Program Present Ice People with Film Director Anne Aghion in Person
Screenings: 11:00 am & 2:00 pm in the McBean Theater
Live Webcast: 1:00 pm in the Phyllis C. Wattis Webcast Studio
The Exploratorium presents a unique afternoon with the scientists and filmmaker behind Ice People (2007, 77 min.), a documentary chronicling the claustrophobia, stillness, and beauty of living and doing research in Antarctica. Award-winning director Anne Aghion introduces her film in person and reunites with two of the film’s geologists, Drs. Allan Ashworth and Adam Lewis, as they speak with us live from Antarctica’s McMurdo Station.
Location: McBean Theater, Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts, 3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco
NewZonia
Wednesday, December 10, 2008, at 6:00pm
An evening of creativity for the benefit of 142 throckmorton theatre and black rocks arts foundation. The documentary “Burning Man, Voyage in Utopia” by Laurent le Gall will screen at 6:00pm
Location: 142 Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton avenue, Mill Valley, CA
http://www.142throckmortontheatre.com/
MUSIC
M83 at the Fillmore
Friday, November 28, 2008; Door: 8:00pm, Show: 9:00pm
“Saturdays = Youth”, M83’s fifth studio album was released on April 15, 2008 on Mute Records. It was recorded with Ken Thomas (known for his work with Sigur Rós, The Sugarcubes, Boys in a Band, Cocteau Twins and Suede), Ewan Pearson (who has also produced for Tracey Thorn, The Rapture and Ladytron) and Morgan Kibby (of The Romanovs).
Location: The Fillmore, 1805 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94115
http://www.frenchculture.org/spip.php?article1952
Sébastien Tellier at Mezzanine
Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 9:00pm
French singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sébastien Tellier will be in concert at Mezzanine on December 4. Tellier’s first album, L’incroyable Vérité (The Incredible Truth), was released in 2001. Tellier went on tour with Air in support of the album and was joined on stage by world-renowned theremin player Pamelia Kurstin. L’incroyable Vérité is a pop album featuring styles from lo-fi electronica to bizarre cabaret tunes. The track, “Fantino”, was chosen by Sofia Coppola for the soundtrack to her 2003 film Lost in Translation.
His third studio album Sexuality (an 11-track meditation on love-making) was produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk.
Location: Mezzanine, 444 Jessie Street (@ Mint), San Francisco, CA
http://www.frenchculture.org/spip.php?article1951
The San Francisco Contemporary Music Players and David Milnes will perform and discuss Pierre Boulez’s “Le Marteau sans maître”
Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 4:30pm
Widely regarded as Boulez’s first masterpiece, this celebrated, rarely performed work is where Boulez first began to “break the rules” of the total serialist technique that he had developed in his early years. The orchestration is unusual: mezzo-soprano, flute, three percussion, viola and guitar. Boulez uses familiar Western instruments to create Eastern sounds. Music Director David Milnes and the ensemble, along with guest mezzo-soprano Janna Baty, perform and discuss the piece in the beautifully designed and acoustically superb Presidio Interfaith Chapel. A versatile vocalist at home with both standard and contemporary repertoire, Baty earned rave reviews for her performance of this piece with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2006. Audience members are invited to stay for wine and snacks after the performance.
Location: Presidio Interfaith Chapel, 130 Fisher Loop, San Francisco, CA 94129
http://frenchculture.org/spip.php?article1949
The San Francisco Contemporary Music Players presents Furious Craft: Works for ensemble by Boulez and Francesconi; works for cello by Saariaho and Zhou.
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 8:00pm
Four pieces of intensity and craftmanship – two for ensemble and two for solo cello – warm this winter concert. Music Director David Milnes conducts the evening’s two ensemble pieces.
David Milnes and the players delve into Pierre Boulez’s rarely performed masterpiece, Le Marteau sans maître, as well as a smoldering work by Luca Francesconi featuring new ensemble member David Tanenbaum on guitar. Boulez’s unusual composition – for flute, guitar, viola, three percussion and mezzo-soprano – is widely regarded as his first great work. Two cello solos, played by Leighton Fong and Stephen Harrison, round out this powerful program.
There will be a pre-concert talk at 7:15pm, moderated by Music Director David Milnes.
Location: Yerba Buena center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission street at 3rd street, San Francisco
http://frenchculture.org/spip.php?article1950
Elodie O. on tour on the West coast, December 2008
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.
San Francisco:
The Elbo Room, December 15, 9:00pm
Location: The Elbo Room +Loop Station, 647 Valencia St, San Francisco
Portland:
Berbati’s Pan, December 17th, 9:00pm
Location: 213 SW Ankeny St, Portland, OR 97204
Seattle:
The Skylark, December 18th, 10:00pm
Location: 3803 Delridge Way sw, Seattle,WA
http://www.frenchculture.org/spip.php?article1948
ART
Yves Saint Laurent at the De Young Museum
Nov. 1, 2008 – March 1, 2009
“Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul”, at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum.
October 24, 2008– January 25, 2009
Strategically located on the commercial routes between China and India in the east and Europe in the west, Afghanistan was at the crossroads of civilizations in Central Asia. Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul explores the rich cultural heritage of ancient Afghanistan from the Bronze Age (2500 BCE) through the rise of trade along the Silk Road in the first century CE.
http://www.asianart.org/afghanistan.htm
OTHER EVENTS
Guy Clement Cohen at Crocker Galleria
December 1-31, 2008
French artist Guy Clement Cohen will inaugurate his exhibition along with Hessam Abrishami and Farok Ligvani on Thursday, December 4, 4:00-7:00pm
Location: Art People at Crocker Galleria, 50 Post Street level 2, #41, San Francisco
Holiday Wine Tasting Seminar at the Residence de France
December 10, 2008, 6:00 – 8:00pm
This fundraising event, organized by the Board of Directors and the Administration of the French American International School and International High School, will be held on December 10 at he Residence de France, with two renowned wine experts, Debbie Zachareas from Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and Martine Saunier founder of Martine’s Wines Inc. The evening will focus on Burgundy wines with seven exceptional selections poured, including prestigious Burgundies from Perrot-Minot, Denis Mortet and Leroy, and a seminar on Burgundy tasting. Hors d’oeuvres from the Burgundy region will accompany the tasting and wines will be available for purchase. The proceeds from this event will go to the the Campus Plus capital campaign to support the purchase and renovation of the new 66 Page Street Arts Pavilion.
Tickets: $160 per person
For more info, please call: 415-558-2018.
Our websites:
Official website of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy: http://www.frenchculture.org/spip.php?rubrique8
Official website of the Consulate General of France in San Francisco: http://www.consulfrance-sanfrancisco.org/
Official website of the French-American Cultural Society: http://facssf.wordpress.com/
Official website for Teachers of French: http://professeurs.wordpress.org
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