Film Screening: The French

Célébrons la saison sur terre battue !

In celebration of clay season, please join us for a special screening of The French, a film by William Klein, presented by filmmaker Wes Anderson.

William Klein, the legendary American photographer and filmmaker, has put together a body of work as thrillingly eclectic as any living artist. In his 1969 film Muhammad Ali, the Greatest, Klein found a subject that combined his interest in sport and social criticism, and much the same combination can be seen at work, in a very different cultural context, in The French. Klein was the first person to be granted full, exclusive access to the tournament in its 90-year history, and using that doorway into locker rooms, TV studios, and players’ boxes, he shot the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at the 1981 French Open—a crucial moment in a crucial year in the history of a game, and its iconic players Björn Borg, John McEnroe, Chris Evert, Yannick Noah, and Ivan Lendl. With Klein’s customary eagle eye and whirlwind energy, The French captures the noisy bedlam that accompanies any major sporting event, while also revealing a level of candor from his subjects that is impossible to imagine in today’s secretive media-trained world.

Join us for a pre-screening discussion led by Michele Steele, ESPN correspondent, in conversation with Kamau Murray, Founder and CEO of XS Tennis.

Guests will also enjoy a pre-screening reception featuring a complimentary glass of French wine.

To make the occasion even more exciting, we’re hosting a raffle featuring exclusive prizes from Roland Garros and Wilson!

Raffle tickets are available online and at the event. Can’t attend in person? No problem—you can still enter the raffle online. Winners must pick up their prizes in person at the Alliance Française.

Online ticket sales close June 4 at 5 p.m. Don’t miss your chance to win big!

Raffle Prizes Include:

• 2 Wilson RG Edition sports bags
• 1 Wilson racket bag
• 1 Wilson tennis racket (unstrung)
• 1 Official Roland Garros 2025 Tournament Poster by Marc-Antoine Mathieu
• 2 Delsey Paris x RG 2025 collector computer cases
• 2 Wilson x Roland Garros collector keychains
• 1 Roland Garros clay ball collector keychain
• 1 Roland Garros logo key ring

Get your raffle tickets here!

Note: While Anderson is not featured in the film, he played a significant role in its 2021 re-release by presenting the restored version through Metrograph Pictures. His involvement was as a curator and advocate, expressing his admiration for the documentary’s portrayal of tennis during that era.

About Kamau Murray

Kamau Murray is the founder and CEO of XS Tennis and Education Foundation in Chicago. He began playing tennis at age 7 in Chicago’s public parks and later earned a tennis scholarship to Florida A&M University, where he also served as a Graduate Assistant Coach. After a decade in corporate America, Murray established XS Tennis in 2008, which has since become a prominent tennis and education center. Notably, he coached Sloane Stephens to her 2017 U.S. Open title and is a WTA Gold Coach and 2018 WTA Coach of the Year runner-up.

About Michele Steele

Michele Steele joined ESPN as a correspondent in Dec. 2011. A versatile journalist based in Chicago, she has covered some of the biggest stories nationally for SportsCenter, Sunday NFL Countdown, NFL Live and ESPN’s digital platforms. Her favorite assignments have included Monday Night Football on SportsCenter, Caitlin Clark’s debut with the Indiana Fever, the Scripps National Spelling Bee and the Warrior Games, featuring athletes from our nation’s armed forces. During the 2024 NFL season, she hosted ESPN Daily, the sports network’s version of the ubiquitous New York Times podcast. She serves as a fill-in anchor for SportsCenter and is proud to be a sports contributor to Weekend Edition, on National Public Radio.