Did you know that Le Festival de Cannes chose the best film of the year this evening?

The jury ( le jury) du Festival de Cannes chose Michael Haneke' s latest film, Amour to receive La Palme d'Or.

The main actors of Amour are French: Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, which is rather nice as no French film and no French actors were rewarded this year.

Le Festival de Cannes which was called until 2002 Le Festival International du Film drew, yet again, lots of stars who climbed the famous stairs ( les marches ) on the red carpet ( le tapis rouge).
The festival started in 1946 and La Palme d'Or was introduced in 1955. The design is taken from Cannes coat of arms ( les armoiries )


and is also a reminder of the palm trees ( les palmiers sur la Croisette ) where all the starlets ( les starlettes ) congregate in the hope of finding fame!

Watching and discussing films are very popular activities among students taking French tuition with Alliance Française de Bristol et de Bath.
If you are interested in films, come to us! For more info...

Did you know that Alliance Française de Bristol is organizing a guided walk of Bristol, in French?

Anne, French tutor and qualified guide, is taking a group of students having French tuition with Alliance Française around Bristol on 24th May.
La visite guidée will be entirely in French and will enable students to discover Bristol through its architecture, its culture, its people and its street art.
It is appropriate to choose a poem written by one of our students on Bristol. Marion joined Gwen's French class after Christmas with very little French. This is what she was able to write in April:

Dans Bristol
Dans Bristol il y a une colline
Dans cette colline il y a une rue
Dans cette rue il y a une maison
Dans cette maison il y a un couloir
Dans ce couloir il y a un escalier
Dans cet escalier il y a une chambre
Dans cette chambre il y a un lit
Dans ce lit il y a un père
Dans ce père il y a une bouche
Dans cette bouche il y a un ronflement
Le ronflement (comme un rouleau compresseur) renversa le père
( et la mère
et les enfants)
Le père ( et sa bouche) renversa le lit
Le lit renversa l'escalier
( avec la mère et les enfants)
L’escalier renversa le couloir
Le couloir renversa la maison
La maison renversa la rue
La rue renversa la colline
La Famille de Berker se trouva dans Bristol centre pour le petit déjeuner
Marion

If you would like to find out more about the guided walk ( there are a couple of places left) go to our website. For more info...

A liitle poem written by a student in one of the French classes in Bristol:

Our French teacher, Gwen, has a group of students who hardly had any French when they started in the Autumn, here is a poem written in March by Klaudia:

Sous la maison il y a un petit appartement.
Dans le petit appartement il y a un escalier.
Sous l'escalier il y a une piece.
Dans la piece il y a un petit chat.
Dans le petit chat il y a une souris.
Dans la souris il y an une petite graine.

La petite graine dort dans la souris.
La souris dort dans le petit chat.
Le petit chat dort dans la piece.
La piece dort sous l'escalier.
L'escalier dort dans le petit appartement.
Le petit appartement dort sous la maison.
Et tout va bien.

Our French intensive courses will be starting in June for Alliance Française de Bristol only, not Bath. Enrolment is on Thursday, 17th May or on another date to suit you. Contact us soon if you wish to join, for more info...

Of course you know that the French presidential elections are taking place tomorrow!

We are going to go to the polling station ( le bureau de vote) tomorrow, 6th May to elect (élire) our new president. We always vote on a Sunday ( dimanche).
Voting is not compulsary in France but usually, at least 70% of people vote.
Les bureaux de vote will open at 8am and close at 6pm or 8pm in the big cities.
To vote, we need une carte d'électeur ( a voting card) with a photo, once at the polling station, we take les bulletins de vote, one per candidate as there is only one name per voting paper, et une enveloppe. We go in the little booth ( l'isoloir) and put the ballot paper with the name of our chosen candidate in the envelope. We take our envelope to the ballot box ( l'urne). Le scrutateur ( the scrutineer) says:
Monsieur ou madame Machin a voté (Mr or Mrs Thingie has voted).


Last but not least, we sign the register ( le registre).
Once the polling station is closed, the votes are counted on the premises, we call it: dépouiller le scrutin.
At 8pm we have a pretty accurate forecast of the final result.
Don't forget to go on the Internet then or switch on the radio. It is a very solemn moment for the French.
If you would like to find out more about French culture, why not join one of our French classes. For more info...

Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath would like to wish you luck on 1st May!

A sprig of lily of the valley ( un brin de muguet) is a must on 1st May ( pour le premier mai). It is meant to bring you luck ( porter bonheur) as explained on the blog on 1st May last year.
One sprig is sold for 1.50 euro this year. It is the only time that you will see children, for instance, selling des brins de muguet on the pavements in towns and by the side of the roads in the countryside. It is a good way for them to get some pocket money ( de l'argent de poche).
If you happen to be in France on 1st May which is a bank holiday ( un jour férié) and are invited at friends' or neighbours', don't forget to bring du muguet as a gift.
If you wish to know about French customs or French language, join one of our classes. For more info...