Un Point c'est tout

🏰 Every year on July 14, France celebrates its national day, known in English as "Bastille Day". But what exactly is the so-called "Bastille"? Or should we say "was" because it no longer exists. It was a prison and a fortress in the heart of Paris, which the revolutionaries besieged, seized and destroyed from July 14, 1789, marking the beginning of the French Revolution.

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🎥 Alongside the Lumière brothers and other big names in early French cinema such as Léon Gaumont, there is Alice Guy. With more than 700 short films, she was a major figure in the early ages of the seventh art. With films like "La Fée aux choux", she defined an era, both in France and in the United States. Yet, she (and her work) mysteriously disappeared from the records about a century ago, only to reappear in the 21st century.

Let's understand why in this week's conversations. Join us on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

⚔️ Following the release of the new film "The Three Musketeers: d'Artagnan", and the anniversary of the death of the real d'Artagnan on June 25, 1673, here is an episode on the world-famous novel by Alexandre Dumas. But before we start, why did Dumas call it "Les trois Mousquetaires"? Aren't they four? Well, it seems that Dumas thought this confusion would benefit the sales of his book. I guess we can't deny that it worked out pretty well. (Subtitles are available in French and English by clicking on the CC button on the YouTube control bar). Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

⛪️ The Cardinal Duke of Richelieu, chief minister of Louis XIII, aka the Red Eminence, was made infamous by Alexandre Dumas' 1844 novel "The Three Musketeers". Plotting against the Queen of France, he is portrayed as a Machiavellian character, ready to go to any length to achieve his personal goals. Even though his toughness seems to be historically accurate, the Cardinal wasn't really driven by evil. Instead, his rigorous approach to politics and diplomacy, which inspired Dumas so well, was seemingly only motivated by national interest… What is your opinion?

🌏 Imagine being an Englishman during the Industrial Revolution, and wealthy enough to decide on a sudden impulse to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days, just to make a point to your friends at the gentleman club. As obnoxious as the initial plot may seem, it gave Jules Verne a formidable pretext to make our imagination travel to France, Italy, Egypt, India, China, Japan and the United States, all in one tiny book (still about 250 pages, though). Highly recommended book! in French obviously. Meanwhile, there are numerous film adaptations such as the classic 1956 version with David Niven (in US: https://amzn.to/3BHE6d4 - in UK: https://amzn.to/42QgNd8) or the 2004 version with Jackie Chan (in US: https://amzn.to/43eWZjz - in UK: https://amzn.to/437PHOn). (Subtitles are available in French and English by clicking on the CC button on the YouTube control bar). Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

🗑 Among the many celebrations of the month of May, there is one particularly joyful: the celebration of trash. "La poubelle" in French. Before being the name of a notorious restaurant in Los Angeles, the word "poubelle" was a simple feminine noun, itself derived from the name of Eugène Poubelle. And this ping-pong between name and noun is in fact a figure of speech: an antonomasia. So much to say about trash! Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

🎨 Recognized as one of the most influential French artists, Marc Chagall wasn’t actually French at first. Born and raised in a Jewish family of Belarus, his heritage, in the first half of the 20th century, had a massive impact on his life, his personality, and most importantly, on his body of art. As the question of maintaining or replacing his giant painting on the ceiling of the Opéra Garnier in Paris arises again, let's do a little retrospective on his almost century-old life and career. Join this week's conversations on Marc Chagall, and our Thursday focus group "Faut-il remplacer le plafond de l'opéra Garnier ?" on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

🎺 May 5, 1862, the French troops arrive in Puebla, Mexico, determined to defeat the Mexican army. Better trained and more numerous, they should soon control the region, and then the rest of the country. But, there is a but. The Mexican soldiers know the terrain well, and for nothing in the world would they abandon their land. In about three hours, heroically, they push back the enemies. An affront that the French will find difficult to swallow... Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

👑 If this Bourbon king hadn't received the number 15, he may have been forgotten in the meanders of time. Luckily for him, he reigned just between the Sun King (14) and the beheaded one (16). Nevertheless, Louis the 15th wasn't as uninteresting as it seems. He was no public relations master, sure, but quite an effective king who deserves more credit for his promotion of the arts and sciences in the Age of Enlightenment. Director Maïwenn depicts him (played by Johnny Depp) in her latest feature film JEANNE DU BARRY which will be premiering at Cannes this year. Join this week's conversation on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com

🥄 If you haven’t seen this feel-good movie*, you must. Amelie will cheer you up, the same way she cheers up everyone around her. And if you've already watched it, it's a great opportunity to re-watch it before moving on to the newly released 6-minute video, a self re-appropriation the director Jean-Pierre Jeunet just released on his YouTube channel**. Listen to this week's episode, join this week's conversations on https://www.frenchconversationgroup.com