Join Villa Albertine for San Francisco”s annual Literary Festival Litquake, featuring two iconic figures of French culture, French author and filmmaker Christine Angot and master perfumer and author Jean-Claude Ellena for some engaging discussions of their work.
Explore Taboo Auto-Fiction with Best-Selling Author Christine Angot
Known for her uncompromising exploration of intimate and controversial topics, Christine Angot will take part in a conversation highlighting her writings Incest and A Difficult Love, revealing the nuances of autofiction and reaffirming her commitment to women’s and children’s rights. Cécile Alduy, Professor of French Literature at Stanford, will moderate the discussion, offering insights into Christine Angot’s unique writing style and its impact on the Francophone literary scene.
Location: Telegraph Hill Books
Date: Friday, October 25, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
More information and tickets here
Catch a Special Screening of “Une Famille” with Filmmaker Christine Angot and Curator Zoe Elton
On October 27, a second event will feature Christine Angot in San Francisco with a screening of her film Une famille. This feature film is presented as part of the Aftershock festival in collaboration with the Mill Valley Film Festival. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Zoë Elton, Artistic Director of the Mill Valley Film Festival, and audience participation.
Location: 4 Star Theater
Date: Sunday, October 27, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
More information and tickets here
Discover the Art of Perfume with Master Perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena
Villa Albertine and The Gardens of Golden Gate Park will welcome master perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, creator for Hermès and Cartier, on October 28, 2024.
Don’t miss the opportunity to see iconic French perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, the creative force behind Les Jardins d’Hermès, at San Francisco Litquake. Following the release of his book, Atlas of Perfumed Botany, Ellena will discuss the cartography of fragrances, exploring historical connections and cultural exchanges. This intimate meeting is a must for scent enthusiasts, as he reflects on his influential career and innovative ways perfume can enhance our understanding of the natural environment.
Ellena has profoundly shaped the fragrance world, especially during his tenure as Hermès’ in-house perfumer from 2004 to 2016, crafting iconic scents like Un Jardin sur le Nil. His journey in perfumery began in Grasse, where he picked jasmine with his grandmother, later apprenticing with a renowned essential oils maker and becoming the first student at the Givaudan Perfumery School. In 1990, he co-founded the Osmothèque, a scent archive in Versailles, and in 2019, he became Director of Olfactory Creation at Le Couvent. Ellena has also authored Perfume: The Alchemy of Scent and The Diary of a Nose.
Location: Botanical Garden, Fragrance Garden, San Francisco
Date: Saturday, October 26, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
More information and tickets here
