parissurthames

As a Dany Boon fan and a particularly obsessed fan of his last film Bienvenue chez les Ch‘tis, I was gutted to have missed the opening of his new film by a few days last time I was in France.

Nothing To Declare

So when an anglo-belgian friend of mine announced that the Institut Français were showing Rien à déclarer, I jumped at my first chance to head down to the self proclaimed ‘official French government centre of language and culture in the UK’. Without turning this blog into an unashamed promo for the Institut,  it’s fantastic that they have such current films to show in London.

As we ran around South Kensington (late of course) looking for the Ciné lumière, I had a vision in my mind of a cold, souless room with a few wooden chairs and a large TV screen. Perhaps I shouldn’t have doubted the Institut so much – the Ciné lumière is a gorgeous traditional cinema with space for around 250 people!

It was hardly packed, but it was mid-week. It would be nice to see more people there, the film was of course in French but there are English subtitles and anyone who is interested in Francophone culture should not be put off by a lack of fluency.

The Institut français in Kensington

Whislt the film wasn’t a scratch on the legendary Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis, it was still very funny, very french (sorry I mean franco-belge!) and most importantly a link to the world of French culture which is surprisingly easy to lose touch with very quickly in England.

The film is on at the Ciné lumière until next Monday (28th February). To find out what other films are on (there are many!) check out their website: https://www.institut-francais.org.uk/index.php

I fully intend on returning to the ciné frequently and also hope to explore other areas of the French culture centre. Unfortunately the bar was closed when I was there but I hope to go back to find it open sometime soon and meet similar minded people!

Have you been to the Ciné lumière or do you spend time at the Institut on a regular basis? Have you been there when the bar was open and do you have any tips about when is a good time to go?! Please comment below and let me know! As I try to build this blog up, it would be great to get contributions from lots of different people. I am relatively new to London and am only just beginning to explore the French culture in the British capital.

Merci et à bientôt!