Focus on France, March-April 2007
Cinema Event - Wednesday 7 March 2007
In collaboration with the Alliance Française de Melbourne
French cinema: the good and the garbage
Speaker: James Hewison in conversation with Colin Nettelbeck
Date & Time: Wednesday 7 March, 6 pm
Venue: Gryphon Gallery, Graduate Centre, University of Melbourne
On the eve of the 2007 Alliance Française French Film Festival (20 March to 3 April), James Hewison engages in a provocative conversation on French cinema. Audience participation will be encouraged!
Biography
James Hewison’s professional history in film and media spans two decades.
He has worked in various notable roles in the film and media industries including Marketing Manager Victoria for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Cinema and Marketing Manager for The George Cinemas and Palace Cinemas, Australia. Hewison was Executive Director for the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) from 2000 to 2006, during which time the festival experienced record levels of growth and consolidated its reputation as Australia’s most popular and dynamic film events, indeed one of the largest Film Festivals in the Asia Pacific. He commenced as Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Film Institute in late 2006.
James was the Associate Producer of the feature documentary film, Letters to Ali (selected at film festivals internationally including Venice, Toronto, Pusan and MIFF), and Associate Producer of Short And Sweet 2 for ABC TV. He was on the Advisory Committee for Screen Producers’ Association of Australia (SPAA) Conference from 2003-4, and was recently appointed an Advisor for the Asian Film Market for the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea. Hewison also consults for one of Australia’s most dynamic production companies, Porchlight Films (www.porchlightfilms.com.au). He has also served on juries from the Berlin Film Festival to more locally at the Adelaide and St Kilda Film Festivals. He has written as an arts contributor for newspapers and magazines in Australia and Paris and has worked in radio, and in a variety of publicity and marketing roles. He lived in Paris from 1989-92.
Links
Alliance Française de Melbourne: www.afmelbourne.asn.au
Australian Film Institute: www.afi.org.au
French Film Festival 2007: www.frenchfilmfestival.org
Politics Event - Tuesday 13 March 2007
In collaboration with the University of Melbourne’s Contemporary European Research Centre
Ségo or Sarko or ? The 2007 French presidential elections
Speaker: Dr Michael Bruter
Date & Time: Tuesday 13 March, 6 pm
Venue: Rm 421, Level 2, 234 Queensberry St
Dr Bruter will analyse the issues at stake in the forthcoming 2007 French presidential elections. Maximum 65 places available. On 22 April and 7 May of this year, France will elect her new President. The forthcoming election is probably the most exciting of the year in Europe. Will France elect her first openly 'pro-capitalism' President in decades or her first female President? Will the extreme right manage to reiterate its incredible coup of 2002 when Jean-Marie Le Pen reached the second ballot against all expectations? Or instead, will the new deal come from a Centrist party, which candidate is now expected by some polls to be in a position to beat either of the two front-runners if he reaches the second ballot? We will look at the panorama of the election, the main contenders and stakes, the main issues of the campaign, and the likely impact of the election for France, Europe, and the world.
Biography
Dr Michael Bruter is a lecturer in Political Science and European Politics in the Department of Government, London School of Economics and Political Science. His teaching specializes in Politics and Policy in Europe, Politics of European integration, Elections, Public Opinion and Identities in Europe. He is a member of the editorial board, Social Science Quarterly (USA) and a past Editor of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence for European Union Studies Research Papers Series. His recent publications include: Citizens of Europe? The emergence of a mass European identity (2005) and "On what citizens mean by feeling 'European'." Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (2004).
Links
Contemporary Europe Research Centre, University of Melbourne: www.cerc.unimelb.edu.au
London School of Economics and Political Science: www.lse.ac.uk
Egypt Event - Wednesday 11 April 2007
In collaboration with the Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne
Discovering Egypt: Presentation on Egyptian exhibition at the Ian Potter Museum of Art
Speaker: Dr Andrew Jamieson
Date & Time: Wednesday 11 April, 6 pm
Venue: Potter Gallery, University of Melbourne
As the exhibition of Ancient Egyptian Artefacts from the Louvre moves from Canberra to Adelaide, Dr Jamieson presents a floor talk on the Potter Museum’s very own Egyptian exhibition, ‘Discovering Egypt’ (31 March – 21 August), as well as a discussion of his recent work in Egypt.
Biography
Dr Andrew Jamieson is a Lecturer and Curator at the Centre for Classics and Archaeology at the University of Melbourne. He has extensive archaeological field experience and has worked at sites in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Australia. In the mid-1990s he was deeply involved in the UNESCO post-war salvage operations in Beirut. For ten seasons he worked at Tell Ahmar in northern Syria. He has taught at Monash University and also been involved in a range of curatorial, conservation and field projects with Heritage Victoria.
Andrew’s doctoral dissertation investigated the Neo-Assyrian pottery from the ARC-funded salvage excavations at Tell Ahmar (ancient Til Barsib) in northern Syria. This study involved the classification of a substantial collection of artefact material and included the creation of a detailed typology and catalogue based on technical, typological and regional analysis.
Links
Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne:
www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.au