FrancoFiles

French-language comics, or bande dessinée, are a beloved piece of media around the world. Classics are still popular today, and modern creatives continue to build on the genre's vast body of work. To learn more about popular BD culture in France, we spoke with Matt Madden, a US cartoonist and creator of "99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style" a playful exploration of Raymond Queneau's Exercices de style. Madden shares his views about the French “ninth art” and his experiences working in Angoulême, city of the second largest comics festival in Europe. As a translator, a teacher, a U.S. Correspondent of Oubapo and a French knight in the Order of Arts and Letters, Matt dives into the importance of cartoons and the opportunity they give to challenge the limits of one's creativity and imagination.

American-Parisian Elaine Sciolino has spent much of her career writing love letters to the City of Lights. An accomplished author and a former Paris Bureau chief for the New York Times, Elaine has spent many years chronicling French culture, life and politics for both French and American audiences. Her ability to translate concepts across cultures has earned her the chevalier of the Legion of Honor for fostering Franco-American friendship, and she is seen as a valuable American ally to France. On this episode of the #FrancoFiles Podcast, we listened to this master storyteller and true Francophile recount her tale of her time in Paris.

"The New French Revolution" that's the name given to La French Tech, a government initiative of France, one of the few in the world that has dedicated a national strategy to support French start-ups in hubs around the world, including in the US. The leader of this pro-business movement is Director Kat Borlongan, a Filipino-French citizen whose cross-cultural experience and vision for innovation is putting the already-accelerating tech movement in France on the map. Working with teams in France and in the U.S., Kat is broadening the scope and influence of French entrepreneurship and the broader startup culture by promoting diversity and challenging the discourse around women leaders.

It's a noble thing to follow in the footsteps of your hero, and Julien Icher has taken this notion a step further. His nonprofit, the Lafayette Trail, retraces the 1824-1825 Farewell Tour of famed Franco-American hero General Lafayette. Julien is a French geographer and historian who is fascinated by the Marquis' visit that united the U.S. during a trying time. An advocate of Franco-American history and friendship, Julien is forming relationships across the U.S. by placing commemorative markers in towns that hosted Lafayette and bringing to light Lafayette's profound influence in American history. Listen to learn more about Icher's journey and America's favorite Frenchman.

The world’s largest startup campus is a Franco-American marvel. In the heart of Paris in a renovated train station, STATION F is captained by Roxanne Varza, an Iranian-American who is passionate about getting young businesses the resources they need to thrive. She works hard to create an environment where unicorns can brush elbows with the world’s top leaders–all this while leading nonprofits that get female entrepreneurs the equal recognition and representation they deserve. Listen as we speak with Roxanne about what it’s like to be the builder of an entrepreneurial ecosystem and the “room where it happens.”

The American Library in Paris is a testament to Franco-American tenacity. Founded and maintained by bibliophiles committed to freedom of thought and open discussion, this institution survived great hardship to provide a haven to those in need. From famous expatriates like Stein and Hemingway to today's modern bestselling authors, the library has been an arena of inspiration and conversation since its founding during World War I. Learn more from the library's director: Texan Audrey Chapuis.

Villa San Francisco is a French-founded international space for dialogue between artists and community seeking to connect innovative ideas to solutions that respond to global and local challenges. Today, we speak with Melanie Desliens Flint, a founding member of Villa San Francisco and an integral part of the international Villa Network's expansion to the United States.

IN DEPTH – “Is it a revolt? No, sire, it is a revolution!” Hop on this time-machine as we take you back to July 14, 1789 with special guest Gary Girod of the ‘French History Podcast’. Explore & understand the series of events leading up to the storming of the ‘Bastille’ and how it forever changed the tides of history. Learn about the profound social effect of France’s National Day post-WWI and the present-day celebrations on the Champs-Elysées.

IN DEPTH – Dive with us into the profound and differing experiences of African Americans in France and in the U.S. during World War I. Gain insight into this particular and important part of our shared history with guest curator, Krewasky Salter from the Smithsonian exhibit "We Return Fighting - World War I and the Shaping of Modern Black Identity" shown at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

IN SHORT – For the past 14 years, Michelin Guide has brought its team of incognito restaurant reviewers and experts to explore the delectable and wide-array of restaurant options in the United States. Enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes episode with Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director for The Michelin Guide, as he reveals the how the red guide has brought “France to the US” and how its influence has transformed consumers’ restaurant experiences and altogether the fine dining industry.