Like Us On Facebook

Réveil News

Centre de la francophonie

The Centre de la francophonie in collaboration with Speaking Place has just made possible a French version of the documentary Réveil-Waking Up French. You can find it at www.wakingupfrench.com Stay tuned for a schedule of public screenings.

The Centre de la francophonie des Amériques helps promote and highlight a French-speaking community focused on the future of the French language in the midst of cultural diversity by reinforcing and enriching relations and encouraging give and take among French-speakers and Francophiles in America.

A teacher's guide to the film is now available. It includes historical and cultural background overviews, bibliographies, web sites for further research, and topics and questions to guide use of the film in the classroom. Please see "Copies-Schools and Libraries" for ordering information. The Teacher's Guide was prepared by by Dr. Eileen M. Angelini , Chair, Department of Modern Languages, Canisius College and winner of several prizes for excellence in teaching and promoting French Language and culture.

A review of REVEIL also by Dr. Angelini recently appeared in the The French Review, Vol. 81, No. 4, March 2008, pp 790-791.

Réveil to play daily at the Jean Lafitte National Historical and Preservation Park Layafette, LA

Réveil was presented at Université de La Sorbonne, Paris France, January 30, 2006 with a workshop in documentary filmmaking by Ben Levine.

Waking up FrenchRéveil-Waking Up French

is a powerful documentary film that explores the struggle for cultural survival among the French-Canadian, Franco-American communities of New England. The film traces the French heritage beginning with immigration from the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Acadia through persecution by Ku Klux Klan and language loss, to cultural renaissance and heritage preservation. Through their determined loyalty to the French Catholic faith, language and cultural values, the French of New England continue to discover new ways of renewal and cultural diversity through heritage language reacquisition.

Réveil-Waking Up French is relevant to everyone. As the melting pot attitude and globalization threatens diversity and the heritage of so many cultures, Réveil explores the struggle for cultural survival in the very heart of American monoculture. It reveals the importance of history and heritage understanding and demonstrates how languages can be reacquired for personal and community renewal that is truly inspiring.

Réveil is a wonderful educational resource for schools. It can be used for French/Francophone) studies, American Studies, Women’s Studies, Diversity and cultural identity), Linguistics (language loss), sociology, and cross-disciplinary studies, Immigration and more.

“You’re telling the story of your language! It’s positive, powerful, and empowering; it incorporates a heritage and a huge amount of identity that is attached to the language”
            National Public Radio, “All things Considered”

“…reconnect with a very deep place within.”
         Boston Globe

Audience Response:

"Everyone needs to see this to become aware of the damage done by the sense of loss of giving up cultural heritage and not honoring all cultures and individuals. "

"I cried most of the way through the film. It's not just a language that's being lost, it's a profoundly deeper way of being who we are."

"An awesome emotional movie and I'm a Slovak from Cleveland, Ohio."

"Give it the widest distribution possible. It will affect all races."

"Powerful production - true emotions - strength of spirit - authentic!"

"The film captures the heart and soul of what we feel inside when we rediscover ourselves . . . when we wake up French."

"It made you not only care for the individuals' stories but also for the story and character of the culture itself."

New! Now in DVD! 

reveil dvd menu

Click to see the DVD Menu larger.

Thanks to our sponsors for the DVD Version of Réveil: