Deborah Walker

Deborah is an Associate Professor of French at Waipapa Taumata Rau, The University of Auckland, specializing in cinema and translation. Her research spans French, New Zealand, and Māori cinema, with a growing focus on Indigenous film. She has subtitled Māori and NZ films, translated a Māori novel into French, and co-directed a documentary on Kanak writer Déwé Gorodey. Since 2018, she has co-directed the Wairoa Māori Film Festival, curating and translating Māori short films for international festivals.

Pierre Pillet

French cinema enthusiast and language teacher, Pierre Pillet has a passion for exploring how film reflects and questions our humanity. Through the lens of powerful storytelling, he guides audiences in uncovering the ethical dilemmas, emotional landscapes, and social contexts that define iconic French films. His insightful approach invites us to examine our own moral compass, confront uncomfortable truths, and appreciate the enduring force of memory, empathy, and resilience. In times of global uncertainty, cinema becomes more than art — it becomes a mirror and a call to reflection.

Alain Resnais (1922–2014) was a visionary French film director known for his bold, innovative storytelling and exploration of memory, time, and identity. A key figure of the Left Bank movement, he gained international acclaim with films like Hiroshima mon amour (1959) and Last Year at Marienbad (1961), which challenged traditional narrative forms and helped redefine modern cinema.

1st session : Tuesday 8th July

Mon oncle d'Amérique (My American Uncle, 1980)

Synopsis: The intertwined stories of three individuals facing difficult choices in life-altering situations are used to illustrate Henri Laborit’s theories on human behaviour and the relationship between the individual and society.

Session info:

📅 Tuesday, July 8th
⏰ 6:15 PM
📍 Alliance Française Auckland
🎬 French film with English subtitles
🎙️ Special Guest: Deborah Walker

🎟️ Tickets:

• AF Members: $5
• Non-Members: $10

Bookings available here

2nd session : Tuesday 5th August

On connait la chanson (Same Old Song, 1997)

Synopsis: A musical story about how people find love in the streets of the beautiful city of Paris.

Session info:

📅 Tuesday, August 5th
⏰ 6:15 PM
📍 Alliance Française Auckland
🎬 French film with English subtitles
🎙️ Special Guest: Deborah Walker

🎟️ Tickets:

• AF Members: $5
• Non-Members: $10

Bookings available soon

3rd session : Tuesday 9th September

Les Herbes Folles (2009)

A deeply moving, autobiographical film about friendship, innocence, and the tragic reality of Nazi-occupied France.

Synopsis: A quirky woman who spends her free time as a pilot has her purse stolen; when a mysterious man finds her wallet, they embark on a peculiar romance.

Session info:

📅 Tuesday, September 9th
⏰ 6:15 PM
📍 Alliance Française Auckland
🎬 French film with English subtitles
🎙️ Special Guest: Pierre Pillet

🎟️ Tickets:

• AF Members: $5
• Non-Members: $10

Bookings available soon