French Literature and Arts Festival coming to La Jolla to promote culture and curiosity

A new festival coming to La Jolla and elsewhere in San Diego next month focuses on trois “C’s” — culture, curiosity and critical thinking.

The inaugural French Literature and Arts Festival is planned for Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 2-4, at various locations. It is described as a celebration of Francophone literature, film and art, headed by Alliance Francaise de San Diego in partnership with La Jolla’s Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, French publisher Gallimard and Villa Albertine, a culture and education division of the French embassy in the United States. The festival will feature performances, a film screening, writing workshops, author talks and more.

“It’s a lot of work, a lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm,” said event chairwoman and La Jolla resident Vanina Joulin-Batejat. “The idea was to bring to the U.S. and to La Jolla … the best of Francophone culture and some kind of French spirit.”

The festival also points to the importance of bringing different people from different backgrounds together, Joulin-Batejat added.

“Learning a language is also super important because it’s not [just] learning another language,” she said. “You are learning another culture and … another perspective.”

Conversations about bringing the French Literature and Arts Festival to La Jolla gained steam in April.

Ann Craig, a La Jolla resident since 2001, volunteered to be an honorary patron for the event, noting her love of French culture and hopes of bringing it to the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library.

“The more [Joulin-Batejat] talked about it, the more enthusiastic I got,” Craig said. “And I said ‘How do we make this happen?’ And I ended up underwriting the event.”

Craig, who has been a part of a French speaking group for nearly 25 years, said she hopes the festival — particularly the author events — will draw more people to “phenomenal” French literature, art and music.

“I’m hoping they will encounter … the richness of French culture,” Craig said. “And I understand there’s going to be some presentations, some talks that people can attend and it will deepen their awareness of life, difference of culture and just the beauty of literature.”

Another key player facilitating the festival’s debut is Julie Ripoll, executive director of Alliance Francaise de San Diego, a nonprofit organization and certified Heritage School founded in 1927 to promote the French language and French-speaking cultures. Among the projects the group has organized is the San Diego French Film Festival, which was presented for the fifth time this year in La Jolla.

The French Literature and Arts Festival “is totally aligned with our mission because it helps us to foster meaningful cultural exchanges and to promote Francophone writers, artists and educators,” Ripoll said.

The following festival events are set to take place in La Jolla:

Friday, Oct. 3

• Creative writing workshops and panels: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., various locations. Events include a poetry competition at The Bishop’s School and a short-story competition at UC San Diego’s Geisel Library presided by French author and former Le Monde newspaper editor-in-chief Eric Fottorino. Free.

• “From Book to Screen: ‘Hola Frida!’”: Screening of the French animated film with English subtitles, 6:30 p.m., San Diego French-American School, 6500 Soledad Mountain Road. Author Q&A will follow. Refreshments included. $10-$15; free for Alliance Francaise students.

Saturday, Oct. 4

• Francophone authors: Book signings, a panel discussion and interviews, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St. Free.

• “A French Emotional Journey” concert: 6 p.m., Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St. Performance by Aleck Karis, followed by a reception at 7 p.m. $30-$45, including the concert and reception.

For the full schedule and to buy tickets, visit afsandiego.org/flaf.