French, Lebanese and American diversity converge at Alliance Française events

Saturday begins "Le Mois de la Francophonie" — a monthlong global celebration of the diversity of the French language. Events will be held worldwide, including in political and cultural capitals like Paris, Beirut, Dakar — and the Twin Cities.

The local events are arranged by Alliance Française (AF), whose North Loop building bustles with 38 percent more French language learners and 60 percent more members than seven years ago.

Quite a renaissance for a romance language supposedly languishing. And for a country considered "old Europe" by Donald Rumsfeld. But the linguistic and geopolitical relevance isn't the only perception about French and France that requires a rethink. Iconic cultural touchstones need updating, too.

"A common misconception is that France is this homogenous, aging or dated culture, which is really the opposite of what's happening," said Christina Selander Bouzouina, AF's executive director. Bouzouina, who is also honorary consul of France, added that "the common image of France here in the U.S. is of a postwar, Edith Piaf image of Paris" and that "the face today of Marianne — the national symbol — is no longer Bridget Bardot or Catherine Deneuve. When we look at the authors or filmmakers who are up-and-coming, they are from families that aren't traditionally French or weren't French 100 years ago. They come from Eastern Europe or Africa. And the religious diversity in France is strikingly visible in walking down the street."

Sound familiar? "France is a diverse cultural melting pot just like the U.S.," said Bouzouina.

So, too, is Lebanon. So it's fitting that it's the AF's focus Francophonie country. The Mideast melting pot still feels France's influence nearly 73 years after independence, in part due to a dynamic diaspororan link between Beirut and Paris. That happens to also be the theme of "Heritages," a multilingual documentary about a Lebanese filmmaker fleeing Lebanon in 2006, just as previous generations of his family did. "Heritages," to be screened at the St. Anthony Main Theatre on Friday, is just one of eight "Celebration of Lebanon" events.

The attention is warranted. Lebanon has been overlooked as it fights crises within and right outside its border. Politics is paralyzed — there's been a provisional president since 2014 — affecting everything from geopolitical relations to garbage pickup. The Syrian refugee wave convulsing countries in Europe looks like a ripple compared with the one testing Lebanon, where about one in four is stateless. And as with Europe, and particularly Paris, Beirut has been targeted by terrorists. But this was barely noted globally, since a nihilistic Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant attack that killed 43 in Beirut last November was eclipsed just a day later by the carnage — and global grieving — triggered by the Paris attacks.

The compounding crises come after years of relative progress following Lebanon's vicious civil war that made "Beirut" a metaphor for urban anarchy.

Lebanese are "polarized" and "anxious," said Carol Hakim, an associate professor of history at the University of Minnesota. But the Beirut-born Hakim also notes that Lebanon's capital, once considered "the Paris of the Mideast," is "most cosmopolitan in spite of everything. If you go to Beirut today, you will be stunned by the cultural opening."

This dynamism, and the fact that the refugee crisis is most acute in Beirut and other Lebanese cities and that few marched (or posted or tweeted) in solidarity after November's Beirut bombings, heightens the desire for AF to focus on the country, Bouzouina said.

Recognizing another country and culture's tragedies can help victims feel less alone and afraid. Bouzouina recalls how Americans' reactions in the days after attacks in Paris deepened the bilateral bond.

"The solidarity was very touching and heartwarming," she said.

When it comes to terrorism, "it's a world struggle," Bouzouina said. "We're in this together. The U.S. and France have been allies since Lafayette, and continue to be in spite of any 'Freedom Fries' era. And I think that's more and more evident now in light of our fight against terrorism."

Bouzouina concluded by noting that it's not just France and the U.S., but also Minnesota that has historic Gallic ties. Among the earliest Europeans to come to the state were Frenchmen who traversed state waterways. More recently, the Mississippi riverfront is the site of French architect Jean Nouvel's novel Guthrie Theater.

And French is literally woven into the state flag with the words "L'Etoile du Nord" (Star of the North) and stamped on the seal of Minneapolis, whose motto is "En Avant" (Forward), which is the direction that France, the U.S. and Lebanon are hopefully headed, too.

John Rash is a Star Tribune editorial writer and columnist. The Rash Report can be heard at 8:20 a.m. Fridays on WCCO Radio, 830-AM. On Twitter: @rashreport.