French language and culture
on the shores of Lake Champlain

Croissants et Conversation

A social hour for novice French speakers!  

Montpelier Social Hour

Let’s speak French to each other in central Vermont! No need to register.

French Book Swap

Refresh your collection of French-language books!  Come to the French Book Swap!

Cross Border Poetry Reading

Canadian and Vermont poets gather at the Haskell Opera House for three poetry sessions celebrating the friendship and cultural ties between the neighboring communities of Stanstead and Derby Line. Presented by the Centre des Arts de Stanstead.  Admission is free.

VTIFF: "Iron Boy" (2026)

Directed by Louis Clichy
France, Belgium | 2026 | Fiction | 89 min | French w/ subtitles

Ten-year-old Christophe, a rambunctious boy living on a struggling farm, is prone to mishaps and has balance issues—a crick in his spine exacerbating his already unstable equilibrium—necessitating a full-body orthopedic brace. As he tries to adjust to his new circumstance, he meets a rebellious new friend, tries to help save the family farm, and follows his newfound passion for playing Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem on the pipe organ. Says VTIFF"s Oliver O'Sullivan, "It has been quite some time since I’ve been so swept away by the visual style of an animated movie, but Iron Boy’s limited palette and hand-drawn watercolor compositions are quietly stunning, each frame a witty, painterly delight."

VTIFF: "Coward" (2026)

Directed by Lukas Dhont
Belgium, France, Netherlands | 2026 | Fiction | 120 min | French, Dutch w/ subtitles

Coward won Best Actors (Joint Award) at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. VTIFF's Steve MacQueen writes of this film: "it’s probably the most tender movie ever made about that war, countering its time in the trenches with a touching love story. Quiet, strapping Pierre (Emmanual Macchia) is a farm boy who can’t deny a growing attraction to Francis (Valentin Campagne), a tailor’s son who stages revues to entertain the troops… the revues themselves are quite fantastic. Both actors are tremendous, their attraction to each palpable—their shared award as Best Actor at Cannes was well-deserved. It’s another success for Dhont, a chronicler of LGBTQ resistance in oppressive societies. He goes bigger here, weaving massive set pieces into his love story, while examining the inherently gay foundations of wartime camaraderie itself. Beautifully photographed, masterfully staged, well acted, and deeply felt, Coward is a triumph."