French language and culture
on the shores of Lake Champlain

Montpelier Social Hour

Let’s speak French to each other in central Vermont! No need to register.

Rencontre francophone

Bonjour, vous êtes cordialement invité à une “Rencontre francophone”. Nous espérons, par ces rencontres francophones, soutenir des liens d’amitié entre les francophones et les francophiles du Québec, du Vermont et du nord de l’État de New York. Je vous tiendrai au courant des futures rencontres. N’hésitez pas à partager cette invitation avec vos amis. Prière de réserver auprès de Stan Bradeen stanatmoonlake@icloud.com  Bureau 802-524-6305, ou portable 802-782-7423

Hello, you are cordially invited to a “Rencontre francophone”. The hope of these cross-border Francophone encounters is to support the ties of friendship amongst Francophones and Francophiles in Quebec, Vermont and upstate New York. I will keep you posted the get-togethers to follow. Do not hesitate to share this invitation with your friends. Please confirm your reservation with Stan Bradeen. stanatmoonlake@icloud.com   Office : 802-524-6305 Cell : 802-782-7423

French Book Swap

Refresh your collection of French-language books!  Come to the French Book Swap!

VTIFF: "Iron Boy" (2026)

Directed by Louis Clichy
France, Belgium | 2026 | Fiction | 89 min | French w/ subtitles

Ten-year-old Christophe, a rambunctious boy living on a struggling farm, is prone to mishaps and has balance issues—a crick in his spine exacerbating his already unstable equilibrium—necessitating a full-body orthopedic brace. As he tries to adjust to his new circumstance, he meets a rebellious new friend, tries to help save the family farm, and follows his newfound passion for playing Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem on the pipe organ. Says VTIFF"s Oliver O'Sullivan, "It has been quite some time since I’ve been so swept away by the visual style of an animated movie, but Iron Boy’s limited palette and hand-drawn watercolor compositions are quietly stunning, each frame a witty, painterly delight."

VTIFF: "Coward" (2026)

Directed by Lukas Dhont
Belgium, France, Netherlands | 2026 | Fiction | 120 min | French, Dutch w/ subtitles

Coward won Best Actors (Joint Award) at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. VTIFF's Steve MacQueen writes of this film: "it’s probably the most tender movie ever made about that war, countering its time in the trenches with a touching love story. Quiet, strapping Pierre (Emmanual Macchia) is a farm boy who can’t deny a growing attraction to Francis (Valentin Campagne), a tailor’s son who stages revues to entertain the troops… the revues themselves are quite fantastic. Both actors are tremendous, their attraction to each palpable—their shared award as Best Actor at Cannes was well-deserved. It’s another success for Dhont, a chronicler of LGBTQ resistance in oppressive societies. He goes bigger here, weaving massive set pieces into his love story, while examining the inherently gay foundations of wartime camaraderie itself. Beautifully photographed, masterfully staged, well acted, and deeply felt, Coward is a triumph."

VTIFF: "La Gradiva" (2026)

Directed by Marine Atlan
France, Italy | 2026 | Fiction | 145 min | French, Italian w/ subtitles

This film is a coming-of-age drama directed by Marine Atlan in her feature  directorial debut, co-written with Anne Brouillet. It follows a French high school class as they travel to Pompeii shortly before their graduation. At the 79th Cannes Film Festival it won the Critics' Week section's Grand Prize and was nominated for the Caméra d'Or and Queer Palm. It received widespread critical acclaim, with praise for the screenplay and Atlan's direction. Writes VTIFF's Oliver O'Sullivan, "The region and its mythology provide a rich backdrop for the simmering angst and romantic entanglements the group brings to this radiant seaside setting most famous for catastrophes and pizza: the ambiguous friendship between classmates Toni and James, Toni's parallel search for traces of his family history in the region, the futile efforts of harried teacher Mercier to cut through her students’ all-consuming ambivalence, and perceptive tertiary characters nurturing their own private ennui. "