From Bonjour To Namaste!, City Diary - City Events

By Suruchi Gupta

Posted On Thursday, November 26, 2009 at 07:17:15 PM

Kolkatans can get ready to have an exhilarating French experience in their own city, not just for a day or week, but three whole months! Bonjour India plans to strengthen the bonds between India and France and make the nationals of both countries more aware of each other’s contemporariness, said HE Jerome Bennafont, ambassador of France to India, at a press conference on November 24.

A glimpse of the dignitaries at the event

France today is becoming more aware of India as a growing economy, a promoter of world peace, etc, informed Bennafont. “We want to make special and privileged dialogues in areas like peace, development, changes in times of globalisation. We will present France as it is today. France as a classical country, with its art, literature, etc, is well known. But not much is known about the transformation it has undergone in technology, sustainable development, financial sophistication and demographical diversity.”

The festival, to be held between December 2009 and February 2010, across 18 Indian cities consecutively, will focus on specific issues in each city. It kicks off on November 28 in New Delhi and will culminate with Kolkata’s Book Fair, informed Bennafont.

Calling Kolkata one of the most demanding cities, Bennafont informed the Kolkata chapter will place emphasis on sustainable architecture, intellectual literature, cinema, modern popular music, street art and science through its exhibitions, performances and conferences at various venues.

Bennafont trying to put across a point

Developing Bengal’s food processing sector and renewable sources of energy is what Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has advised France to look into.

Alexander Martinez, director, Alliance Francaise du Bengale, gave an insight into the Kolkata schedule of the festival. The festival starts off with an exhibition at Birla Academy of Arts and Culture (December 4) on sustainable development, created by Le Pavillion de l’Arsenal with names like Jean Nouvel and Dominique Perrault. The topic will be further explored in debates and discussions with city planners from both countries exploring the possibilities.

December 12 will witness Meetings with Rukmini Chatterjee at ICCR’s Tagore Centre giving people a glimpse of how European ballet, Bharatanatyam and Kathak dance forms looks like together. MTV host and singer China Moses, musician Titi Robin plan to enchant the audiences at Tollygunge Club in January.

French architecture

“A series of photographs, in the visual arts section of the festival, from French photographer Olivier Culmann, will depict the state of unconsciousness people are into while watching television.

Rendez-vous with French Cinema at Nandan will be towards the end of January (22-28) that will showcase the best of French contemporary cinema with a focus on ‘New Wave’ cinema.

And there is more to look forward to. “Next year, around the same time, we plan to organise a Namaste France festival in Paris and several other cities,” said Bennafont.

Photo: Debanjan Das