Victor Hugo is best known for his novels The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables, but he also wrote numerous poems. In this video, Patricia reads an excerpt from his poem "À l'Arc de Triomphe," in which he pays tribute to the city of Paris.

Maxime Duveau held a solo exhibition at the Espace à Vendre gallery in Nice. The show included large-scale drawings in charcoal based on photos that he took in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Maxime Duveau explains his art at his solo exhibition, which is based on photographs he took in San Fransciso and Los Angeles. He uses an interesting charcoal drawing technique he calls "masking."

L'Espace à Vendre gallery had an exhibition of works by Lucien Murat, who juxtaposes a wide range of materials on top of salvaged tapestries.

Patricia introduces the famous French animated series Il était une fois (Once Upon a Time), which follows a time-traveling family through the high points of human civilization and into the future. We have several episodes available on Yabla, which you can find here, and more coming soon!

Patricia recites a famous poem by Jacques Prévert called "Barbara." The poem is set in Brest, a town that was devastated by German bombs in the Second World War.

Patricia reads "À une passante" (To a Passerby), a classic poem from Charles Baudelaire's collection Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil).

In the first episode of this documentary on Quebec, a young Frenchman shares his impressions on Canada. As the interviewees in the film demonstrate, the Quebecois have conflicting attitudes toward the French—some see them as "snobs," while others see them as just "polite."

In the second episode of Le Québec parle aux Français, we learn more about the complex relationship between the French and the Quebecois throughout history. We also learn about the evolution of the French language in Quebec—according to a former Prime Minister of Quebec, the province even "spoke French before France"!

The situation of the French language in Quebec is controversial and complex. Montreal was an English-speaking city until 1920, and it wasn't until the passage of Law 101 in 1977 that French became the official language of Quebec. According to some of the interviewees in this video, Québécois French is in a precarious position once again, with municipal signage and corporate names in Montreal reverting to English, as well as shopkeepers who refuse to speak French.

One might think that the push to remove anglicisms from the French language would be stronger in France, but the larger movement to "purify" French is actually happening in Quebec. Many Québécois worry that the French language is endangered in Canada, and the Quebec government has taken measures to preserve it by inventing new words instead of borrowing from English. That's why an email is still un email in France, but un courriel in Quebec.

French Canada is a cultural mosaic that is still exploring its identity. Some French Canadians feel more American than French, while others feel more of an allegiance to their French roots. Somehow, a Quebecois nation is emerging out of all this, but not without some growing pains.

In part 6 of Le Québec parle aux Français, the interviewees compare and contrast the immigrant situation in France and Quebec. France, being a smaller country, creates additional pressure for immigrants, while in Quebec, immigrants do rather well. Later, Olivier treats us to a little song he wrote himself.

In part seven of this series on Quebec, Olivier focuses on something that is dear to the hearts of many Québécois: the majestic Saint Lawrence River. He also explores their relationship with money and the way they conduct business. Olivier asks whether it's easier to do business in Quebec or in France. Quebec, it seems, offers more opportunities for companies, with fewer regulations and restrictions, while France remains a very productive country despite the thirty-five-hour workweek.

In part 8 of Le Québec parle aux Français, Olivier discusses the cost of maintaining a high standard of living. Is France living beyond its means? Heavy taxation and full employment would go some way toward balancing the national budget and covering the cost of welfare programs.