All posts by : admco admco

⏳ A unique opportunity to explore this iconic French monument and understand the extraordinary challenge behind its reconstruction.

⛪️ On April 15, 2019, a devastating fire struck Notre-Dame de Paris, a historic symbol of the French capital and of France itself. Built over 850 years ago, the cathedral welcomed nearly 12 million visitors each year. This tragedy sparked a wave of emotion across France and around the world, leading to an unprecedented outpouring of solidarity. Thanks to the donations collected, the entire restoration project could be funded. The day after the fire, President Emmanuel Macron set an ambitious goal: to reopen Notre-Dame in 2024.

🗓️ Exhibition dates: February 20 – March 16
🕘 Opening hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
📍 Location: 11 Barnes Place, Colombo 7

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🎬 10 short films. 10 bold voices. 10 female filmmakers from Sri Lanka

💜 Celebrating International Women’s Day 2026 with a special screening of short films by young female filmmakers from across Sri Lanka — representing Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities, and stories rooted in different corners of the island.

✨ Featuring films by:
Rashini Kanchima Chandrasiri, Ginuki Jayaweera, Sawmya Wimalarathna, Sanduni Wanasinghe, Hemamalini Srinath, Nayani Narayana, Nuzha M.W.F., Sureni Ranawaka, Elangoven Niroshika, and Nimesha Herath.

🎤 Curated by Anomaa Rajakaruna from the Agenda 14 Short Film Festival and supported by the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives with the Alliance Française de Colombo, the screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers.

🗓 05 March 2026
🕕 6.00 PM
📍 Alliance Française de Colombo, 11, Barnes Place, Colombo 07
⏱ Total screening time: 75 minutes

📝 Free entrance | no registration

🎬 The Pearl Protectors and the Alliance Française de Colombo are excited to announce the 1st-ever public screening of the film “Turtle Walker” in Sri Lanka.

🐢 This award-winning documentary follows the life of Satish Bhaskar, an Indian conservationist who dedicated himself to studying and protecting endangered sea turtles along India’s coasts in the 1970s, and explores the aftermath of the 2004 tsunamis on their habits

📍 The screening is on 2nd March at 2.00 pm at Alliance Française de Colombo, 11, Barnes Pl, Colombo 7

🎟️ Kindly consider that the screening is fully booked.

⚠️ Limited seats available. E-ticket required to enter.

🎹 Calling all classical pianists and advanced piano students for an exclusive opportunity to participate in a masterclass with the internationally acclaimed French classical pianist Maxime Zecchini.

📅 Date: Saturday, 7 February
🕙 Time: from 9.00 am onwards
📍 Location: Alliance Française de Colombo, 11 Barnes Place, Colombo 07
💡 For: Advanced classical pianists and students
🎟️ Free registration: Sign up before the 31st of January
📝 To register, send your CV or recommendations to: events@alliancefrancaise.lk

🎼 Step into the world of French music as acclaimed pianist Maxime Zecchini presents a classical piano recital in Colombo, honoring the 160th birth anniversary of Erik Satie, French composer of the fin-de-siècle and early modernist period.
✨ The program explores the rich colors and charm of French composers, featuring works for piano by Satie, Poulenc, Fauré, Saint-Saëns, Bizet, Massenet, and Delibes, alongside chamber music performances with musicians from the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka.

📅 Friday, 6 February | 7.00 PM
📍 Alliance Française de Colombo, 11, Barnes Place, Colombo 07

🎟 Tickets: 3000 LKR ( 2000 LKR for Alliance Française members & students )
📩 Tickets are available at the front desk of the Alliance Française de Colombo
📩 Online payments through- events@alliancefrancaise.lk

🖌️ Mahagama Sekera, post-independence Sri Lanka’s renaissance iconoclast – artist, poet, novelist, lyricist, playwright, filmmaker – passed away, as quietly as he had lived, 50 years ago on January 14th, 1976, leaving behind a diverse and unique body of work that is unmatched in the nation’s recent history.

🎨 To mark this anniversary, the Alliance Française de Colombo has collaborated with the Mahagama Sekera Archives to present an exhibition of his paintings titled “The Art of Mahagama Sekera”, on the 14th and 15th January 2026 from 9.00 am till 5.00 pm.

🌍 The paintings, which cover two decades of his artistic development, in turn become the occasion for a new assessment of Mahagama Sekera’s contribution to Sri Lankan humanities, which also traces the international dimensions of his oeuvre. In his commemorative lecture, “Their burden did I own”: the patient genius of Mahagama Sekera, Prof. Arjuna Parakrama will speak on the delicate artistic interweaving and creative synergies across Mahagama Sekera’s work, while locating him in the broader global post-colonial intellectual tradition. ___________________________________

👑 Galette des Rois Celebration in Colombo! 🍰
This January, we’re inviting kids aged 6-10 to a fun and delicious French cultural experience! Come make your own crown and taste the Galette des Rois, the traditional French cake enjoyed to celebrate Epiphany.

Learn about the charming tradition: whoever finds the hidden “fève” (a little charm) in their slice becomes king or queen for the day! It’s a delightful way for our youngsters to discover French culture, enjoy a sweet treat, and have fun with friends.
🗓 Date: January 10th, 2026
⏰ Time: 10:30 – 11:30 AM
💰 Registration Fee: 500 LKR
📍 Register in person: Front desk at Alliance Française Colombo
📧 Online registration & payments: events@alliancefrancaise.lk

Join us for a special literary evening featuring Sunethra Rajakarunanayake and Janaka Samarakoon, celebrating a landmark moment in Sri Lankan literature. 

The Sinhala novel “ප්‍රේම පුරාණය” written by Sunethra Rajakarunanayake, translated into French as “Le bonheur du néant” and Janaka Samarakoon, marks a historic milestone as the first contemporary work of fiction translated directly from Sinhala into French.

The author and translator will be in conversation, sharing insights into the creative and translational journey behind this groundbreaking work.

📅 Friday, 9th of January, 2026

🕕 6.00 PM

📍 Alliance Française de Colombo Library, 11, Barnes Place, Colombo 07

🎟️ Free entry – registration required 📩 events@alliancefrancaise.lk