Students of French! Café Musée Event: Victor Hugo: From Romanticism to Revolutions

Maybe you've heard of Les Misérables?  Or the Hunchback of Notre Dame?  They were both written by the eminent French writer, Victor Hugo ( 1802-1885).  At instructor Renée Morel's May 3 event, you'll have a chance to learn more about this intriguing author, see a slide presentation, have a scrumptious brunch and stimulating discussion!  Here's a chance to practice the French you have been so diligently learning.  See below for details.  And admission is free!

What:  Victor Hugo: From Romanticism to Revolutions 
When:  May 3, 2014 (Saturday) from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 
Where:  Visual Arts Building, Room V114, on the Ocean Campus of CCSF.  Click here for a campus map. 
Who:      Presented en français par Renée Morel and the Café Musée team.  




Here's a bit more about Victor Hugo and the event: 

A poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement, Victor Hugo (1802–1885) is one of the greatest and best known French writers. His novels Les Misérables (1862) and Notre-Dame de Paris (1831) [The Hunchback of Notre-Dame] have been translated in countless languages and made into numerous films, TV series, and musicals. The third son of Leopold Hugo, a soldier who eventually became a high-ranked officer in Napoleon's army, and Sophie Trébuchet, who held opposite political and religious views, Victor Hugo grew up during a time of political turmoil: the Consulate, the Empire, and the restoration of the Bourbon Monarchy —all before his eighteenth birthday. A fierce royalist as a youth, he became a passionate supporter of Republicanism. The enormous scope of his work moves from Romanticism to Realism and touches upon most of the political and social issues of his time.

But Hugo also produced more than 4,000 drawings. Originally pursued as a hobby, drawing became more important to him before his exile, when he stopped writing to devote himself to politics. Hugo worked only on a small scale and on paper, usually in dark brown washes or pen-and-ink drawings. Surprisingly modern in style and execution (puddles and stains, folding —like Rorschach blots— grattage or rubbing), they foreshadow later experimental techniques of Surrealism and Expressionism.

Many thanks to Margie Burke, artist, and Dennis Mullen, CCSF instructor, for giving me the book and the art magazine that led to this presentation!   

The Café Musée is an officially recognized CCSF club whose activities are partially funded by the Associated Student Union. Our previous presentations, “Ingres: Classicism With A Twist” and “Looking Good: Paul Helleu (1859-1927) and Society Portraits” were extremely popular. To join us, write to reneemorel@gmail.com or call: (415) 255-8301.

Venez parler d’art et faire la connaissance d’autres francophones et francophiles!

Require accommodations? SVP, contact DSP&S at 452-5481, giving at least 72 hours’ notice. 

Machuca - Spanish Language Film Presentation - Wednesday 3/19/14

Students of Spanish or film fans alike are invited to a showing of Machuca, in Spanish (with English subtitles).

Date:  3/19/14 (Wednesday)

Time:  2:00-4:30

Place: R-304 (Rosenberg Library, Ocean Campus)

Machuca is a 2004 Chilean film written and directed by Andrés Wood. Set in 1973 Santiago during Salvador Allende's socialist government and shortly before General Augusto Pinochet's military coup in 1973, the film tells the story of two friends, one of them the very poor Pedro Machuca who is integrated into the elite school of his friend Gonzalo Infante. The social integration project is headed by the director of the school, Father McEnroe. 

There will be a discussion of the film with Professor Veronica Feliu, a native of Chile.  

See you on Wednesday!

A Federico Fellini Film Festival - Free!

Students of Italian, Fellini fans, or cinephiles in general will find something to like at the upcoming Fellini film festival in R-205E this Spring 2014 semester.  First up, "Le notti di Cabiria".

February 25 (Tuesday) 11:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Next,  I vitelloni.

March 20 (Thursday) 11-1 p.m.

And last, but not least: Luci del varietà (Variety Lights)   

May 6 (Tuesday) 11:00-1:00 

For students of Italian, here's a brief introduction to Fellini, a master of Italian cinema: 

Fellini oltre che innovatore del cinema italiano e' stato anche un innovatore della lingua attraverso il cinema. Nei suoi film troviamo il contrasto fra italiano standard e varieta’ regionali. Spesso alcuni termini sono diventati popolari dopo i film di Fellini. Per esempio I vitelloni per indicare giovani di provincia, velleitari e senza grandi ideali, mantenuti come vitelli all'ingrasso.

Lo stesso termine “dolce vita” comincio’ a indicare la tendenza a vivere seguendo soltanto l'istinto e il piacere. Apparentemente in collaborazione con lo scrittore Flaiano trovo' in un libro di viaggi (Sulla riva dello Ionio) il nome Paparazzo. Fellini pensò che il nome fosse molto espressivo e lo uso’ per indicare il tipo del fotografo indiscreto e petulante, e da allora e' diventato un termine usato internazionalmente.

Uno dei primi film si chiamava il bidone, un termine usato dalla malavita per indicare un raggiro, un imbroglio. L’uso di un linguaggio usato da persone ai margini della societa’ e’ molto frequente nei film La strada, Il bidone, Le notti di Cabiria.

Nel film la dolce vita, si trova l’uso della lingua parlata correntemente, rispetto allo stile precedente del cinema italiano che usava molte espressioni della lingua scritta. (Emanuele Cresti)

For everyone else, try Google translate!  Hope to see you there!

Don't Miss the 21st Italian Film Festival - Spring Semester 2014 - Rosenberg Library

The Italian Department at CCSF invites all students, whether you're learning Italian (and this would be a great way to improve your listening skills) or are just a cinema buff, to attend showings of the following Italian language films. All films will start at 1:00 p.m. in the Rosenberg Library.  Admission is free and all films have English subtitles.  Contact Claudio Concin (cconcin@ccsf.edu\) for further information.

Life is Beautiful (La Vita E' Bella) 2/20/14 (R-305)

Do Not Tell (La Bestia Nel Curore) (3/6/14) (R-305)

Caterina Va In Città (4/10/14) (R-301)

Remember Me, My Love (Ricordati di Me) (R-305)

Spring 2014 - The Language Center will open on Monday, January 13 at 8:00 a.m.

Start the new year off right and come into the Language Center from week 1 onward to augment your classroom language learning.  You will find a quiet environment in which to focus on your foreign language learning.  Faculty monitors are available during hours of operation to direct you to resources for your specific language.  See you in January!    

The Language Centrer will be Open through Thursday, December 19

If you're preparing for your foreign language final and are on the Ocean Campus, there is no better place to focus on your foreign language work and access review materials than the Language Center (R-405).  Students in Spanish 1, 1A and 1B, if you don't know yet about the publisher's resources for Plazas, ask a faculty monitor at the Service Desk.  These are invaluable for test preparation.  Here's a link.  Take a look!  Though it is for the 3rd edition, the vocabulary and grammar are the same.  The "auto-pruebas" will be especially helpful. 

World Language Day is Tuesday, November 14 - Smith Hall Cafeteria

Students of foreign languages, save the date! 

Tuesday, November 14, 2013 is World Languages Day at CCSF.

From 12 noon- 1 p.m. in the Smith Hall Cafeteria, your favorite Foreign Language Department faculty will be distributing information about Foreign Language Department courses coming up for Spring 2014, but wait!  there's more!  There will be a free raffle for prizes, the Culinary Department will offer international dishes for purchase as part of the regular lunch service, and there will be live music by the 29th Street Swingtet (http://www.29thstswingtet.com). 

Please drop by, say hello in whatever language you prefer and enjoy the music. Bring your dancing shoes and tell your friends!