Events

About the Event

This event is part of our America at 250 Project, with EUNIC: The Art of Freedom: Voices of Expression from Europe to America

This event is reserved for adults aged 21+ and over

This event will be in English.

Don't miss this opportunity to engage with Andrew S. Curran, one of today's leading historians, whose work explores the intersection of French history, Enlightenment studies, intellectual history, biography, and contemporary discussions of race and identity, as he shares his new book, Biography of a Dangerous Idea: A New History of Race from Louis XIV to Thomas Jefferson.

About The Book

In this compelling work, Curran traces the origins and evolution of the modern concept of race, revealing how ideas developed during the Enlightenment continue to shape our world today. Through meticulous historical research and engaging storytelling, Biography of a Dangerous Idea examines the intellectual, political, and cultural forces that transformed race into one of history's most powerful and enduring ideas.

The book can be preordered here: https://bookshop.org/a/1754/9781635422245

About the Author

Andrew S. Curran is a writer and scholar of the eighteenth century whose work explores the intersections of race, science, and Enlightenment thought. His essays and commentary have appeared in The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, The Guardian, Newsweek, Time Magazine, The Paris Review, El País, and The Wall Street Journal. He is the author or editor of five books and is widely recognized for bringing complex historical questions to a broad public audience.

His previous book, Who's Black and Why?, co-edited with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and received the 2023 Association of American Publishers Award for the best book in European History. His acclaimed biography Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely was translated into multiple languages and was named one of the best biographies of 2019 by numerous international publications.

Curran is a Fellow in the History of Medicine at the New York Academy of Medicine, a Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques, and the William Armstrong Professor of the Humanities at Wesleyan University. Following the discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to purchase books onsite and participate in a Q&A with the author.

Learn more about Andrew S. Curran: Here

For all inquiries concerning this event: Please email culture@francedc.org

This event is part of our Young Professionals series

This event is exclusively for young professionals between the ages of 21-35

This event will take place at Bonne Vie Café and Bistro located on 1604 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Looking to meet fellow Francophone young professionals who share your love for French? Join us on Friday, October 23 at 6:30 PM at Bonne Vie Café and Bistro for an evening of French conversation, new connections, good food, specially curated drinks, and great company.

Whether you're a native francophone, learning French, a longtime Francophile, or simply curious about French culture, everyone is welcome between the ages of 21-35!

What to expect:

· Meet and mingle with young professionals from the Washington DC Francophone & Francophile community

· Enjoy a special French Happy Hour menu created for the evening

· Delicious French classics in a laid back atmosphere

· Connect over drinks, conversation, and all things French Bring a friend, practice your French, and come ready to mingle!

About Bonne Vie Café and Bistro

Bonne Vie Café & Bistro opened in the fall of 2025 in the historic flatiron building at the intersection of 16th Street, U Street, and New Hampshire Avenue. The restaurant reunited owner Aziz Safi and French chef and concept designer Raphael François nearly a decade after they created Le DeSales, their contemporary French restaurant in downtown Washington.

Conceived as a more relaxed and intimate neighborhood bistro, Bonne Vie draws inspiration from the timeless cafés of Paris while embracing the warmth and rhythm of its Washington, D.C. surroundings. Its rooms are layered with French and American cultural artifacts—from century-old Limoges plates and vintage Parisian engravings to jazz memorabilia, French literature, and images of Brigitte Bardot and the Kennedys in Paris.

At the table, Bonne Vie celebrates the generous simplicity of French bistro dining through traditional dishes, approachable wines, and its signature three-course prix-fixe experience. Though Bonne Vie is young, it was designed to feel as though it has long belonged to the neighborhood—a welcoming place to gather, linger, and enjoy la bonne vie, the good life.

About the Event:

This event is part of our Cinema series.

This event will be in English and take place at the Alliance Française of Washington, DC, 2142 Wyoming Ave NW.

Join us at the Alliance Française of Washington, DC for a special screening of FABRIC, followed by an engaging conversation with the film’s creative team, Espero France founder Maya Persaud, and award-winning Afghani-American fashion designer and cultural storyteller Samira Atash.

About the Film:

FABRIC pulls back the curtain on the world of French haute couture, spotlighting refugee artisans whose meticulous craftsmanship brings high fashion to life. With exclusive access to the Espero Atelier - a workshop that trains refugees in haute couture tailoring and places them in top fashion houses - this documentary follows several trainees who have made Paris their home and found purpose and pride in preserving centuries-old artisanal techniques. Through intimate interviews at home, moments in the workshop and an exciting fashion show at the prestigious Musee d’Orsay, the film explores the intersection of heritage, identity and savoir-faire. We learn how these unsung heroes navigate cultural integration. Their stories reveal not only the craftsmanship behind couture but also the human stories woven into every stitch.

Awards:

• Nominated in the category of Best Short Documentary at the Raindance Film Festival 2026
• Winner of the Immaculate Heart Community Social Impact Award at the LA Shorts International Film Festival 2026Awards

About the Creators:

Producer - Sanam Hasan, Tiny Circus Productions: With over 20 years' experience in publicity, communications and distribution, Sanam Hasan has worked on a wide range of film and entertainment campaigns. As an award-winning publicist, she has worked for major studios and agencies including 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers and DDA and international film festivals and is currently the Senior PR Manager of BFI Festivals. She produced her first documentary short Unsilencing Sabeen in 2017 and founded Tiny Circus Productions in 2025 with FABRIC as its debut title.

Co-Producer & Editor - Sabrine Dahaut, Hemeroscope Studios: Sabrine Dahaut is a French writer and filmmaker. She founded Hemeroscope Studios, an independent audiovisual production company based in London and Paris, where she develops and crafts fiction and non-fiction impact stories. Alongside her creative work, Sabrine is a multilingual human rights lawyer, international security and peacebuilding specialist. Her career has taken her to work with and for international organizations and institutions, including the United Nations, USNATO, Search for Common Ground, GMFUS and the Africa Center for Strategy & Policy. Sabrine sits on the executive committee of Minorities in Peace & Security UK, is a Heinrich Böll Foundation 2022 Feminist Foreign Policy & Development Fellow and former WIIS Brussels and UK board member.

Director - Anabelle Marshall: Award-winning director and cinematographer Anabelle Marshall has been crafting premium documentaries for the BBC, Netflix, HBO, ITV and Channel 4 for over two decades. She’s drawn to multi-layered films and specialises in portraying sensitive, powerful themes and revealing human stories in a cinematic style. Her films on assisted dying, social housing, sexual orientation and space travel, bringing out the depth and complexity of characters in extraordinary situations, have been critically acclaimed.

Maya Persaud - Founder, Espero France: Maya Persaud is a committed social cause entrepreneur. Following her undergrad from the University of Maryland where she studied Chemistry and French, Maya worked for non-profits involved in microfinance initiatives. After completing her Masters in Social Anthropology of Development at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, Maya relocated to France and worked in supporting migrants in navigating societal administrative systems. In 2009, Maya established fashion brand Lotty Dotty and, after witnessing resource waste first hand compounded with the refugee crises, Maya established Espero in 2016. The mission of Espero is focused on engaging and developing the skills and talents of exiled people so that they are able to find their place in their new country.

About Moderator Samira Atash: Samira Atash is an award-winning fashion designer, beauty entrepreneur, and cultural storyteller whose 25-plus-year career bridges fashion, beauty, heritage, and humanitarian purpose. Her work explores the intersection of design and identity, from her fashion label SAMIRA ATASH, inspired by Silk Road textiles and rooted in fair trade, to her ongoing storytelling about Afghan history, culture, textiles, and dress. She founded FLOW Blow Dry & Beauty Bar, the first blow dry bar in the DC area, Samira Brow Couture, an award-winning permanent makeup studio, and sbc COLOR STYLE, offering personal color analysis and styling services. Samira is also the founder of RUMI ROSE, an online fashion and beauty boutique supporting children’s education and women’s entrepreneurship programs in Afghanistan, and Creator and Executive Producer of Beauty and the East Media. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, National Geographic TV, NBC, and other media outlets. A longtime supporter of AFDC’s cultural programming, she is honored to moderate this discussion with Maya Persaud and the FABRIC team.

Learn more about her work at www.samiraatash.com and rumirose.com

Social media handles:

Instagram: @fabric_shortdoc @hemeroscope @tinycircusproductions @esperoatelier @analysishistory

Websites: tinycircusproductions.com. esperofrance.org, www.samiraatash.com,  rumirose.com

About the Event

This event is part of our “France Forever” series

This event will be in English

France and Washington, DC have a very special connection, and the Alliance Française of Washington DC and Off the Mall Tours are offering a walking experience that will show the many ways in which our Gallic friends have influenced the neighborhood of Dupont Circle. This 2-hour walk introduces you to how Dupont Circle has French influences, and sharing a deep history and heritage with the French language and culture that many overlook!

This tour begins at the Dupont Circle Fountain (21 Dupont Circle NW) and ends at the Alliance Française of Washington DC (2142 Wyoming Ave) Stops include:

-Larz Anderson House

-The home of the Society of the Cincinatti

-Phillips Collection

-The scene of an art heist involving a famous French statue.

-Perry Belmont House - An example of Gilded Age fascination with French architecture and style.

-Swann Street Outdoor Artwork - A nod to Marcel Proust

-Former Vichy Embassy (current North Macedonian Embassy) - The site of a scandalous spy caper

-Alliance Française of Washington DC (Tour ends here - 2142 Wyoming Ave)

What to Expect:

A guided walking tour through the Dupont Circle neighborhood and surrounding areas

Engaging cultural and historical commentary

A moderate walking distance at a relaxed pace (includes segments that are uphill)

Opportunities for photos and questions

What to Bring:

Comfortable walking shoes

Weather-appropriate clothing

Water

How to Get to the Starting Point:

Dupont Circle Metro Station (Red Line)

Street Parking nearby (First Come First Serve)

About Off the Mall Tours:

Off the Mall Tours is a unique walking tour company that brings a fresh perspective to the history of the nation's capital. Its mission is to introduce locals and tourists alike to the DC that awaits "off the mall" and in the neighborhoods of this fascinating, energetic city. DC is multi-layered and has a multi-cultural heritage, and our company strives to share the contributions of the international community on the city. To really understand Washington, you need to "get Off the Mall!"

About Katie Kirkpatrick:

Katie Kirkpatrick is proud to call herself a DC resident since 2002. She moved to the capital after college for graduate school, and then worked in government for many years. However, history was always her first love. So she started her own company, drawing upon her interests in unique stories, a flair for costuming, and her love of DC. She also has a long-term relationship with France, having studied French since high school and living in France and Francophone countries at several periods in her life. She loves all things French! Follow her at @offthemalltours.