This weekend, practice your French at the Alliance Française French Film Festival, admire evocative mixed media drawings at BMG Art, or indulge in the SALIFE Party Marquee at the Adelaide Polo Club's Verco Cup.

Words Charlie Gilchrist

THUNDERING THOROUGHBREDS

The jewel in the crown of the Adelaide Polo Club season, the two-day Verco Cup, returns on March 23 and 24. The event brings together Australia’s best polo players, who battle it out at a fast pace on the Adelaide Polo Club Field in Woodside. The event allows you to immerse yourself in the elegance of a country estate garden party, with the thrill of thundering thoroughbreds. The Saturday will also see South Australia’s own disco cowboy DJ Surahn Sidhu provide the soundtrack, while Sunday sees the team battle out the finals. There are ticket options for everyone, from the luxury VIP Players Marquee to the SALIFE Premium Marquee Party, as well as general admission and picnic spaces.

LA CINÉMA FRANÇAISE

Oh là là! The Alliance Française French Film Festival is back for its 35^th year. Some 41 feature films will be screened this year at the celebration of la cinéma française. Highlights of this year’s festival include Martin Bourboulon’s The Three Musketeers: D’Argantan (2023), Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano’s The Intouchables (2011), and the closing night film Second Round (2023) by Albert Dupontel – an audacious and, at times, hilariously savage portrayal of modern politics. The 2024 Alliance Française French Film Festival takes place at the Palace Nova Eastend and Prospect cinemas until April 16, as well as in regional towns.

BMG ART EXHIBITION

A new exhibition, Barbara Chalk – Mixed Media Drawings, will be opening this Friday, March 22 at BMG Art on Halifax Street. Inspired by Albrecht Durer’s iconic Young Hare from 1502, this exhibition uses the hare as a symbolic vehicle to explore heavy themes such as bullying and domestic violence, and some lighter topics as well. The Barbara Chalk exhibition will be showing until Saturday, April 13.

A BAROQUE EASTER

The Corinthian Singers of Adelaide will be celebrating the coming Easter in their concert Passiontide, Handel with Care, featuring works from the second half of Handel’s Easter-themed Ontario Messiah. This uplifting event will also include works from English Renaissance composers William Byrd and Thomas Weekes, as well as the 16th-century composer Jacob Handl. This concert takes place at St John’s Anglican Church on Halifax Street on Sunday, March 24 from 4pm-5pm.

A CHARITY WALK FOR CANCER AWARENESS

Cancer is unfortunately something that touches many Australians. In 2023, some 18,257 Australians were diagnosed with melanoma. As part of the fight against this horrible disease, the Australian Melanoma Research Foundation is hosting the Adelaide Melanoma March 2024 this Sunday in collaboration with the Melanoma Institute Australia. Starting at Henley Square, the family-friendly charity walk will meander along a 4km section of the beachside to Grange Jetty and back. The Adelaide Melanoma March 2024 takes place at Henley Square from 8am-11am on Sunday, March 24.

 

For more of what’s on this month, pick up the latest issue of SALIFE Magazine.