Event | UVA Arts

In honor of the USA’s 250th anniversary and in celebration of the special relationship between France and the US, the Alliance Française de Charlottesville is excited to partner with the Violet Crown.

Origins & Echoes is an ongoing series exploring the enduring influence of French film on American cinema. Each installment pairs a landmark work of French filmmaking with an American contemporary counterpart, tracing lines of inspiration, homage, and reinvention across time and culture.

Our inaugural program brings together Le Samouraï, Jean-Pierre Melville’s iconic study of precision, solitude, and moral code, with Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Jim Jarmusch’s meditative reimagining of the lone hitman in a contemporary American landscape. Together, these films illuminate how French cinema continues to resonate far beyond its borders—shaping American stories, styles, and cinematic language in unexpected ways.

Join us as we revisit the origins—and discover their echoes!