A Month of Free Activities to Celebrate La Francophonie

This 14th edition will take place on SFU campuses (Burnaby and Vancouver), at various locations in the Greater Vancouver area and online.

The event kicks off on March 1 with a symposium entitled "Current Challenges, Opportunities and Issues in Teaching in French at University", featuring over twenty panellists from the academic and community sectors. Michel Dorais, professor at the School of Social Work and Criminology at Université Laval (Quebec), will deliver the keynote address, "Why Sexual and Gender Diversity Studies?"

The first week of March will also be marked by the presence of author Kim Thúy for two not-to-be-missed evenings. On March 6, the Fabrique St-George will host a Grande rencontre with the artist, who will discuss her unique journey with Radio-Canada host Marie Villeneuve. The movie night on March 7 at the Cineplex in Coquitlam will also be dedicated to her, with the presentation of the film Ru (Quebec), an adaptation of the novel of the same name, which presents the arrival in Quebec of a young Vietnamese woman and her family after fleeing Vietnam among the "boat people". This free screening will be preceded by a discussion with the author and associate producer of the feature film.

Two other movies are on the program, with the presentation of "The Book of Wonders" (France) on March 15 and, for the very first time at Printemps de la francophonie, a family movie screening, "A Cat's Life" (France) on Saturday, March 23 at 1:30 p.m. at SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. French-language films will also be available online throughout March, for viewing from the comfort of your living room. All films are free and available with English subtitles.

Another new feature of the Printemps de la francophonie: a festive Franco Trivia Night, hosted by Sisi Sinatra, will take place on Thursday, March 21, where everyone can test their knowledge of Francophone gastronomy, music and popular culture for a chance to win prizes.

On March 9, the event "Une communauté vers l'équité: forum des changements" will showcase the accomplishments of some 50 members of Réseau-Femmes C.-B., who are working to raise awareness and improve conditions for francophone women in the province.

Many other conferences and interactive activities are on the menu, including a writing workshop with renowned Swiss writer Thomas Sandoz, the Salon expo carrières 2024 to discover bilingual career opportunities, and the return of Ma thèse en 180 secondes, finale de l'ouest where graduate students will present their research in only 3 minutes.

Gino LeBlanc, Director of OFFA, says, "Printemps de la francophonie fulfills an important part of our mission to offer the community a variety of quality French-language activities. He adds, "it is essential for our team to ensure that our programming is accessible, whether in terms of free admission, content or location. Whether you speak French or not, we welcome you all to take part in this month-long celebration!”

Several other activities are scheduled. Visit our website and follow OFFA on social media to make sure you don't miss anything. All activities are free, but registration is required.