🎥 Un Jeune Chaman follows Ze, a 17-year-old shaman in Ulaanbaatar. While balancing school and his spiritual calling, he communicates with the spirits of his ancestors to help his community. But when he meets Marla, a new reality begins to emerge.
📅 Thursday, 21st August
🕖 7.00 PM
🎟️ Free entrance
📍 Alliance Française de Colombo
🔵 With English subtitles
🎥 Belle et Sébastien : Nouvelle Génération follows Sébastien, a 10-year-old city boy spending the summer in the mountains. When he meets Belle, a mistreated dog, their friendship leads to the wildest summer of his life.
📅 Saturday, 16th August
🕒 3.00 PM
🎟️ Free entrance
📍 Alliance Française de Colombo
🔵 With English subtitles
📚 Join us for two evenings of book presentations as part of Sister Library, hosted within the exhibition Empowerment: Arts and Feminisms. Led by Indigenous artist Aqui Thami, Sister Library is a vibrant art initiative that reimagines the library as a feminist space—merging literature with community to honor the creativity of women writers, artists, and zine makers.
🌍 In Sri Lanka, the project is funded by the Franco-German Cultural Fund and presented in partnership with Everystory Sri Lanka, an organization amplifying underrepresented voices through literature. Everystory has contributed Sri Lankan works to the collection, while the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française have added feminist literature from Germany and France, translated into English.
📖 Across two evenings, we’ll share favorite titles from the bookshelf. Stefan Winkler, Director of the Goethe-Institut, will reflect on reading science fiction—traditionally male-dominated—and spotlight Sultana’s Dream by Rukeya Hussain, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin, and Kindred by Octavia Butler. He’ll also introduce Before She Sleeps by Bina Shah and Utopias of the Third Kind by Vandana Singh.
👥 On the second evening, Thadini Liyanage and Raeesa Samsudeen from Everystory will lead a session on The Vegetarian by Han Kang. They will be joined by Cécile Hoorelbeke and Vidura Rodrigo from Alliance Française de Colombo, who will present their favorites, including Frozen Women by Annie Ernaux and Poems of the First Buddhist Women, translated by Charles Hallisey.
🎨 The event is part of the public programme of Empowerment: Art and Feminisms, a travelling South Asian exhibition featuring 31 feminist artists and collectives. On view from 4–11 August 2025 at JDA Perera Gallery, the show explores gender, identity, care, resistance, and inclusion. It is curated by Andreas Beitin, Katharina Koch, and Uta Ruhkamp, and co-produced by Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg and Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai.
🎥 Juliette and Carmen, two curious sisters aged 4 and 8, accidentally enter the world of their favorite book, The Kingdom of Air Currents. Turned into cats and imprisoned after Juliette’s misstep, they are separated. To reunite and return home, they must face Sirocco, the fearsome mage of winds and storms. But is he as terrifying as the stories say?
📆 Saturday the 5th of July
⏰ 3.00pm
🏠 Alliance Française de Colombo
🎟️ Free entrance
🔵 With English subtitles
🎥 After a near-fatal fall left him in a coma, renowned explorer Pierre defies all odds—and advice—to walk across France on forgotten paths. Inspired by Sylvain Tesson, his journey becomes a quiet exploration of resilience and hyper-rural life.
📆 Thursday the 24th July | 7.00pm
📆 Saturday the 26th July | 3.00pm
🏠 Alliance Française de Colombo
🎟️ Free entrance
🔵 With English subtitles
🎬 Join us for a powerful cinematic experience with Hannah Arendt, directed by Margarethe von Trotta. This biographical drama explores the life and work of the renowned political thinker as she reports on Adolf Eichmann’s trial in Jerusalem — unveiling the unsettling concept of the “banality of evil.”
📅 Saturday, 12th July
🕔 5.00 PM
📍 Alliance Française de Kandy
🎟️ Free & open to everyone!
📧 For more info: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Join us for a powerful cinematic experience with The Super 8-Years, directed by Annie Ernaux. Home videos filmed by Ernaux and her family between 1972 and 1981 offer an intimate glimpse into the personal history that underpins the themes explored in her work over the past six decades.
📅 Saturday, 19th July
🕔 5.00 PM
📍 Alliance Française de Kandy
🎟️ Free & open to everyone!
📧 For more info: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Join us for a month of immersive art, workshops, discussions, screenings & performances. Experience how plants — and stories — travel across space, time, and culture.
Curated by Lina Vincent, this exhibition brings together four artists whose practices intersect deeply with the natural world, exploring the links between ecology, science, culture, and society through the lens of contemporary art.
Featuring works by:
Rashmimala (India) | Karolina Grzywnowicz (Germany) | Waylon D’Souza (India) | Wendy Therméa (Reunion Island, France)
Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Koyaanisqatsi — Film screening presented as part of Travelling Plants
Join us for a rare screening of Godfrey Reggio’s 1982 cult documentary Koyaanisqatsi, featuring an iconic score by Philip Glass. A cinematic meditation on the imbalance between nature and modern life, this immersive, dialogue-free film combines slow motion, time-lapse, and arresting visuals to explore humanity’s impact on the planet.
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
“Cyan” — The Color of Departure
Cyanotype Workshops with Lojithan Ramanathan
As part of the Travelling Plants exhibition, artist Lojithan Ramanathan leads two immersive workshops exploring Cyanotype — one of photography’s oldest and most enchanting processes. Using only sunlight, water, and iron salts, participants will create striking Prussian blue prints that capture textures, silhouettes, and layered memories on paper and fabric.
Lojithan’s Cyanotype-based practice bridges photography, sculpture, and installation, exploring themes of migration, non-belonging, and nostalgia. These sessions offer a reflective space to slow down, experiment, and connect with the elemental beauty of light, shadow, and material.
Free registration: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Travelling Plants is presented by Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Lecture: Bangalore’s Lalbagh — A Chronicle of the Garden and the City
Explore the layered histories of Bangalore’s Lalbagh Botanical Garden — a site often described as a botanical cosmos for its vast collection of flora, deep colonial roots, and enduring place in the city’s cultural memory.
This talk by Suresh Jayaram — artist, art historian, curator, and founder of Visual Art Collective/1.Shanthiroad Studio, an international artists’ residency and alternative art space in Bangalore — brings to life his acclaimed book Bangalore’s Lalbagh: A Chronicle of the Garden and the City (2021). A montage of historical, anthropological, and personal narratives, the book reflects on Lalbagh not only as a garden but as a living archive of biodiversity, urban transformation, and cultural legacy.
Home to centuries-old trees, economically and ornamentally significant species, and rare flora, Lalbagh is both a scientific resource and a public sanctuary. Jayaram’s deep engagement with the site reveals its complex identity—as a colonial imprint, ecological hub, and beloved city space.
His previous work includes Whatever He Touched, He Adorned, a publication and exhibition on German horticulturist G.H. Krumbiegel. Through his practice, Jayaram builds connections between art, ecology, and urban history.
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Free entry | All are welcome
Ethnobotanical Stories and Exchanges Between Sri Lanka, India, and Indian Ocean Islands – Panel Discussion
Join us for an engaging panel exploring the movement of plants, people, and knowledge across the Indian Ocean — during the Chera, Pandya, Chola, Vijayanagara, and Sri Lankan dynasties, as well as through Arab trade routes and colonial encounters.
Featuring diverse perspectives across art, ecology, and history, the discussion will reflect on ethnobotanical narratives and the complex relationships between culture and the natural world.
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Image Credits: The Herbarium of French Institute of Pondicherry
Ethnobotanical Stories and Exchanges Between Sri Lanka, India, and Indian Ocean Islands — A workshop
Join us for an interactive mapping and art-making workshop exploring ethnobotanical knowledge and cultural exchanges across the Indian Ocean region. Participants will engage in a collaborative mapping exercise using large sheets or whiteboards, followed by the creation of a symbolic ‘kolam’ using seeds, objects, and flower art inspired by Sri Lankan traditions — a reimagining of the third part of the Travelling Plants exhibit, which could not be brought into the country.
Free registration: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Foragers — Film screening presented as part of Travelling Plants
Join us for a screening of Jumana Manna’s Foragers, a poignant and gently humorous exploration of wild herb foraging in Palestine/Israel. Blending documentary, fiction, and archival footage, the film follows the journey of za’atar and ’akkoub from the hills to the kitchen — and the legal trials faced by those who gather them under restrictive conservation laws.
Free registration: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Drawing from Nature: Still Life with Sri Lankan Flora — A workshop for kids (7+ years)
A fun and educational art workshop introducing children to the world of botanical art through Sri Lankan flora. Participants will learn about the history of botanical illustration in Sri Lanka, explore the basics of still life composition, and create their own artwork using native plants and fruit as references. Children will be guided in using pencils and paintbrushes to explore shading, texture, and visual storytelling.
Free registration: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Sensory Encounters of Leela Bhumi (Playful Earth) — A workshop with CoCA Art Studio
Step into an immersive sensory experience inspired by Leela Bhumi (Playful Earth) — a mobile, multifunctional space rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems, ecological memory, and cultural heritage. This workshop invites participants into a space of collective memory, healing, and reconnection through touch, scent, sound, and movement.
Guided by ancestral wisdom and ecological storytelling, participants will engage with natural materials and respond through playful, intuitive making. Here, the boundaries between artist and participant, memory and imagination, dissolve — co-creating moments of care, curiosity, and communion with the Earth.
Free registration: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Les Algues Vertes (Green Tide) — A film screening presented as part of Travelling Plants
When three men and forty animals are found dead on the beaches of Brittany, the culprit is no mystery: green algae. Based on a true ecological scandal, Les Algues Vertes follows journalist Inès Léraud as she unravels a complex web of silence, political pressure, and environmental neglect. Through encounters with whistleblowers, scientists, farmers, and politicians, the film reveals a gripping contemporary story about pollution, journalism, and the struggle to expose hidden truths.
Free admission
Les Algues Vertes (France, 2023) | Duration: 1h59 | Directed by: Inès Léraud | Cinematography: Olivier Boonjing | Music: Adrien Jolivet
Presented as part of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Echoing Nature’s Resonance — A sound performance by Rachel Chanmugam
Join us for the closing event of Travelling Plants — a meditative sound journey led by sound alchemist and healer Rachel Chanmugam. Blending elemental and animal sounds through live looping and minimal melodic layering. The immersive performance will also include interactive elements such as audience-generated elemental sounds and deep listening to Plantwave.
Free registration: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
📅 10th of June — 9.30 am – 4 pm
📧 Register via email – events@alliancefrancaise.lk
📍 Venue – Alliance Française de Colombo
🎙️ Exploring the delicate balance between honouring others’ voices and our own truth in non-fiction. Join us for a day of reflection on ethical storytelling, relying on works by Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich, Sara Ahmed’s Living a Feminist Life, and insights on the “feminist ear.”
🤝 Floriane’s participation in the Sister Library supported by the French Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The Sister Library project is funded by the Franco-German Cultural Fund. The Fund was set up in 2003 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty of friendship between France and West Germany, and it promotes Franco-German cooperation by providing support for cultural and artistic projects.
📚 Image credit: Adapted from the book cover of Sarah Ahmed’s Living a Feminist Life.
🎶 On the occasion of Fête de la Musique, the French Embassy in Sri Lanka presents a celebration at Port View Restaurant, showcasing a dynamic blend of local and international musical talent.
Line-up:
🔵 Anaïs Rosso, a French singer-songwriter whose unique sound blends blues, opera, electronic, and baroque influences, performed with guitar and machines.
🔵 Tha Youngest, a Swiss-born Sri Lankan DJ delivering high-energy sets rooted in hip-hop, funk, dancehall, and a touch of reggae.
🔵 A Sri Lankan band to be announced soon!
📅 Date: Saturday, June 21st
⏰ Time: From 7:00 PM onwards
📍 Venue: Port View Restaurant, Colombo
🎟️ Free and open to all
