Throughout the year, the Paris Center curated a host of events offering insights into our world through the lenses of writing and cinema.
Underpinning Reid Hall's cultural calendar are engaging book talks that have ignited spirited discussions and broadened perspectives on contemporary issues. Among these talks, five were part of our “Entre Nous” series, organized in collaboration with the American Library in Paris and the Institute for Ideas and Imagination. Highlighting themes such as refugee experiences, the transformative impact of music, and the art of narrative, "Entre Nous" has remained a vital platform for exploring pressing societal issues. Noteworthy discussions included Nina MacLaughlin's exploration of gender dynamics in her novel Wake, Siren: Ovid Resung, and Balla Fofana's poignant narrative of displacement in La prophétie de Dali. The “Entre Nous” series also included three off-site events at the American Library in Paris, featuring Institute Fellows Maria Stepanova and Yasmine Seale alongside other prominent writers and critics.
Beyond "Entre Nous," we featured book talks as part of several series. “Women's Month” focused on feminist history and women’s voices, while "Les Encres de l'Atlantique" provided a platform for authors writing about the Black African diaspora, delving into themes of identity and representation.
In parallel, the Paris Center has entertained audiences with film screenings celebrating the magic of visual storytelling. Curated by Professor Walter Frisch during his fellowship at the Institute for Ideas and Imagination, the “En-chanté” series marked the 60th anniversary of the French film musical Les Parapluies de Cherbourg. The series included screenings of this classic and two other collaborations between director Jacques Demy and composer Michel Legrand: Les Demoiselles de Rochefort and Peau d’Âne. We were honored to have Demy’s sister Hélène join us for the final screening.
These 11 screenings included events with Columbia in Paris instructors Marc Cerisuelo and Richard Peña, a professor at the Columbia University School of the Arts. Cerisuelo invited director Anna Novion to screen her latest feature, Le Théorème de Marguerite, followed by a Q&A with mathematician Ariane Mezard, a consultant on the film. Peña participated in a series on the Paris Olympics with a screening of Visions of Eight (1973), a documentary on the 1972 Munich Olympics by directors like Arthur Penn and Miloš Forman.
Whether through literary discussions or cinematic experiences, these gatherings invited audiences to explore, engage, and celebrate the beauty of ideas.
Keep reading about this year’s events:
