FIAF Announces June Programming: Jane Birkin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, La Comédie-Française, and More

This June, the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) celebrates the life and work of Serge Gainsbourg with a virtual talk with Jane Birkin and Charlotte Gainsbourg and a special musical presentation by Comédie-Française. FIAF also continues virtual screenings, talks, wine tastings, and live streams from its building in the heart of Manhattan. A full schedule of events in chronological order follows. All times are ET:

Virtual Talk with Jane Birkin and Charlotte Gainsbourg

Thursday, June 10 at 6:30pm
Moderated by Michael Cooper, Deputy Culture Editor at The New York Times
In English

Virtual Theatrical Concert - La Comédie-Française chante Gainsbourg

Thursday, June 10-Wednesday, June 30
In French with English subtitles

Three decades after his death, French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg remains a complex and vivid figure within music and culture.

Join FIAF on Thursday, June 10 for a special conversation with two celebrated artists who deeply know Gainsbourg as an artist and a man: the incomparable Jane Birkin, Gainsbourg's former partner, and accomplished actor/musician Charlotte Gainsbourg, Birkin and Gainsbourg's daughter. Together, they will look back at Serge Gainsbourg's genius creations and discuss his artistic heritage. Michael Cooper, Deputy Culture Editor at The New York Times, will moderate the conversation.

Additionally, FIAF will bring US audiences exclusive virtual access to La Comédie-Française chante Gainsbourg from Thursday, June 10-Wednesday, June 30. The film, a theatrical concert adapted from Stéphane Varupenne and Sébastien Pouderoux's show Les Serge (Gainsbourg Point Barre), pays tribute to the genius of the provocative artist. Actors from the renowned troupe embark on a search for the elusive man behind the music, and explore the lasting influence of the beloved, though sometimes polarizing composer and musician.

More information and tickets here.

Virtual Screening + LIVE Q&A - Notre-Dame: Our Lady of Paris

Thursday, June 17
6:30pm: Virtual Screening
8:10pm: Q&A with Directors Gédéon & Jules Naudet

The film will be available until Friday, June 18 at 6:30pm ET
Q&A will be streamed LIVE from FIAF Florence Gould Hall

Dir. Gédéon & Jules Naudet, 2020, 83 min, Color
In French with English subtitles

Captured from within the inferno of France's most beloved cathedral, Notre-Dame: Our Lady of Paris is a remarkable documentary about the harrowing fire that nearly destroyed 900 years of history.

Told through first-hand accounts from the firefighters, clergy, and local officials from the front lines, this special takes us back to April 15, 2019 when the whole world watched in real time as the fire raged for over 15 hours. To save one of the world's most cherished monuments and rescue some of Christianity's most priceless and revered relics, 500 Parisian firefighters risked their lives.

On Thursday, June 17, stream the film at 6:30pm ET and then join directors Gédéon and Jules Naudet LIVE from FIAF at 8:10pm ET when they take us behind the scenes of the film and answer viewer questions.

The Q&A will be moderated by Lindsay Cook, Assistant Teaching Professor of Art History at Ball State University and translator of Notre-Dame Cathedral: Nine Centuries of History.

More information and RSVP here.

Virtual Talk - The World of Elsa Schiaparelli

Wednesday, June 16 at 6:30pm

Delphine Bellini, CEO of Maison Schiaparelli, will talk about the fabulous heritage of this revolutionary Couture House and its unexpected revival. She will share insights about Schiaparelli's most iconic creations, her relationship with some of the most illustrious artists of the 20th century, and what animate, still today, the creative spirits of the Atelier which, from Marlene Dietrich to Lady Gaga's outfits, has never stopped innovating.

More information and tickets here.

Virtual Wine Tour de France

Bordeaux Tasting: Pierre Lurton Unveils Chateau Marjosse's Secret Cuvées
NEW DATE: Thursday, June 24 at 6pm

A member of one of Bordeaux's legendary winemaking families,a??Pierre Lurton-CEO ofa??Châteaua??d'Yquem and managing director of Cheval Blanc-shares his extensive knowledge of the region as well as a selection of cuvées from Château Marjosse. Lurton has owned and cultivated Château Marjosse since 1991, and he'll lead a tasting of selections from his Anthology Wine Collection. Started in 2017 with then newly hired winemaker Jean-Marc Domme, the Anthology wines are micro-vinifications of small-batch cuvées made from grapes on the property's most notable parcels. Each cuvée in the collection embodies its owner's poetic spirit and is named for one of the birds that inhabits the property.

Susan Kostrzewa, Editor-in-Chief ofa??Wine Enthusiast, will moderate.

More information and tickets here.

Please Note: This event has been rescheduled from April 28 to June 24 to accommodate for delays with wine shipments from France

Special Prize: All attendees will be entered into a drawing to win a selection of best cheeses from Lactalis. A winner will be selected via a random drawing at the end of the event.