Un Point c'est tout

💒 17th century, Benedetta Carlini becomes a nun in the Convent of the Mother of God in Pescia, Italy. She distinguishes herself for her intense mysticism that will propel her higher and higher in the Church’s hierarchy. The question is: is it really faith that motivates her? Director Paul Verhoeven chose that true story for his latest and second movie shot in French. 🎬 Watch Paul Verhoeven's BEN...

🙇 We’re not talking about loveship and hateship this week. Actually, this is about vocabulary-ship. Regarding the words whose journey through time made them evolve differently in French and English. Think about “actually”—which is not translated with “actuellement”—, or “journey”—which is not “une journée”—… 🔗 Find the full list of false friends and their actual translations in the online book "...

🕯 In 1434, Bruges (in the Duchy of Burgundy back then) was home to one of the most important Flemish Masters, Jan van Eyck. Even though little is known about him and his work, he left us enough material to spend hours investigating it. That’s exactly what writer Jean-Philippe Postel did on one key masterpiece of the painter: The Arnolfini Portrait. Let’s follow him and try to shed light on the lit...

🏙 Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, Rust and Bone, …) and Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) are two of the most talented French directors of their generation. Put them together in a writing room and you get their latest project, “Paris, 13th District,” a very deep and intimate movie. No wonder the two regulars of the Cannes Film Festival made a big impression at the festival last year. 🎬 Watc...

☢️ A few weeks ago, the European Commission decided to label nuclear energy as “green” in an effort to meet the objectives of the 2015 Paris Agreement (https://youtu.be/_OUUSz3sPf0), and to reduce Europe’s dependence on foreign oil and gas. This decision left a lot of people aghast. The green parties are calling for a revision. Aren't there better ways to save energy and save the planet?  (Su...

⚓️ One of the most amazing pieces of romantic French art, “Le Radeau de La Méduse” on display in the Louvre, also has one of the most amazing stories. Painted in 1819, it represents sailors on a raft, hailing a boat in the horizon. Highly symbolic, it’s been used to illustrate political sinking many times. Let’s dive into the true story behind this masterwork. (Subtitles are available in French a...

🏔 The word “alpinism” comes from the Alps, could have guessed that. But when, and under which circumstances was the term created? It finds its origins in the highest mountain of Western Europe, between France, Italy and Switzerland. Mont Blanc is one of the most sought-after peaks in the world for mountaineers, and the venue for the first ever Winter Olympic Games. 🔗 Alexandre Dumas' "Impressions...

🎤 What’s hot on French radio in 2022? If their equivalent to the Grammy Awards (the Victoires de la Musique) don’t lie, there is quite a lot of interesting talent. I picked the winner of Best Album and Best Female Artist for a focus this week, I look forward to hearing your opinion. (Subtitles are available in French and English by clicking on the CC button on the YouTube control bar). 🎬 Watch t...

💦 As the political situation in Europe is heating up, I have chosen to do a 180-degree direction turn for our weekly conversations. A good kind of heat this time, the one that is in hot water, but in good hot water. With little bursting bubbles… Sacre bleu, it’s tough to get out of that analogy. I’m talking about spas obviously. Hoping this can take our minds off the conflict for a little. 🔗 Art...

⭐️ If you'd like to start reading French literature, this is a great beginning. Eighty years ago, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote a short novel for children combining poetry and philosophy, "Le Petit Prince". Since then, the tale has been translated in several hundred languages, making it the most translated book in the world after the Bible. Feel free to read it in your language first to grasp al...

🍫 Are words necessary to describe how good chocolate tastes? Certainly not. This week’s episode shows where it comes from, how to taste it and how good it is for your health. Tip: try listening to the episode with a piece of chocolate melting on your tongue for the entire length, you’ll get a nice surprise at 3:37 🔗 BBC study: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6558775.stm 🔗 Native American orig...

⚡️ Mixing music, politics, news and linguistics, this week we are focusing on the term "coup d'État". A "coup d'État" is a putsch, and also a song by Ivorian singer Alpha Blondy. Is his lyrics, he denounces the excess of coups caused by international interests in Africa. There has been quite a few coups in the news recently. But what does the term exactly mean and where does it come from? (subtit...

🌍 This translation of a Polish article (https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/vu-de-varsovie-exercices-militaires-en-bielorussie-la-pologne-raison-davoir-peur) explains how the country is rightfully concerned about the current Russia/Ukraine tensions. Coincidentally, it is in the same region, about 135 years, ago that Dr. Esperanto tried to prevent such tensions by inventing a universal l...

🥼 Clothes, hats, jewelry, perfumes,… Coco Chanel created an empire, starting with nothing but her desire to revolutionize women's fashion. Doing so, she became a symbol of French elegance and defined "modern chic" for generations. Watch this week's episode (subtitles are available in French and English by clicking on the CC button on the YouTube control bar) and let us know what modern chic means...

🍎 Ever wondered why French people don't suffer much of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes while their diet is made of charcuterie, bread, cheese and wine? Nothing to do with genetics, the results are accessible to anyone willing to relax, exercise and adjust their diet. More sun, better food and chillax, that's my 2022 resolution (subtitles are available in French and English by clicking on the...

🖼 Well known for his lifestyle and his rebel behavior (both in life and in art), Paul Gauguin sailed away from Europe, leaving five children behind, to start a new life in Tahiti. Did it make his art more interesting? Could he have been the painter we still recognize to this day if we could separate the man from the art? Find out more about this controversial figure in this week’s episode. 📖 Read...

🧭 What best to start the year than a topic covering so many themes? Bougainville was an explorer from the 18th century. Aboard his ship, he became the first Frenchman to sail around the world and discover Tahiti. To this day, we know his name mostly thanks to a flower he brought back to France: the bougainvillea. But a flower wasn’t the only thing he brought back: knowledge, science, discoveries...

✍️ Should a language increase in complexity or be simplified? In this case, certainly both ways can be supported with strong arguments. On one hand, the French language has already tons of subtleties, but on the other hand, genders are very polarized which doesn’t reflect our society. Learn more about « iel » in this week's episode. 🔗 Source: https://www.lemonde.fr/m-le-mag/article/2021/11/26/de-...

🗺 On top of Metropolitan France, in 2021, there are still a dozen French territories around the world. Martinique, Guadeloupe, La Réunion,… are amongst them. And so is New Caledonia, which made the news recently for their third independence referendum (fifth including 1958 and 1987). Let's dive a bit into the history and political status of the overseas territories, the DROM-COM (formerly DOM-TOM)...

🍴 This isn’t an attempt to sell Ikea’s latest model of forks, it’s only an attempt to bring back eating food with hands. Indeed, forks haven’t been around that long after all. In France, they’ve only been brought from Italy in the 16th century. So, eating pizza, with or without a fork? #forkgate (subtitles are available in French and English by clicking on the CC button on the YouTube control bar...

📺 An “auberge espagnole” means a potluck, where everyone brings something to the table. This French movie from 2002 talks about a group of international students sharing a flat in Barcelona, who each bring their culture and learn about the other’s. What best to illustrate the current political climate in France tackling legal immigration and freedom of circulation in Europe. 🎬 Find "L'Auberge es...

👶 Born in Brussels in 1929, Tintin has conquered the heart of young people around the world, from 7 to 77 years old. Almost a century later, there are a number of adaptations of the reporter's adventures, including a blockbuster movie by Steven Spielberg and a radio show by France Culture. But all of that didn't come without its fair share of controversy… 🗣 Listen to the adventures of Tintin by F...

🎹 French pianist Colette Maze released an album this year at age 107, making her the oldest French pianist to release an album this year. Probably. This information hasn’t been verified. So just in case there was another 107 year-old (or more) French pianist who released an album this year, I'll add to the wonder that this was her sixth album, amongst which five were released after her 100th birt...

☀️ Probably amongst the top 3 tourist destinations in France, la Côte d’Azur has always attracted the rich and famous jet setters from around the world. But behind the sun, the beaches and the gorgeous landscapes, the Riviera also has an incredible artistic history and heritage that is worth the trip by itself. 🔗 Crazy stories behind famous villas on the French Riviera: https://www.iconicriv...

🏳  Beyond being a good way to learn about colors and shapes in French, flags provide a great insight into a region/country/…'s history and politics. This week's episode gives a basic idea of what flags are and where they come from, but I can't wait to hear everyone's description of their own! ☝️ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider: - supporting on https://www.patreon.com/frenchconver...