Un Point c'est tout

✒️ Born 150 years ago, on January 28, 1873, the French novelist Colette is very celebrated this week in France. And rightly so. This very original writer had a tumultuous personal and creative life at the turn of the 20th century. And while she didn’t consider herself a feminist, she has certainly been seen as a feminist icon as well as a groundbreaking author for decades to come. 🎬 Watch "Colett...

🧳 Did you know why the word "voyage" in French can be translated into English with journey, travel or trip… but not voyage? Well, I did wonder. And as a pretext to talk with you about the beaches of Côte d'Azur, the Vallée de la Loire, and other awesome places to travel to, I present to you this linguistic exploration at the heart of the word itself. 📕 Daniel Mendelsohn, "An Odyssey, A Father, A...

🗽 Since 1886, this majestic allegorical sculpture has taken center stage in New York Harbor. The statue of Liberty's rich history is tied to American immigration and the concept of freedom. But if her main role is to welcome immigrants, she is herself one. Lady Liberty hails from France, from the mind of a group of ambitious idealists. 🔗 Read about the Statue of Liberty in Histoire & Civilis...

🔬 Can the little beast eat the big one? This is the main focus of Louis Pasteur's research in the 19th century. All these years of research that have advanced not only science by leaps and bounds, but also the daily habits of our modern society. Washing hands, sterilizing objects, getting vaccinated, so many things that seem normal to us now when they weren't always. 🔗 "Louis Pasteur : une vie d...

🎭 Four hundred years ago, in 1622 (((not 1662 as misspoke in the audio…))), the most classic of French classic writers was born. So classic that even his stage name, Molière, has been universally associated with the name of the language itself. French is "the language of Molière". Let's get on the boards and learn a bit about 17th century theater literature.  🔗 "La Langue de Molière": https...

🪁 When René Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempé (https://youtu.be/C9mSQi2DGuU) met in the late 1950s, they gave birth to the Petit Nicolas, one of the most adored figures of French kids’ literature. Nicolas is an ordinary schoolboy in an ordinary school, whose adventures are … quite ordinary too. Yet, that excess of ordinary becomes extraordinary when told with so much humor and tenderness. 📕 Read "...

🍷 J-3 before the Beaujolais Nouveau 2022 is released in stores worldwide. This will be the first wine of this year's harvest. Since we have 3 days to wait, why not spend 3 minutes of those listening to this episode. 🎵 Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6i4JjGSsId4CCCVkJuwLHa?si=K0d8KhxkSqqAPq8_kw5XqQ ☝️ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider: - supporting on https://www.patreon.co...

🎭 His life is as hectic as his films are eclectic, his persona as colorful as some of his characters, we’re talking about Gérard Depardieu. The French actor is adored by the public, attracting the most audience of any living French actor. But the man behind the mask seems to have quite a few demons he’s struggling with. Should that make him less likable? 🔗 Gérard Depardieu's filmography: https:/...

👻 Happy Halloween, everyone. Maybe some of you are celebrating it around a table invoking spirits of deceased people? But is this practice actually called spiritualism or spiritism? While the word spiritualism can mean several things, the word spiritism is specifically limited to the occult science. And, it has been introduced by a Frenchman who believed he was the reincarnation of a Celtic druid...

🤾‍♀️ As the upcoming release of Niki de Saint Phalle’s biopic with Charlotte Le Bon is approaching, let’s get ready with a little introduction of this artist of the 20th century. Not only has she made iconic art with her huge “nanas” in bright colors, but she was also a political activist on several fronts. Little bonus: yes, she is the artist of the Stravinsky fountain in Paris, next to the...

🕌 If you can't buy your dream house, just build it. That's what Ferdinand Cheval, a postman in the south of France, decided almost 150 years ago. And he built it until the last stone. He created a massive palace including each and every one of his fantasies and dreams. He made what he thought was the "ideal palace". To this day, you can still visit the eccentric building in Drôme, it is open to t...

🧑‍🎨 Today marks the first day of the Paris Women’s Fashion Week. A great opportunity to talk a bit about the famous Basque beret, that hat worn by every stereotyped French person. How did a woolen hat made by and for Béarn shepherds in the Pyrenees became Basque? Then a French symbol? And how did it eventually evolve as far as Argentina and the Far East? The answer is simple: amazing versatility...

📜 Here is the story of a person who spent every single minute of his time reading books, learning languages and trying to solve the mystery of the Egyptian hieroglyphs. Through endless dedication, effort and perseverance, Jean-François Champollion achieved his life's goal: to decipher the ancient writing system, in September 1822. Ne jamais perdre espoir. 🔗 Champollion en Égypte: https://www.his...

🥐 How could such a small thing have so much history and generate so much love? Simply by being irresistible. From the medieval bakeries of Vienna, to a small patisserie in Paris, to the White House (RIP Roland Mesnier: https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2022/08/27/roland-mesnier-pastry-chef-white-house-dead/), the croissant made it to my personal breakfast routine. And I wouldn’t change it...

🎷 If we had to decide which is the suavest musical instrument, the saxophone would certainly be in the top 5. With its warm sound resemblant the human voice, it conquered the hearts of people all around the world, in almost all musical genres. Little did we know, though, that it was invented almost two centuries ago in the little Belgian town of Dinant, by the man who gave it his name: Adolphe Sa...

🎩 When the cinematic worlds of Jacques Tati (Mon Oncle) and Sylvain Chomet (Les Triplettes de Belleville: https://youtu.be/6q1E_zwXlUM) meet, there is something special that happens. Both are sparing with dialogues, both believe that fewer word can go a long way. In this film, “L’Illusionniste”, Sylvain Chomet directs a story that the late Jacques Tati wrote but never made. 🎬 Watch "L'Illusionni...

✍️ A few days ago, we lost one of France’s most talented and adored caricaturists. Jean-Jacques Sempé, author of “Le petit Nicolas” as well as more than a hundred covers for the New Yorker, died only six days before his 90th birthday. Having tackled so many aspects of French life with great humor and kindness, his drawings made it to the bookshelves of many people who will remember him forever wit...

⏳ Fasten your seatbelts, this week we go back thousands of years in time. Meet the Celts, Romans, Gauls, Franks,… some of the ancient civilizations that lived in France. 📕 "La Gaule Retrouvée", Pierre Pinon (Découverte Gallimard, 1991) 🔗 https://www.histoire-et-civilisations.com/thematiques/antiquite/vercingetorix-contre-clovis-les-gaulois-face-au-passe-national-82786.php 🎵 Soundtrack: https:/...

🥘 If you have been in Lyon, you have certainly come across the “bouchon lyonnais”, that traditional restaurant serving only local dishes made of local ingredients. It acquired a worldwide reputation thanks to the original chefs like Mère Brazier and her renowned student Paul Bocuse. If you tried one of them, let us know what your experience was like, it had to be memorable. 🔗 More about the “bou...

🚴‍♀️ For about 120 years, the Tour de France has been exclusively for men. There have been a couple of attempts to organize a women's Tour in 1955 and 1984, but both were unsuccessful. Until today: following the success of "La Course by Le Tour de France", a miniature version organized since 2014 that has brought a lot of public attention, "Le Tour de France Femmes" is reborn! 🔗 Site officiel -...

🇺🇸 The 18th and 19th centuries saw multiple revolutions worldwide. All of which have drastically modernized our society and planted the seeds for social revolutions to come. Undeniably, the US Declaration of Independence of 1776 was an inspiration to many, including the French Revolution, only thirteen years later. 🔗 https://www.histoire-et-civilisations.com/thematiques/epoque-moderne/vers-la-rev...

☕️ The coffee vocabulary is Italian, the beans are from South America, Africa and Asia, the best machines come from all over the world, and—as it turns out—the first espresso machine was invented in France exactly 200 years ago. Interesting enough material to discuss for hours!  🔗 https://baristas-choice.com/who-invented-the-espresso-machine/ 📕 Jean Pruvost's "La Story de la langue françai...

💒 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...