French Institute of Estonia

The French Institute of Estonia (Estonian: Prantsuse Instituut Eestis, French: l'Institut français d'Estonie, IFE) was founded in 1992 in Tallinn to promote cultural, scientific, academic and language cooperation between France and Estonia. 

French Institute of Estonia
Locations
Websiteife.ee

Overview
The French Institute of Estonia

The French Institute of Estonia is part of the French cultural network. Since its creation, the institute has been located at Kuninga, 4, in the heart of the old town of Tallinn. The Institute was inaugurated on 14 May 1992 by Roland Dumas, French Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, in the presence of Jaan Minitski, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Märt Kubo, Minister of Culture and Rein Loik, Minister of National Education of the Republic of Estonia.

Objectives of the French Institute

Cultural cooperation

The main mission of the French Institute of Estonia is to promote French culture in Estonia. To this end, it sets up numerous cultural and artistic cooperations, particularly in the fields of contemporary music, theatre, cinema, design, architecture, urban planning and, more generally, in all creative industries.

The French institute organizes each year the Night of Ideas[1] (Nuit des idées in French) under the high patronage of the French Institute and the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. It also supports a wide variety of events in Estonia, like the venue of French artists to Estonia or annual events.

Concerning music, it has supported Jazzkaar, Viljandi Folk Festival and also Guitar, Piano and Clavecin festivals.

For movies, several events are supported by the French Institute: the Documentary Film Festival in Pärnu et Matsalu, DocPoint in Tallinn, Wilcom in Viljandi, PÖFF[2] in Tallinn, HÖFF[3] in Haapsalu or the Tartu World Film Festival[4] are supported yearly.

The French Institute also works with the Estonian national broadcaster (ETV) in order to promote French cinema in Estonia.

Promotion of french and francophone literature

An online media library is available to the public since 2014: Culturethèque. This digital portal provides access to many resources in French throughout Estonia.

The Institute works closely with translators and publishing houses wishing to translate and publish French literature. Translators can submit an application for a grant from the Centre national du livre that will allow them to stay in France to carry out a translation project.

French language

The teaching of French as a foreign language represents an important part of the Institute's activity; there are nearly 1000 registrations each year. The French Institute offers language courses for all levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), from A1 to C2. The Institute is an accredited official examination centre where it is possible to pass and obtain a French language certification such as DELF-DALF. The teaching of French at the Institute is certified by the Estonian Ministry of Education.

The Institute has relations with all Estonian schools that teach French. For Tallinn, this includes:

  • The Vanalinna Hariduskolleegium (VHK) 
  • The European School of Tallinn
  • The Gustav Adolf School

Academic and scientific cooperation

The Institute helps Estonian students and researchers when they are conducting research in France.[5]

A space is dedicated to Campus France,[6] in the premises of the IFE; it is an information centre for higher education and French courses in France. A performance is held every week.

Digital cooperation

The creation of a digital innovation cooperation in 2016 has made it possible to implement a strategy to promote French expertise in the field of digital and bring together decision-makers and civil society of the two countries.

This strategy has three objectives:

  • Raise awareness among the Estonian public of French expertise on promising digital issues in both countries (holding public events, publishing online content, activity on social networks) 
  • Facilitate cooperation between French and Estonian decision-makers (organisation of delegation visits, events with local institutions) 
  • Bring civil societies closer together and facilitate their cooperation

Directors of the French Institute of Estonia and cultural advisor

The following have been directors of the IFE:

  • 1991–1995: Béatrice Boillot
  • 1995–1999: Catherine Suard
  • 1999–2003: Geneviéve Ichard
  • 2003–2007: Jean-Louis Pelletan
  • 2007–2011: Denis Duclos
  • 2011–2015: Bernard Paqueteau
  • 2015–2019: Anne Chounet-Cambas
  • 2019–: Eric Bultel

See also

References
  1. Night of Ideas.
  2. "PÖFF : BNFF – Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival : Black Nights Film Festival" (in Estonian). Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  3. "HÕFF – Haapsalu Õudus- ja Fantaasiafilmide Festival". 2019.hoff.ee. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  4. "World Film Festival". www.worldfilm.ee. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  5. "Séjours Scientifiques de Haut Niveau" (in French). Institut français d'Estonie. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  6. Campus France.
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