Every month in France-Amérique,
discover the best of French and Francophone culture in the United States and Canada.
Analysis of French-American news • French cultural events in the United States and Canada • Interviews with leading intellectuals • Fashion tips • Traditional and contemporary recipes • Reports from across the United States and Canada • Authors’ perspectives on America • Portraits of artists, entrepreneurs, and other French-American personalities • The best of Francophone literature translated into English • French movies and series in theaters and online • French habits and linguistic subtleties • Unique places to visit in France • And so much more…
January 2023
Art Deco: Two Decades of Transatlantic Collaboration
If you think that French-American architectural ties boil down to swapping a few Statues of Liberty, then you should visit the Art Deco France-North America exhibition, in Paris until March 6 – or at least read our article on two decades of transatlantic collaboration, a friendship etched in stone. Also in this issue: Paris through the eyes of American thinker Susan Sontag; former prime minister Alain Juppé on the Conseil Constitutionnel – the French version of the Supreme Court; and director Alice Diop on her latest film, Saint Omer, which has been shortlisted to represent France at the Oscars!
Featured Articles
INTERVIEW
ALAIN JUPPÉ
Does France Have an Equivalent of the U.S. Supreme Court?
The U.S Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a 1973 ruling on the right to abortion, has sent shockwaves through American society that have also been felt in France. To avoid a similar situation, the right to abortion may be written into the French Constitution. But while the French Constitutional Council is inspired by the American Supreme Court, it has no power to shape society. According to former prime minister Alain Juppé, a member of the Council since 2019, France is not ruled by a “government of judges.”
By Guy Sorman
ART
GIUSEPPE DE NITTIS
The Forgotten Impressionist
The Italian painter found fame and fortune in Paris in the late 19th century, but his name was quickly scrubbed from the history of the predominantly-French Impressionist movement. A groundbreaking show at the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C. is attempting to correct this injustice.
By Roland Flamini
CINEMA
ALICE DIOP
“I’m Driven by a Hybrid Culture, from Baldwin to Duras”
The director met with France-Amérique to talk about her first fictional, feature-length work, Saint Omer, which is set for release in U.S. theaters on January 23 and has been shortlisted to represent France at the Oscars in March. A study of motherhood, systemic racism, and the place of women in society.
By Nina Verneret
STYLE
ART DECO
Two Decades of Transatlantic Collaboration
If you think that French-American architectural ties boil down to swapping a series of Statues of Liberty, then you should delve into the Art Deco world, which offers a whistle-stop tour of a friendship set in stone. This is the challenge accepted by the Art Deco France-North America exhibition, held until March 6, 2023, at the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine in Paris.
By Jérôme Kagan
Table of contents
FROM THE NEWSDESK
Baguette Magique! UNESCO Recognition for “250 Grams of Magic and Perfection.” By Anthony Bulger
COME ON OUT
French Cultural Events in North America. By Tracy Kendrick
EDITORIAL
Transatlantic Ping-Pong. By Guy Sorman
INTERVIEW
Alain Juppé: Does France Have an Equivalent of the U.S. Supreme Court? By Guy Sorman
THE OBSERVER
BUSINESS
PHILANTHROPY
PERSPECTIVES
Being Rich in France and the United States. By Dominique Mataillet
ART
CINEMA
Alice Diop: “I’m Driven by a Hybrid Culture, from Baldwin to Duras.” By Nina Verneret
STYLE
Art Deco: Two Decades of Transatlantic Collaboration. By Jérôme Kagan
CULTURE
Susan Sontag: How Paris Shaped an American Luminary. By Ben Libman
BOOK REVIEW
Yanick Lahens: In the Belly of Port-au-Prince. By Sophie Joubert
THE WORDSMITH
© Denys Vinson
