Le Mot du Président

 Bonjour à tous,

And the winner is...! I am very happy to reveal our winning photograph for Say Cheese! — a stunning image by Greg Hunting. Congratulations, Greg – your ‘Moment de Tendresse’ (Moment of Tenderness) really touched the hearts of our judging panel; you scored a total of 18 out of 20, including 5 for the title (see photo and comment on page 2 of November La Mouette). We will be organising an awards ceremony in early 2027, most likely as part of our annual ‘welcome (back) party’. But that’s not all: the French Embassy has published the 22 winning photos on Instagram (@franceinaustralia) and a public vote is open in the comments section to choose the national winner, from 26 October to 8 November. I strongly encourage everyone to support Greg’s photo to give him the best possible chance of winning the national competition. Thank you to everyone who submitted, and a huge thank you to James Smith Property’s team for their help, for the time they have devoted to this project, for their supportive insightfulness and comments and for their kindness.

In mid-October, 11 members of the Papotage group got together to enjoy a light lunch of small sandwiches, savoury bites and pastries while having a pleasant chat at Solluna. It was a very enjoyable gathering in a very pleasant setting. See photo on page 6 of November La Mouette.

Our French onion soup lunch and quiz brought together 25 members for a wonderful time filled with fun, food and friendly competition! With questions covering history, geography, music, cuisine and many other topics, everyone had plenty of opportunities to help their table win the prize. Congratulations to Table 3, our winning team, consisting of Gabriel, Trish, Patricia, Peter, Raymond and Robert, who scored an impressive 23 out of 32! A big thank you to everyone who took part and helped make it such an enjoyable occasion! Photos are on page 7 of November La Mouette.

As you know, our Alliance has been invited to participate in the "Multicultural Festival” to be held at Ford Park on Sunday 15 November. I just want to thank the members who have volunteered to answer questions from interested visitors, and I hope there will be plenty of them.

By the time you read this article, Wal and I will be on our way to France – or at least ready to set off – as this year we are going to spend Christmas with my sister and her family and also celebrate my mum’s 98th birthday. So whilst we will not be there in person for this year’s final activities, I can assure you that we’ll be there in spirit and in our hearts.

I wish you a fantastic and funny film night on 12 November and I hope you will enjoy this delightful light-hearted comedy, which is carried by the chemistry between two excellent actors, André Dussollier and Sabine Azéma.

Sylvie

Meet our photo winner

 

Meet our Say Cheese! winner! 🧀🇫🇷🇦🇺

A big congratulations to Greg Hunting whose photo “Moment de tendresse” will now compete and represent us in the national Say Cheese! contest 🏆

A few words from our local jury: Gorgeous light & glow. Touching tenderness & connection in the animal kingdom. Beautiful proportions & a delightful capture of a very special bond. 

22 finalist photos, but only one national winner! 

Head over @franceinaustralia to vote for your favourite among the 22 finalists (and promote our photo!) from across the Alliance Française network! 

Good luck to all finalists, and thank you to everyone who took part in Say Cheese. Also, a huge thank you to James Smith Property’s team for their help, for the time they have devoted to this, for their supportive insightfulness and comments and their kindness. @jamessmithproperty 

Le Mot du Président

 Welcome to your monthly slice of France. First of all, I would like to apologise to Simon Arlidge for misspelling his name, despite having proofread it several times. I will make sure to get it right next time Simon.

Elodie, a young French woman I met through Gabriel, is looking for somewhere to stay from 9 October (when her current dog-sitting assignment ends) until 6 November, when she’ll be moving into our home while we’re away to look after our house. So if you need someone to look after your dog, house, garden or anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll pass on Elodie’s contact details.

AGM and Film Night – 17 September.  Our AGM and film night on 17 September was well attended, with 27 members joining us for the evening. The film, The Chorus, was very well received, with everyone enjoying the beautiful music and voices throughout the movie. Despite a small sound glitch at the beginning, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and another pleasant opportunity for members to come together.

Butter late than never… In Paris, you can find shops specialising in perfumes, pastries, bread, chocolate, cheese and wine, but now it’s butter’s turn to take centre stage. Salted, truffled or even sweet, there are around 30 varieties sourced from small producers across Brittany, the Loire Valley and northern France. For all of you butter lovers, head to The Butter Shop, 3 Rue Bouchut, Paris 15ème arrondissement.

This reminds me of a family story: my Breton grandmother, who was born on a farm where they made butter – which she loved – decided one day, whilst she was still very young, to take a handful of butter from one of the blocks stored in a room set aside for that purpose. As she didn’t want to be caught, she decided to hide her handful of butter in the pocket of her apron. Although she did enjoy her butter, her theft was, of course, discovered – the pocket of her apron gave her away.

Photo contest: we ended up receiving twelve photos, although I had hoped for a little bit more, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to all the entrants and, whilst we await the jury’s selection, I have just one thing to say: Good luck.

The quiz lunch on 22 October is a brilliant opportunity to put your knowledge of France to the test, and I can’t wait to see you there, because one thing’s for sure: I know you’ll have a fabulous time.

See you all on the 22nd,

Sylvie

 We thank you for entering the competition and wish you all good luck. Winners will be notified by late October and announced Australia wide early November.

Le Mot du Président

 Chers tous,

Welcome to the September edition of your favourite newsletter. On that note, do you realise that if you are reading this newsletter, you are already halfway to your next trip to France!

Six members of the Papotage and Blahblah group braved the cold wind and met up on 30 July at The Eddy by Toast café in Merimbula for a delicious, chatty and cheerful get-together. During lunch, the fact that we were speaking French attracted the attention of two younger women, one French and one Flemish; I will leave you to imagine just how varied our topics of conversation were!

Following an idea by Ian Showman, on 4 August, 33 members of the Alliance Française gathered for a delicious lunch at ‘The Barracks’, the student-run training restaurant at TAFE NSW Bega. For those of you who were unable to attend, the menu was a true tribute to French cuisine, featuring gougères, a ham hock terrine, duck confit served with a sour cherry jus, melt-in-the mouth lamb navarin, a silky ratatouille and pommes Anna, to name but a few of the dishes we were served. To round off the meal, we were treated to some classic French desserts: profiteroles with hazelnut praline, crème brûlée and crêpe Suzette — the perfect ending to a truly delicious meal. (see photos on page 3). A huge thank you to Ian for this brilliant idea and to Mike for his brilliant execution.

On 9 August, Wal and I went to Headland Theatre to see the play “The Brainstorm”, and were delighted to catch up with a few members of the Alliance Française. Patrick Dickson’s performance stands out for its intensity: he takes to the stage alone for nearly two hours to portray several characters and accents, whilst also evoking Guernsey’s wild seascape. Hats off to you, Mr Dickson – you have captivated and enthralled us. Read on page 6 Simon Alridge’s review.

Most of you will have heard about the photo competition organised jointly by the Alliance Française network and the French Embassy in Australia. You’ll find the details on pages 4 & 5, as well as on the Alliance’s blog https:// afsaphir.blogspot.com/ I hope many of you will participate in this event. Our next event is taking place on 17 September. I definitely encourage you to join us for dinner, followed by the AGM and the screening of the movie Les Choristes (The Chorus). Released in 2004, the film was (and still is) a huge hit with the public, a little gem that you will discover, with immense pleasure. The film is short and effective, funny and poignant, cruel and tender. A little masterpiece that concludes with a wonderfully nostalgic touch. I highly recommend it to you.

To finish my chitchat, I have a message specifically for our car rally enthusiasts: for family reasons, I am unfortunately unable to organise our rally this year. I can assure you that this is only a postponement, and I look forward to seeing you all again next year for another day of discovery and fun.

Sylvie

Say Cheese… it’s open

Say Cheese! It's time! 

The competition is officially OPEN! 🌟 

Grab your camera (or your phone!) and send us your best shot before 30 September.

No theme. No rules. Just your eye, your light, your story, your imagination — and a little bit of French flair. 🌟 

Give your photo a title in French. 🇫🇷

Submit your photo to the Alliance Française today via the link:

https://framaforms.org/say-cheese-photo-contest-1787554799

or: 🖇 afsaphire.blogspot.com

Bonne chance (Good luck)

With the support of @franceinaustralia

Say Cheese Photography Competition

SAY CHEESE! is a photography contest conducted by the Alliance Française network and the French Embassy in Australia to celebrate the Bicentenary of Photography.

Two hundred years ago, a French engineer changed the world forever by  inventing permanent photography. Now it’s your turn!

Submissions are open from 1 to 30 September 2026.

Whether you shoot on your camera or your phone, this is your moment to be part of a global celebration that started in a small French village two centuries ago.

How to enter:

The contest is free and open to everyone in Australia over the age of 16, no matter your experience, and you don't need to be a member of the Alliance Française to participate.

The key points are:

📅 Submissions: 1–30 September 2026 🇦🇺 Open to: Everyone across Australia 📸 Format: Camera or mobile phone 🎯 Theme: None — No rules of subject — just your eye, your light and your story. You are free to photograph whatever you choose, no prescribed subject, any style, any colours… 🏷️ Title: Give your photo a title in French 🇫🇷 Occasion: 200 years of permanent photography, originating in France ✨ Creative brief: Your eye, your light, your story, your “spirit”

Winning prize:

🥇$200 courtesy of the French Embassy in Australia, in a form of cash, a subscription to a French magazine, a 5 year family membership for the Alliance Française, or even free entries to Alliance’s events (restaurant, concerts…etc.)

The Winning entry will be showcased at national level across the Alliance Française Australia network and the French Embassy in Australia. A National Winner will be selected by public vote.

Entry guidelines:

-  Photographs in JPG or PNG format (refer to Terms and Conditions)

-  One submission per participant

-  Submit photo after 1 September via [Add link to Google Form on 01/09/26]

-  By submitting your entry, you agree to the Contest Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Key dates:
Submissions Open	1 September 2026
Submissions Close	30 September 2026
Winner Notified	Mid October
Winner Announced	Early November
Australia Winner	Late 2026 (French Embassy’s Instagram profile)

Questions?

Contact Alliance Française of the Sapphire Coast here 

🎥 🧀 😀

Say Cheese! is proud to have Martine Perret, French-Australian photographer, as Ambassador.

© David Dare Parker

“Photography is my language for articulating ideas and creating dialogue. I see the process as relational - built on trust, collaboration, and ensuring the people I work with have agency in how they are represented. I believe photography can be a form of social engagement and meaningful change. The bicentenary represents an opportunity not only to reflect on the past, but to question whose histories have been remembered and whose have been overlooked. I encourage photographers from across the Alliance Française network in Australia to take part in this competition. Your perspective matters, and your images will become part of the bicentenary of photography. Say Cheese!” Martine Perret

About the Alliance Française Network in Australia:

The Alliance Française Australia network was created to promote the French language and culture, and to encourage cultural, intellectual, and artistic exchange between Australia and the French-speaking world. Since 1989, the annual Alliance Française French Film Festival has become a major event in Australia, bringing the best of French cinema down under.
 

Today, 29 Alliances Françaises operate throughout Australia as not-for-profit organisations, as do more than 800 chapters worldwide.

About the Bicentenary of Photography:

In 1826-27, French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce captured what is considered the world's first photograph from the window of his Burgundy estate, “Point de Vue du Gras”. That single image launched a revolution that transformed art, science, journalism, memory, and everyday life across the globe. Two hundred years later, photography is more alive — and more democratic — than ever. Say Cheese! is the Australian Francophile community's contribution to this extraordinary anniversary.

To know more about the Bicentenary of photography, visit the Ministère de la Culture website.

Point de vue du Gras The original plate is on display at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas in Austin.