Film Fund: Learning French with Brigitte Bardot
The Kujawsko-Pomorskie Heritage Centre in Toruń invites audiences to a meeting with Dr. Krzysztof Trojanowski, author of the book French with Brigitte Bardot! Language, Culture and Style. The celebrated French actress remains one of the most recognizable figures of the twentieth century.
Professor Krzysztof Trojanowski of Nicolaus Copernicus University has developed an unconventional textbook, Icône BB. Une aventure linguistique et culturelle, which encourages readers to explore the French language and culture through the life, artistic achievements, and social activism of cinema star Brigitte Bardot. Cinema, music, fashion, and the world of animals come together in a rich mosaic of themes that introduce learners to a living, sensual, and nuanced language.
Brigitte Bardot is among the most recognizable personalities of the twentieth century. The French actress, model, and singer became not only a star of world cinema but also a symbol of the social and cultural transformations taking place in post-war Europe. Her image has become permanently embedded in the history of popular culture, and her influence on fashion, cinema, and perceptions of femininity remains visible today.
International fame came with her role in the film And God Created Woman, directed by Roger Vadim. Her portrayal of the young, independent, and sensual Juliette turned Bardot into a symbol of the modern woman and one of the most talked-about stars of European cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. In the years that followed, she appeared in numerous acclaimed productions and worked with some of the leading figures of European filmmaking.
Bardot also became a fashion icon, inspiring millions of women around the world. Her distinctive hairstyles, eye-emphasizing makeup, and effortless style set trends for years. Her popularity helped shape the global image of French elegance and the Mediterranean way of life. In the era before the internet, she became a mass-culture phenomenon comparable to the biggest stars of Hollywood.
After retiring from acting in the 1970s, Bardot devoted herself to animal welfare. The foundation she established has spent decades campaigning for animal rights and environmental protection.
Krzysztof Trojanowski is a professor in the Department of Literary Studies within the Faculty of Romance Philology at Nicolaus Copernicus University. A graduate of the Institute of Romance Studies at the University of Warsaw and postgraduate studies in twentieth-century drama, theatre, and film at Nicolaus Copernicus University, he is the author of numerous publications, including Marcel Carné – A Classic of French Cinema (2011), Fashion in Occupied France and Its Polish Echoes (2014), and Pigs in the Cinema? Film in Occupied Poland (2018).
The author meeting with Krzysztof Trojanowski will take place on 11 June 2026 at 5:00 p.m. at the Helena Grossówna House, located at Św. Jakuba / Wola Zamkowa Street in Toruń.
Promotion Department
Paweł Jankowski
3 June 2026