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…
March 2023
Paris, the City of Lights, Camera, Action!
From Emily in Paris to Lupin, American productions continue to present a glowing vision of France. Tourism, real estate, and artisanal know-how are just a few of the French sectors that have benefited from the global reach of these shows. What’s more, their promotion of a certain way of life is rejuvenating the nation’s soft power. Also in this issue, read about the comeback of French cargo sailboats across the Atlantic; enjoy la belle vie with the French community in Washington D.C.; and travel back to the Age of Enlightenment for a night at Le Grand Contrôle, the Château de Versailles’ exclusive hotel!
Featured Articles
INTERVIEW
HAITI
Trapped between France and the United States
Haiti’s long French-American history helps to explain the poverty in the country today, where the only escape is emigration to the United States. France-Amérique spoke with Laurent Dubois, a professor at the University of Virginia and the author of Haiti: The Aftershocks of History.
By Guy Sorman
ARCHITECTURE
JEAN-MICHEL WILMOTTE
An Architect and Understated Star
Have you ever seen the Grand Palais Ephémère at the foot of the Eiffel Tower? Or the Guy Savoy restaurant in Las Vegas, or the Bleu Ciel tower in Dallas? You may not realize it, but you have probably crossed paths with one of Jean-Michel Wilmotte’s projects. This architectural jack-of-all-trades has won over the entire world with his elegant, anti-pretentious style.
By Jean-Gabriel Fredet
SOFT POWER
HOLLYWOOD
Puts France in the Spotlight
From Emily in Paris to Lupin, American blockbusters continue to present a well-groomed and rose-tinted vision of France. Tourism, real estate, and artisanal know-how are just a few of the French sectors that have benefited from the global reach of these shows. What’s more, their promotion of a certain way of life is rejuvenating the nation’s soft power.
By Gaétan Mathieu
BOOKS
MONIQUE WITTIG
Literature as a Trojan Horse
The French writer and theorist died suddenly twenty years ago, shortly after obtaining a position at the University of Arizona. A major figure in the French feminist movement after May ’68, Monique Wittig is now being rediscovered in activist and academic circles on both sides of the Atlantic.
By Sophie Joubert
Table of contents
FROM THE NEWSDESK
Where Sexism Starts, and How It Ends. By Anthony Bulger
COME ON OUT
French Cultural Events in North America. By Tracy Kendrick
EDITORIAL
INTERVIEW
Laurent Dubois: Haiti, Trapped between France and the United States. By Guy Sorman
THE OBSERVER
Why Mixing French and English Is Not a Good Idea. By Anthony Bulger
BUSINESS
Transatlantic Freight Companies Have the Wind in Their Sails. By Benoît Georges
ARCHITECTURE
Jean-Michel Wilmotte, an Architect and Understated Star. By Jean-Gabriel Fredet
SOFT POWER
Hollywood Puts France in the Spotlight. By Gaétan Mathieu
FRENCH CONNECTION
La Belle Vie for the French Community in Washington D.C. By Hélène Vissière
LIFESTYLE
Le Grand Contrôle, a Hotel at the Château de Versailles. By Aliette de Crozet
BEYOND THE SEA
Winnaretta Singer-Polignac: The Sewing Machine and the Lyre. By Jérôme Kagan
BOOKS
BOOK REVIEW
Jean D’Amérique: Haiti Throat Slashed. By Sophie Joubert
THE WORDSMITH
By the Thunder of Brest! By Dominique Mataillet
© Le Grand Contrôle
