Author Talk: Véronique Le Bris—Alice Guy, la plus audacieuse des pionners du cinéma

As part of Festival de la Francophonie 2026 and in partnership with Villa Albertine, the Alliance is honored to welcome French journalist Véronique Le Bris for a presentation of her book Alice Guy, la plus audacieuse des pionniers du cinéma : la biographie de la première femme réalisatrice au monde.

Véronique will speak about her research on women’s place in cinema and read passages from the book. The program will be followed by a social reception and book signing where guests will have the opportunity to speak with the author and enjoy a complimentary glass of French wine.

Doors at 6:00 p.m. Program at 6:30. Please enter via 54 W Chicago Ave. Non-alcoholic options will be avilable. Copies of Alice Guy, la plus audacieuse des pionniers du cinéma will be available for purchase from The Book Stall.

About the Speaker

Journalist and critic, Véronique Le Bris studied at Sciences Po and du Celsa and is an expert on the place of women in cinema. After serving as Managing Editor for Première magazine and working for L’Obs and Écran Total, she collaborated with Echos Week-end and Viva Cinéma (Ciné+). In 2013 she founded cine-woman.fr, the first women’s cinema webmagazine. She has written three books on the subject: Fashion & Cinema (Cahiers du cinéma) on the relationship between actresses and fashion; 50 femmes de cinéma (Marest), and 100 grands films de réalisatrices (Gründ, Arte Ed.). In 2018 she launched Le Prix Alice Guy—an annual prize that recognizes the best French film directed by a woman—in honor of the work and memory of the world’s first filmmaker: Alice Guy.

About Festival de la Francophonie

Festival de la Francophonie is the Alliance Française de Chicago’s annual flagship festival, featuring a vibrant lineup of free public programs over the course of the month of March—the official Mois de la Francophonie—celebrating the world’s French-speaking cultures. AF-Chicago is honored to partner with cultural organizations and government institutions across the city to offer high-quality cultural experiences and a forum where people of all ages and backgrounds can discover and connect with the cultures, customs, and language of the Francophone world, to promote lifelong learning and cultural understanding.

Getting Here

The Alliance Franaise de Chicago is one block from the CTA Red line stop at Chicago Ave. Best bus routes are the 22 on Clark and the 66 on Chicago Ave. A Divvy station is located in front of the 54 W Chicago Ave entrance.

Parking Information

$12 for 12 hours at InterPark at 100 W Chestnut St. Validation is available at reception.

Please be advised that students, members, and attendees at cultural events or programs may be photographed, and these images may be used for marketing purposes.