Movie Screenings, Award Ceremony to Light up Celebration of Journee De La Francophonie in Lagos
AS part of activities to mark this year’s International Day of Francophonie on Thursday, March 20, Alliance Française of Lagos is partnering with the Consulate General of France, Consulate General of Switzerland and the Embassy of Canada in Nigeria to offer a day of movie screenings and an award ceremony.
The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) and the International Day of Francophonie celebrated every year on March 20; aims to showcase French language, solidarity, cooperation and the diversity of member states.
The OIF’s mission is to promote the language as well as cultural and linguistic diversity, peace, democracy, human rights, education, training, higher education, research and economic cooperation for sustainable development.
In Nigeria, French is the first foreign language taught at secondary school level with about 15,000 French teachers, 10 Alliances Françaises, a French Institute and two French high schools.
Each year, a theme intended to convey a message about the French language and ten words illustrating it, is chosen by Francophone partners (France, Belgium, Quebec, Switzerland, and the International Organization of La Francophonie) for an initiative called “Tell me ten words.” The 2025 edition of this initiative has the theme, “Tell me ten words for the planet.”
It invites us to explore major environmental challenges, such as climate, biodiversity and resource-related conflicts.
“The effects of climate change on the planet concer us all today. This theme was chosen by the members of the Group of Francophone Ambassadors (GAF) and has helped consolidate the cultural programming of the Francophonie month in Lagos, Abuja, and in the nine other cities where there is an Alliance Française,” the organisers said.
As part of the celebration, two films will be shown at Alliance Francaise Lagos, the first at 3:00 pm, a screening of Karnaval, a Canadian film directed by Henri Pardo that won the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. At 5:30pm, The Crusade by Louis Garrel (2021) will be shown. This French film was featured in the Cinema for the Climate selection at the Cannes Film Festival.
The afternoon will conclude with speeches by the Consuls General at 6:30 PM, followed by an award ceremony for the “Tell me ten words” contest in the categories of schools, Alliance Française students and the general public. A cocktail reception will close the day.
Both movies are free to watch to the general public.
In addition, Alliance Française Lagos is offering two other highlights to celebrate the richness and diversity of artistic and linguistic expressions.
On Saturday, March 15 at 2:00 PM, Alliance Francaise Lagos will host Mona de Pracontal for the first time, winner of the Baudelaire Prize for her translation of Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
On the occasion of her visit to the media library of the Alliance Française de Lagos, she will present the French translation of The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma in a dual French and Nigerian voice, in front of an audience composed of Nigerian writers, translators and publishers.
Finally, the French Bazaar will close the Francophonie month on Saturday, March 22, with a karaoke box of Francophone songs, Nigerian culinary tastings and a DJ set of English and French music.
