N123 Impressions

Le magazine de l’Alliance Française de Bombay

No. 123 Dec/Feb 13

The Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi Ista Hotel, Pune Horniman Circle, Mumbai Hermes.com

TIME ON YOUR SIDE 2 Impressions december-february 2013

Sommaire/Contents 17

24 Le magazine de l’Alliance Française de Bombay

20 28

54 62

No. 123 Dec/Feb 13

Cover is composed of various pictures from the events of the Bonjour India festival.

Editorial 2013 announces a year of everything “French”. Try to win the Fondation Alliance Français photo competition to bag a trip to France before plunging into the Bonjour India festival from January to March. It will lead you straight in the Francophonie events. As Impressions always tries to improve, we have now a section for the distinguished members of our Alliance Française. And a surprise for the next issue. Belle et heureuse année à tous !

Retour Sur Heritage Days and Taste Week made up our quarter

Discovery 24 France on a budget

On y était A rendez-vous with French cinema

26

Rencontre avec…

Henri Demarquette, violoncelliste prodige

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6 8

Books 10 The French graphic novel 12 De vive voix : Bastien Vivès 13 Voix d’hier : Hugo Pratt 14 Notes de lecture 15 Kenizé Mourad CINEMA 16 Indie movies 17 Focus: Princess of Montpensier 18 Our DVDs’ selection

19 21 22

AF Monde AF de Vancouver

Français en marche 48 Actu 50 Productions étudiantes : Théâtre 52 Campus France Regards croisés 53 Bharati relates her French experience, Agnès her stint in Mumbai MEMBERS PAGE 54 Mrs. Gul Engineer Buzz 57 Nouveaux venus France Pratique 58 Le service emploi pour les Français à Mumbai

Watch (Out) Photography competition Tech moments

Calendar 60 December 2012-January 2013

France en Bref Gay marriage in France

FRENCH CORNER 62 Amruta Patil, l’étoile de la BD indienne

27-47 COVER STORY: BONJOUR INDIA FESTIVAL Discover in this issue the highlights of the festival of France in India, in Mumbai.

Have a moment of ecstasy watching the Preljocaj ballet (P32) and eating during the gastronomy extravaganza Floating Buffet (P42). Enjoy a real Indo-French theatre collaboration with Gates to India Song (P38), while peeping behind the scenes of the Prithvi theatre (P37)or the NCPA (P35).

Directrice de la publication Anne DUBOURG Rédactrice en chef Clea CHAKRAVERTY Maquette Maquette Neaha NAGPAL, Spenta Multimedia Impression Spenta Multimedia Traductions et corrections Eléonore CORDOVA, Ritika RAMASURI Illustration et photographie David CORDINA, Eléonore CORDOVA, famille ENGINEER, Soumaya JRONDI, Claude PAUQUET-Agence VU, Jean-Philippe RAIBAUD, Ritika RAMASURI, Atout France, Consulat général de France Mumbai, MAEE, AF de Vancouver, Unifrance Ont collaboré à ce numéro Jean-Sébastien ATTIE, Sumitra BADRINATHAN, David CORDINA, Eléonore CORDOVA, Amruta DATAR-CAMPUS France, Nadir GODREJ, Shreya MAPARAIFFCI, Ritika RAMASURI, Consulat général de France à Mumbai Remerciements Toute l’équipe de l’Institut Français en Inde Tirage 2500 ex

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE DE BOMBAY http://bombay.afindia.org contact: mag.mumbai@afindia.org Theosophy Hall 40, New Marine Lines, Mumbai 400020 Tel: (91-22) 22 03 59 93 / (91-22) 22 03 61 87 Fax: (91-22) 22 06 61 57

december-february 2013 Impressions

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Retour Sur..

Heritage Days HUDA TAYOB, ANVITA PARAUNIK and AMI SAHA won the Heritage Days Hidden Mumbai photography contest The winners of the competition “Hidden Mumbai” were rewarded on the 18th of September, at the Café Zoé, after the jury composed of Matthieu Foss, Fabien Charuau and Elise Van Elst Foster deliberated at the Alliance Française de Bombay.

The winning pictures had been on display for a month at the Lower Parel's trendy Café Zoé.

Comprehend the need / Ami Saha

Anvita Paraunik

Anvita Paraunik

Huda Tayob

Huda Tayob

A City for all / Ami Saha

Huda Tayob

Ritika Ramasuri

At Hermès, Mumbai, the ancient art of French craft making

4 Impressions december-february 2013

Retour Sur..

Molecular cuisine : A success For the 3rd consecutive year, the Alliance Française de Bombay honoured French gastronomy and its most surprising forms. Take a look back at a week full of steam, bubbles and discoveries.

There is little in common between the biophysicist Christophe Lavelle of CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) and the knives of chef Noël Gutrin. Same goes for the heads of TIFR (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) and IHM (Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition) in Mumbai. However science and gastronomy were truly united during one week. This year, the Alliance Française de Bombay in partnership with IHM, Novotel Juhu and the Department of science of the French Embassy invited Christophe Lavelle, Noël Gutrin and Frédéric Monzo to create an artistic culinary experience for Mumbaikars.

Noël Gutrin , a member of l'association Escoffier, has extensively contributed to the art of molecular gastronomy and heads the restaurant Le Cristal at Futuroscope in Poitiers.

At the workshop held for the students of IHM, Christophe Lavelle explained as Chef Gutrin demonstrated the processes. The students learned techniques of basic and inverted spherefications, gellified liquids and cryogenics while combining innovation with tradition.

The week was entirely dedicated to the presentation of molecular cooking to different audiences: students of IHM, IIT Bombay, Mumbai University and TIFR. The trio then conducted four workshops in Mumbai to train professional chefs in the particularities of molecular gastronomy.

The day before, a dinner at Novotel gathered about sixty French and Indian VIPs. artists, journalists, businessmen, cooks and Francophile friends invited by the Alliance Française de Bombay and its partners who enjoyed cep ice-cream, marbled foie gras with ceps, sauce into a pipette, miniature gellified candied apples with seaweed extracts, capsicum snow, agar-agar-based confections and other unbelievably delectable Indian dishes. Explosion of senses and almost literally of the food: the guests discovered the fun side of French gastronomy.

For the students of French language, the Taste Week was the occasion to learn the language of gastronomy and dietary culture.

The cultural team of Alliance Française had organized a crêpes workshop at Nashik, a seminar for the employees of Sofitel and a day full of literary games and wine and cheese tasting session for the students of AFB.

Soumaya Jrondi, cultural coordinator tries a Nitrogen frozen rose

Chef Ranveer Brar, Christophe Lavelle, Nicolas Poussielgue, scientific attaché

Pipette

A emulsifying dish

Tables, workshops, science but also taste and French language lessons, can't wait for the next session!

Chef Gutrin gets ready

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On y Était

France and India, in love with cinema The city which gave birth to Bollywood was entertained this fall with a very strong French presence as the 14th Mumbai Film Festival gave once more the opportunity to screen many French movies. This Rendez-vous with French Cinema festival was a huge success with the presence of French actors and directors such as Jean-Paul Rouve, Carine Tardieu and Soko.

The special section “Rendez-vous with French cinema” seeks to establish an exhilarating platform for showcasing the various facets of French contemporary cinema, helping Indian distributors to promote new French films and celebrate the growing IndoFrench ties. Among the numerous French

films playing at the 14th MFF, “Rendez-Vous with French cinema” section opened with acclaimed director Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone “De rouille et d’os” on the 20th October. Other important films that were screened as part of this section included, Sylvie Testud’s “Another woman’s life” (La Vie d’une autre), “Farewell, my queen” (Les Adieux à la reine) by Benoit Jacquot, Leos Carax’s “Holy Motors”, “Laurence Anyways”

by Xavier Dolan, “Our Children” (A perdre la raison) by Joachim Lafosse, Olivier Assayas’s “Something in the air” (Après mai), Le Grand Soir by Gustave Kervern and Benoît Delepine, “The Dandelions” Du vent dans mes mollets

by Carine Tardieu and “Twice upon a time” Quand je serai petit by Jean-Paul Rouve.

To emphasize the close ties that lie between France and India, on the 1st of November, H.E François Richier, Ambassador of France to India, on behalf of the French authorities conferred the honour of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) on the distinguished actor Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the Beauty queen of Indian cinema celebrated her birthday with her friends and family. This prestigious distinction comes in recognition of her invaluable contribution to the world of cinema and the development of Indo-French cooperation in cinema, art, and culture. Some noted Indian recipients of this honour in the past include Shahrukh Khan, Raghu Rai, Nandita Das, late Habib Tanveer, and Upamanyu Chatterjee.

Anurag Kashyap, jury, enters RendezVous with French Cinema

The Bachchan family with H.E François Richier, Ambassador of France in India

The French delegates light the diya

Jean-Paul Rouve (center), famous French actor with Jean-Raphaël Peytregnet, Consul General of France in Mumbai

The French delegates and the jury at the opening of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema

Dilip and Shobhaa Dé, Shyam Benegal, chairman of the MAMI

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december-february 2013 Impressions

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rencontre AVEC

Henri Demarquette Rencontre avec un violoncelliste prodige, Henri Demarquette, qui a accepté de répondre à quelques questions par courriel. influence cela peut-il avoir sur votre travail ?

Le voyage est très naturel pour moi. Je suis très sensible aux autres cultures et me nourrit de toutes les influences dans mes interprétations ainsi que le faisaient la plupart des grands compositeurs.

Quel est votre regard de musicien classique sur d'autres formes comme la musique classique indienne par exemple?

Je rêverais de mieux connaître et comprendre la musique classique indienne. Je suis persuadé que toutes les musiques dites classiques ou savantes sont nourries et ont pour base des traditions populaires fortes. Êtes-vous déjà allé en Inde? Comment ce pays vous a t-il marqué?

Je suis allé en Inde déjà 4 fois et suis fasciné par la force vitale de ce pays, j'y sens beaucoup d'avenir et de perspectives.

Jean-Phillipe Raibaud

Que vous inspire l'Inde?

Voyager en Inde me fait voir la vie différemment. Tous les codes et les modes de pensée et d'éducation occidentaux sont remis en cause au profit d'une notion plus essentielle et spirituelle de la vie humaine.

Comment avez vous découvert la musique classique et quelles ont été les personnes ou événements dans votre vie qui vous ont poussé sur ce chemin?

J'ai découvert la musique classique avec mes parents alors que nous vivions au Burundi (Afrique). Mes premières émotions musicales furent la musique de chambre, en particulier le quatuor à cordes et le chant choral. De retour en

8 Impressions december-february 2013

France, j'ai rencontré une professeur, amie de ma mère, qui m'a grandement inspiré.

Votre carrière vous permet de voyager beaucoup à travers le monde, que représentent ces voyages pour vous, ou le voyage en tant que tel? Vous avez même un disque chez Warner, "Invitation au voyage".... Quelle

Henri Demarquette, né en 1970, entre à 13 ans au Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, où il étudie avec Philippe Muller et Maurice Gendron. Titulaire d’un Premier Prix à l’unanimité, il travaille également avec Pierre Fournier et Paul Tortelier, puis, avec Janos Starker à Bloomington aux Etats-Unis. Familier de la scène dès l’âge de 14 ans, il débute à 17 ans par un récital au Théâtre du Châtelet et une émission télévisée enregistrée par France 3 avec la pianiste Hélène Grimaud. Il est aussitôt

remarqué par Lord Yehudi Menuhin qui l’invite à jouer sous sa direction le Concerto de Dvorak à Prague et à Paris. Depuis, sa carrière prend un essor international qui le conduit dans de nombreuses capitales accompagné des plus grands orchestres français ou étrangers comme récemment l'Orchestre National de France, le London Philharmonic, l'Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, le Tokyo Symphony, l'Orchestre National de BordeauxAquitaine, le Sinfonia Varsovia, la Neue Philharmonie Westphalen, et en compagnie de ses partenaires pianistes privilégiés Brigitte Engerer, Michel Dalberto, Giovanni Bellucci, JeanPhilippe Collard. Dernièrement, Henri Demarquette a enregistré pour le Label Warner Classics « Invitation au voyage », florilège de pièces de musique française en compagnie de Brigitte Engerer : « Choc du monde de la musique ». Son tout dernier disque, consacré à Camille Saint-Saëns avec le concerto n°1, la sonate n°1 et le Carnaval des animaux est paru en septembre 2010 chez Mirare et est déjà récompensé par le choc classique décembre/janvier et une clef ResMusica.

Jean-Phillipe Raibaud

rencontre AVEC

Henri Demarquette, Dmitry Sitkovetsky et Gérard Caussé, violoncelliste et violonistes de renommée internationale seront en tournée en Inde. Ils se produiront au NCPA les 9 et

10 janvier. A Mumbai, le concert est organisé par Poona Music Society et le NCPA avec le soutien de l’Alliance Française de Bombay et l’Alliance Française de Pune.

Meet with an all-star trio A unique Western classical trio will pay homage to Bach, Mozart and Ravel in India. Gérard Caussé, Henri Demarquette and Dmitry Sitkovetsky, an all-star trio, will perform in the country in January 2013.

F

rance’s leading violist, Gérard Caussé is widely acclaimed as ranking among the handful of great international viola talents of our time and one of the few who, since Primrose, have made the viola once again a solo instrument in its own right.

Henri Demarquette began his career at the age of 17 with a debut recital at the Châtelet theatre in Paris and a show on France 3 television channel with the pianist Hélène Grimaud. He was immediately noticed by Lord Yehudi Menuhin who invited him to play Dvorák’s Concerto in Prague and Paris, Lord Menuhin conducting himself. Since then, his career has developed internationally.

Dmitry Sitkovetsky has built up a successful career as a violinist, conductor, arranger, chamber musician & festival director. Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, he grew up in Moscow studying at the Moscow Conservatory and after his emigration in 1977, at the Juilliard School in New York. He has an active and varied recording career with an extensive discography which includes all the major violin concerti, numerous chamber music works as well as orchestral recordings that he’s conducted. Sitkovetsky’s increasing involvement in contemporary music shows a keen interest in performing new repertoire.

The concerts of this trio in Mumbai will feature famous transcriptions for string trio by Sitkovetsky of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and 15 Inventions. Mozart and Ravel duos will also be part of the programme and in a special concert in Mumbai the trio will be joined by musicians of the Symphony Orchestra of India to perform Mendelssohn’s Octet.

Do not miss the concert: 9th and 10th of January in Mumbai. A partnership between the Poona Music Society and the NCPA with the support of the Alliance Française de Bombay and Alliance Française de Pune.

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books

Le roman graphique, nouvel héraut littéraire

All images: DR

Depuis que Marjane Satrapi a enflammé la moitié de la planète avec Persépolis (l’Association), le roman graphique semble avoir volé la vedette à l’album cartonné en couleurs, où Tintin a vu le jour.

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e s’agit-il pas pourtant de la même chose ? En Inde, aux Etats-Unis, le roman graphique se distingue des « comics » (voir aussi l’article sur l’AF Magazine). Dans le monde francophone, le roman graphique permet de s’adresser à un public plus large, au-delà de la littérature jeunesse. Jean-Pierre Mercier, conseiller scientifique à la Cité de la BD, l’institution chargée d’archiver l’histoire et l’actualité de la bande dessinée, revient sur les prémices du roman graphique. « Dans les années 60, la BD commence à se transformer. Aux USA, au même moment, le mouvement hippie et la BD underground vont de pair, et soudain, la BD couvre des sujets polémiques, et s’adresse aux adultes ». En France, Astérix permet pour la première fois aux adultes de lire de la BD « sans avoir l’air ridicule. Puis il y eut Hara Kiri » souligne Jean-Mierre Mercier. Les revues comme l’Echo des Savanes, Fluide Glacial, Métal Hurlant ont pris le relai. En 1978, la revue A suivre initie une tendance avec l’apparition des « romans à suivre ». Un nouveau genre commence à émerger. Pour Jean-Pierre Mercier, c’est à ce moment que

10 Impressions december-february 2013

l’on remet en question la forme canonique de la BD « l’album cartonné couleur » basé sur le modèle des livres pour enfants ou jeunesse. « Ce sont les auteurs qui ont initié cela. Hugo Pratt fut parmi les premiers à proposer un nouveau format.

Pas de limites dans la pagination (120 pages, du jamais vu en France), du noir et blanc, du crayonné, de l’aquarelle… « Dans les années 80, les auteurs s’intéressent à un nouveau genre : l'autobiographie dessinée. Leurs lecteurs se passionnent tout autant pour les héros que pour leurs créateurs. » Prémices de cette tendance : la reconnaissance internationale pour l’Américain Art Spiegelman et son œuvre phare, Maus (prix Pullitzer 1992). En France c’est l’Association dans les années 90 qui propose de nouvelles thématiques et de nouvelles formes de récits avec des albums petits, souples, en noir et blanc. « Puis ce fut la chute des frontières avec le phénomène manga. Mais je pense qu’on peut attribuer le terme roman graphique à l’auteur Will Eisner qui a considéré que la BD peut être un roman » rappelle Jean-Pierre Mercier. Si le lectorat est moins jeune que celui de succès commerciaux comme Titeuf les

"De Métal Hurlant à Persépolis, le récit graphique s'est peu à peu imposé comme genre"

spécialistes s’accordent à dire que le roman graphique ne cesse de plaire et de se vendre en France. « Nous sommes à l’âge d’or de la BD en France où l’on a accès à des BD du monde entier, d’une richesse incroyable et qui se vendent. Je pense que le roman graphique est désormais dans le champ classique, telle une succursale de la littérature ».

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Enki Bilal au Louvre

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e temps de vingt-deux portraits, Enki Bilal revisite Le Louvre… Vingt-deux destins de femmes, d’hommes ou d’enfants dont la vie a été bouleversée par une œuvre. Ils hantent les couloirs du musée du Louvre, ils sont morts depuis longtemps, souvent de manière violente. Enki Bilal les a croisés, errants dans les couloirs du Louvre et nous fait ainsi revivre cinq mille ans d’histoire, cinq mille ans de création. Ce travail magistral sera présenté au sein du musée du Louvre, du 19 décembre au 18 mars 2013, la première consacrée à un auteur de bande dessinée.

A paraître le 10 janvier: Les Fantômes du Louvre, Enki Bilal, Futuropolis en coédition avec le musée du Louvre.

L’artiste Edmond Baudoin dessine Dalí

À

l’occasion de la grande rétrospective consacrée à Salvador Dalí au Centre Pompidou à Paris, les éditions Dupuis et le musée parisien éditent une biographie de l’artiste en bande dessinée par Edmond Baudoin. Considéré aujourd’hui comme l’un des grands noms de la bande dessinée européenne, il a également travaillé avec les scénaristes Frank et Lob, adapté ou illustré J.M.G. Le Clézio, Jean Genet et Mircea Cărtărescu et participé à plusieurs expériences mêlant danse et dessin.

Dalí par Baudoin, du 21 novembre 2012 au 25 mars 2013, éditions Dupuis en coédition avec le Centre Pompidou.

Prix des Cinq continents de la Francophonie

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eneviève Damas est la lauréate du 11ème Prix des cinq continents de la Francophonie pour son roman Si tu passes la rivière (éditions Luce Wilquin). Le jury, réuni le 24 septembre au siège de l’OIF a qualifié ce roman «d’une rivière comme la frontière entre le silence et le langage, le message et la vérité, le mimétisme et la naissance à soi-même ; la parole d’un enfant qui naît comme un balbutiement pour atteindre la force du cri : un hommage à la vertu libératrice de l’écriture ». Née en 1971, Geneviève Damas est une comédienne, metteur en scène et auteur belge. Le jury a également été touché par Kuessipan de Naomi Fontaine (éditions Mémoire d’encrier) qu’il a défini comme une «élégie mélancolique consacrée à l’esprit ancien des grands-mères et à cette obsession de mettre au monde».

december-february 2013 Impressions 11

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De vive voix … Bastien Vivès

Bastien Vivès est, en quelques coups de crayons, devenu le « sale gosse » génial de la BD française…

Vous avez déclaré dans un entretien avec Télérama avoir été surtout influencé par le dessin. Pourriez-vous nous donner quelques unes de vos références ?

Disons surtout que je pratique le dessin depuis petit donc je voyais tout à travers ce prisme là. J'ouvrai une BD d'abord pour le dessin. J’ai acheté un nombre incalculable de comics simplement pour la couverture !

Vos références semblent parfois assez éloignées les uns des autres : vous dessinez Les Melons de la colère pour Les Requins Marteaux, Polina chez Kstr, la collection de notes de votre blog abordant des sujets de société chez Delcourt, votre blog… D’où viennent ces inspirations très diverses ?

Un peu comme Calvin et Hobbes que je citais précédemment, la liberté de ton est avant tout ce que j'aime dans la BD, et surtout je pense que c'est un medium qui s'y prête complètement, ça ne génère pas énormément d'argent ni de ressources humaines … Donc on peu bricoler son truc dans un coin en toute tranquillité.

La Grande Odalisque est une BD à six mains ! Comment travaille-t-on à 3 ?

Que retenez-vous de cette expérience?

Je retiendrai que c'est très agréable de travailler dans ces conditions, on va vite, 12 Impressions december-february 2013

Vous êtes particulièrement actif sur le net : est ce que votre dessin s’est peu à peu influencé de votre style « blog » ou s’agit il de deux styles évoluant en parallèle (comme certains de vos amis blogueurs ont pu l’écrire)?

Je ne suis pas très familier avec le mot style, j'adapte l'outil à mon propos. Donc ça peut prendre des formes différentes, mais ma manière de dessiner reste la même. Mes dessins s'influencent, mais ces derniers temps j'ai tendance à m'arrêter sur ma grosse brosse Photoshop, noir et blanc. Heureusement que j'ai des projets comme La grande odalisque pour m'essayer à d'autres outils.

Dans le même entretien avec Télérama, vous dites que « vous devez tout » à la blogosphère. Pourriez-vous élaborer ?

C'est plus une blague qu'autre chose… La blogosphère ça me fait marrer. J'aime bien les petites communautés sur Internet avec leurs règles bien établies, alors que tout le monde le sait Internet est simplement le déversoir de l'humanité !

Delcourt

Revenons sur vos débuts : une BD en particulier vous a-t-elle marqué, ou un personnage ?

Oui, Calvin et Hobbes... Je les lisais et les relisais, il y avait une telle liberté dans sa manière de raconter les choses.

on a plein d'idées et chacun donne le meilleur de ce qu'il sait faire. Si je pouvais travailler dans ces conditions toute ma vie ce serait parfait.

Quels sont vos projets ? Avez-vous l’intention de vous tourner vers l’animation ?

Pourquoi pas ? Mais plus j'avance et plus je trouve la BD passionnante.

A lire de Bastien Vivès Polina, KST (disponible à la médiathèque de l’Alliance Française de Bombay) et son blog: http://bastienvives.blogspot.in/

Olivier-Roller

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es fans suivent son actualité sur son blog, « Comme quoi » et s’esclaffent devant ses « strips » absurdes et décalés. Ses détracteurs le jugent parfois puéril et ses lecteurs cherchent à comprendre comment le même auteur peut livrer tour à tour une œuvre poétique telle que Polina (KST) et une BD érotique intitulée Les Melons de la colère (Requins Marteaux). Quelques réponses en direct.

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Hugo Pratt, aventurier insaisissable

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é en 1927, ce voyageur solitaire parcourt le monde et ses mystères, donnant vie à Corto Maltese, son personnage phare et alter-ego. Pour le comprendre, deux grands spécialistes d’Hugo Pratt et de son œuvre, Michel Pierre et Dominique Petitfaux ont accepté d’aider Impressions.

Jeune adulte en 1945, à Venise, Hugo Pratt fut profondément influencé par la guerre –son père était un partisan de Mussolini et le jeune Hugo Pratt a vécu un temps en Ethiopie, alors colonie italienne. « Ce n'est jamais la guerre en elle-même qui le passionne, mais les gens qui y sont plongés : comment vont-ils réagir ? Plus que des ennemis, ce sont des problèmes moraux que ses personnages doivent affronter » explique Dominique Petitfaux.

Sa carrière de dessinateur prend essor grâce à Mario Faustinelli, éditeur d’un petit journal de bandes dessinées créé à l’image des « comics » américains. Son succès permet à Hugo Pratt et à Mario Faustinelli de se rendre en Argentine, invités par un éditeur local. Séduit, le jeune Vénitien s’y établit de longues années et mena une vie de bohème. De retour en Italie dans les années soixante, il crée une nouvelle histoire qui parait en 1967, La Ballade de la mer salée. Les lecteurs francophones découvrent ces planches seulement en 1970 sous forme d’épisodes dans le journal Pif. La série connait un succès fulgurant.

Hugo Pratt s’installe alors en France et à l’instar de son personnage Corto Maltese, entreprend de nombreux voyages, tout comme ceux qui l’ont influencé: Stevenson, Melville, Conrad, London… « Il était surtout motivé par une curiosité insatiable, une géographie personnelle ouverte sur le monde et le plaisir d’aborder des thèmes nouveaux » souligne Michel Pierre.

Corto Maltese, lui, gagne en popularité auprès des adultes et des adolescents. « C'est un libertaire qui apparaît en 1967, période où l'Europe occidentale prend

un coup de jeune (Beatles, sexualité plus libre). Il est romantique avec les femmes, idéologiquement sceptique, sauf quelques cas où il s'engage politiquement, toujours du côté de la liberté » rappelle Dominique Petitfaux. Viril, séduisant, raffiné, fils d’une gitane et d’un marin britannique, né à Malte, le « pirate sympathique » qu’incarne Corto Maltese défend avant tout la liberté d’être soi-même, en dépit des frontières sociales ou géoculturelles. « Il suit l’imagination de son créateur, ses lectures, ses émotions et son goût pour les univers (même les plus étranges) de la pensée humaine » explique Michel Pierre, se référant notamment aux travaux plus oniriques de Pratt, influencé par la kabbale et la franc-maçonnerie. Dominique Petitfaux souligne aussi les aspects plus pragmatiques de Corto, « difficile à saisir, souvent ambigu, il n'hésite pas à tuer pour se sortir d’une mauvaise situation ».

De par sa maitrise du noir et blanc et de l’aquarelle, son sens du récit, il peut être aujourd’hui considéré comme l’un des premiers auteurs marquant un tournant dans le roman graphique littéraire, « à la fois par son ampleur (163 pages), la multiplicité des thèmes et les références littéraires, explicites ou implicites. Avant Pratt il aurait été considéré comme saugrenu de mentionner de grands auteurs comme Euripide ou Coleridge dans une bande dessinée » précise Dominique Petitfaux. Pour Michel Pierre, « il demeure l’un des seuls à pouvoir raconter une histoire au long d’un roman graphique (La ballade de la mer salée, La maison dorée de Samarkand…) ou de nouvelles plus courtes ».

DR

Parmi les grands auteurs de romans graphiques, trône Hugo Pratt, dessinateur et auteur inégalé dans son genre.

en mer ? Ou bien aurait-on appris plus de secrets quant à son enfance ? La personnalité mystérieuse d’Hugo Pratt n’a pas permis d’en savoir plus.

Michel Pierre est un spécialiste de Corto Maltese. Il a notamment co-écrit Carnet de la Cambuse avec Hugo Pratt (Casterman), un livre de recettes autour de Corto Maltese.

Dominique Petitfaux a commis De l'autre côté de Corto, (Casterman), et Hugo Pratt - Le Désir d'être inutile, (Robert Laffont), deux ouvrages d’entretiens avec le célèbre auteur.

Les deux spécialistes s’accordent à qualifier l’auteur de « drôle, ironique, travailleur, romantique, ouvert sur le monde, aimant les plaisirs de la vie, simple et toujours d’une curiosité insatiable. Tout à la fois pudique et expansif, aimant plaire et sachant se taire avec la part de mystère nécessaire à la vie en société ». Hugo Pratt meurt en 1995. Corto devait-il repartir december-february 2013 Impressions 13

books Niveau de lecture: facile moyen

Notes de lecture Toutes ces bandes dessinées sont disponibles à la médiathèque de l’Alliance Française de Bombay. Demandez à votre médiathécaire ! library.mumbai@afindia.org Nury Fabien et Brüno, Atar Gull, Editions Dargaud 1830, Afrique noire. Atar Gull, un superbe esclave, est chargé sur le bateau du capitaine Benoît pour être vendu aux Antilles. Son prix est élevé : c'est le fils d'un roi, un athlète, un guerrier... Son histoire nous entraînera des soutes d'un négrier jusqu'à la Jamaïque, des marchés aux esclaves au coeur des plantations ; son destin sera tragique... Fabien Nury et Brunö signent une incroyable fresque flamboyante, une aventure sidérante à mille lieux des poncifs mélodramatiques, un superbe album de 88 pages qui vous hantera bien longtemps après l'avoir refermé.

Manu Larcenet Le Combat ordinaire, tome 1, Editions Dargaud À travers l’histoire d’un jeune photographe de presse s’interrogeant sur ce qu’il doit faire de sa vie, Larcenet brosse une comédie parfois drôle, parfois triste sur le passage à l’âge adulte, sur l’amour et les choix qu’il implique, sur notre comportement vis à vis des autres et du passé.

David Prudhomme, La Traversée du Louvre, Editions Futuropolis Gallisol Prudhomme déambule dans les salles du Louvre. Il a l'impression d'être dans les cases d'une bande dessinée géante. Lui-même est en train d'inventer la sienne sur le Louvre. Ce sera une histoire muette! Car il y a surtout à voir, et même si presque toutes les langues du monde y sont en visite, elles s'y croisent en silence. Prudhomme décide de se faire le musée au pas de course et d'observer, non pas les œuvres exposées, mais ceux qui les regardent, les photographient. Un groupe d'élèves involontairement agglutinés dans la même position que les naufragés du Radeau de la Méduse ; un homme derrière le Scribe Accroupi, comme s'il tentait de lire par dessus son épaule ; dans les salles des antiquités grecques, étrusques et romaines, une jeune femme, qui place sa tête dans la gueule d'un lion...

Sarnath Banerjee, Calcutta, Editions Denoël Calcutta, XVIIIe siècle - la seconde capitale de l'Empire bruit de scandales. Abravanel Ben Obadiah Ben Aharon Kabariti, Juif de Syrie et négociant en frivolités, aphrodisiaques, zèbres, côtoie les officiers coloniaux et les élites locales, dont il consigne chaque nuit les écarts de conduite dans un journal relié plein cuir intitulé Les Tribulations du Chat-Huant.

Paris, années 50. Un exemplaire de ce très rare ouvrage refait surface dans une brocante de Montmartre.

Londres, 2002. Tard le soir, un téléphone sonne dans l'East End. Pablo, un jeune Indien, apprend la mort de son grand-père, qui lui lègue un poste de radio, une moto vintage et son exemplaire des précieuses Tribulations du Chat-Huant. La suite est un étourdissant tourbillon d'époques, de faits et de révélations, destiné à mettre à nu les rouages subtils du Raj britannique et d'une ville-monde, Calcutta, dont aucune littérature n'a épuisé les charmes ni les mystères.

14 Impressions december-february 2013

difficile

books

French journalist and novelist Kenizé Mourad visits Mumbai

Watch out for the book launch of In the city of Gold and Silver, the last book of Kenizé Mourad, at the Taj hotel and a conference at Ramnarain Ruia College. discovering sufi texts belonging to her illustrious lineage. She studied sociology and psychology at Sorbonne and began working as an independent journalist in 1965. While working with Nouvel Observateur, Mourad traveled across Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Ethiopia, Libya, Israel and Gaza strip. She wrote Our Sacred Land: Voices of Palestine – Israel Conflict in 2003 based on her journalistic encounters with the affected people. After a thorough research of her roots in India and Turkey, Kenizé Mourad wrote Regards from the Dead Princess (Robert Laffont, Paris, 1989) which sold over a million copies translated into 34 languages.

K

Kenizé Mourad will tour in India to launch the English version of her book Dans la ville d'or et d'argent (Robert Laffont, 2010) by Full Circle. She will be touring various cities including Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad. enizé Mourad is a well acclaimed French writer of Turkish and Indian roots. She is the daughter of a Turkish princess from the Ottoman dynasty who married an Indian Raja. Born in Paris, she was raised a catholic and at the age of 20, Mourad embraced Islam as a part of her after

The Bureau du Livre Delhi in partnership with the Alliance Française de Bombay will be organizing the tour of Kénizé Mourad in Mumbai.

Taj Hotel, date and time to be confirmed, see program.

Discussion with Professor Mangala Sirdeshpande Head of the Department of French (retd) University of Mumbai 8th Jan: Prof V G Hatalkar Memorial Lecture by French author Kenize Mourad, followed by interactiondiscussion.

Co-organised by the Département de français, Ramnarain Ruia College, Matunga, Mumbai.

Kenizé Mourad’s books In the city of gold and silver and Regards from the Dead Princess are available at the library of Alliance Française de Bombay.

Source: Robert Laffont

Review: In the city of gold and silver, Robert Laffont (2010), Full Circle (India, 2012)

Nearly 25 years after the international bestselling De la part de la princesse morte (over 1 million copies sold in France, translated into 30 languages), Kenizé Mourad offers a new epic and passionate novel about the true story of an exceptional woman during an extraordinary moment in history.

Almost an entire century before India gained its independence from Britain, one woman – Begum Hazrat Mahal – dares to stand up to the all-powerful British Empire.

She does so in 1856, after the British decided to annex the immensely wealthy state of Awadh, and its King, Wajid Ali Shah, left never to return.

As the King's fourth wife and mother to his son, Hazrat Mahal leads the people's uprising against the British's unwelcome presence.

Along side the loyal rajah Jai Lal and with the help of the Cipay, the Indian soldiers who were once members of the British army now rallied to her cause, Hazrat Mahal embodies the resistance movement for two years. Her wisdom, integrity and courage allow this once orphan, now queen to lead India on its first step towards independence.

december-february 2013 Impressions 15

CINEMA

Indie Movies The multi forms of new independent movies From a revival of the cine concerts genre to collaborative new forms, indie cinema continues to fascinate and surprise.

A

s “The Marvel of the Century”, cinema, continues to reinvent itself through 3D, animation, web-documentaries, content has also changed to adjust to such forms or deal with new topics.

One can think of the recently released “Aux yeux de tous”, directed by Cédric Jimenez and released in 2012. The story – a fiction- of a terrorist attack in Paris and the events that follow have been filmed like a documentary through hundreds of security cameras. This new form also questions the blurry lines between fiction and documentary.

Similarly, filmmakers are not shying away from new genres such as collaborative filming. Filmed by 25 filmmakers on 5 continents, “The Owner” follows the adventures of an old backpack that is passed from character to character around the world. As the journey progresses, we learn details about the mysterious man to whom the bag belongs. The story, written collaboratively over the Internet and developed by filmmakers who never met, brings together a variety of cultures, languages and film styles into a singular narrative plot. The movie was released on May 25th worldwide in private events and screenings. This December Alliance Française de Bombay proposes along with the filmmaker Neha Thakker (who is one of the directors of the movie in Mumbai) another screening in Mumbai. For the Mumbai based filmmaker, the most challenging part was the process in which she would “give and receive feedback at each stage of the creative process from writing to pre-production to editing and post-production”.

Those who are even more curious to go back to cinema’s first form would want to check out the cine-concert form. In 16 Impressions december-february 2013

the 19th and 20th century, orchestras used to play in theatres while silent black and white pictures would unveil the plot, punctuated by the hurrahs and whistles of the crowd. In Mumbai, in the iconic Liberty Cinema, pianist Mathieu Regnault will perform for the story of Cagliostro - an Italian adventurer from the 18th century, made famous by Alexandre Dumas' novels - a movie made by Richard

CINÉ-CONCERT

December 6th, 7 pm Liberty cinema

Cagliostro,

by R. Oswald (1929)

on a restored copy by La Cinémathèque Française

Accompanied by

MATHIEU REGNAULT

First come first served basis (600 seats)

Address: 41/42 Ground Floor, Liberty Building Near Bombay Hospital New Marine Lines

For more information: sheryn@afindia.org / 22036187

Oswald in 1929 and recently restored.

Check our program and calendar for more information 3rd of December : The Owner screening, Olive Bar and Kitchen, Bandra 6th of December: Cagliostro, by Richard Oswald, a copy restored by La Cinémathèque Française, a cine-concert with pianist Mathieu Regnault, Liberty Cinema, New Marine Lines

Activism leads indie Indian movies Alliance Française de Bombay has been a strong supporter of human rights, especially by giving a platform to initiatives such as Vikalp or The Root Reel.

Learn more about these two organizations.

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ikalp Film Archives was launched in 2004 by likeminded independent documentary filmmakers who came together for a protest film festival as an antithesis to the Mumbai Film Festival with the objective of defending freedom of expression and resisting censorship in India. Since then Vikalp has actively encouraged independent documentary filmmakers by providing a platform to showcase their films at several partnering venues such as Prithvi Theatre and Alliance Française de Bombay. There is a strong censor board in India that decides the permissible contents of all films. Indian filmmakers have always been intimidated by the screening process of the censorship board which always has an upper hand in deciding what the audience can watch. In the process, the board often exaggeratedly undermines the level of sensibility of the Indian audience. Away from the mainstream,

CINEMA several documentary filmmakers have stood formidably to uphold their Right to Freedom of Expression in their cinematic endeavors. Anand Patwardhan, Anjali Monteiro and K.P. Jayasankar are some of the key filmmakers associated with Vikalp. ‘’Documentary filmmakers are the true indie filmmakers of the country having created spaces and ways of making independent films’’, says Paromita Vohra, Vikalp’s coordinator. “Thus the Indian documentary scene is possibly one of the most vibrant in the world with terrific new forms and strong individual voices from various generations” she adds. Vikalp’s association with Alliance Française de Bombay began 5 years ago when AFB helped the team of Vikalp to curate the Films for Freedom festival.

Vikalp’s commitment to the community and the receptive audience’s enthusiasm were instrumental in strengthening the collaborative ties between Vikalp and AFB. AFB has been hosting Vikalp screenings every month ever since. Vikalp plans to hold an independent documentary film festival and panel discussion in 2013. For

the future Vikalp screenings at Vikalp, there would be films based on poetry, politics and short fiction too.

With a slightly different approach, The Root Reel has been exploring the narrative of encounter between art and mass production. The Root Reel’s association with the Alliance Française de Bombay started in March 2012 with the screening of Spandan Banerjee’s You Don’t Belong, a documentary exploring creation in the Indian background, so rich with oral folk traditions. The Root established by Nitesh and Diya Mohanty, combines art and design to support social causes. As a matter of fact, the Root has closely collaborated with Vikalp Film Archives through art works for their documentaries. Since March, seven documentaries have been screened by The Root Reel at Alliance Française de Bombay and the reception has been rewarding. Watch out for their new projects as Nitesh reveals that photography-documentary project on the remaining single screens of the city is in the pipeline for 2013.

11th December: I Am Your Poet by N. Pamnani, Broken memory, shining dust, by N.Biswas, This or that person,

by S.Krishnan, Alliance Française de Bombay auditorium.

Focus: Mélanie Thierry The bold princess of French cinema surprises with her moving and strong performances. know the candid Mélanie Thierry.

The 31 years old actress is a self-made woman. No big mentor from the French cinema or celeb relative. Noted when she was still in school, she became a model and dropped her studies to shoot for Vogue and the likes. A classical story so far. However, it is theatre that

T

he young rebel of French cinema is a perfect doll blond, eye-candy babe. Surprising?

Not really once you get to

Did you know? Bertrand Tavernier has given France entertaining and historical movies such as La Fille de d’Artagnan (with Sophie Marceau) as well as darker, passionate stories such as Stories of Shattered Lives: The Double Sorrow of Lyon (on the French laws regarding immigrant inmates) or The war with no name (on Algerian war).

changed her life. Her role in Le vieux juif blonde by playwright Amanda Sthers got her instant recognition from the theatre fraternity. In 2010, La princesse de Montpensier confirmed her as a professional, intrepid and strong actress. Her choices of roles are extremely surprising and daring, alongside her love for theatre for which she performs regularly in Paris. In 2012, for her last movie, Ombline, she played the role of an inmate for which she spent fifteen days in a Parisian jail, teaching and learning from the women she met.

Watch her in La Princesse de Montpensier by Bertrand Tavernier 17th of December, Alliance Française de Bombay, see calendar

december-february 2013 Impressions 17

CINEMA Niveau de compréhension: facile  moyen  difficile

Our DVDs selection This quarterly pick up any of these new movies freshly arrived at the médiathèque. Suspense, comedy and “polar à la française”.

Mon Pote (2010), by Marc Esposito with Edouard Baer and Benoît Magimel



Based on the true story of Jean Luc Levesque, Mon Pote is an easygoing tale about evolving friendship between Bruno, a prison inmate on parole and Victor, the CEO of a popular car magazine. Victor is invited to the prison to introduce his work and the possible job opportunities to the inmates. As an ardent car enthusiast, Bruno immediately expresses interest in working for the magazine and Victor hires him on temporary basis as layout designer. With this first shot at redemption, Bruno adapts himself to the work culture of a regular office and develops a good rapport with Victor. In the process, Victor helps him to abstain from a tempting offer that would have forced him back to his earlier phase of life as an outlaw. But, this doesn’t last very long as they both are in for an adventurous surprise.

Un Balcon Sur La Mer (2010), by Nicole Garcia with Jean Dujardin and Marie-Josée Croze

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In a picturesque coastal town of Cote d’Azur, Marc is a well established real estate agent and leads a languid life with his wife and daughter. This inertia of his routine is punctuated by the arrival of his childhood sweetheart Cathy. Looking back at life in Algeria in 1960, he reminisces about the fond moments spent with Cathy and the political turmoil that led to his hasty departure from there. Their feelings are rekindled after spending an unforgettably passionate night together. However, Cathy disappears without a word, leaving Marc to deal with the intense mystery of her identity as he learns from his mother that Cathy had died in bombing just a few days before they could leave Algeria.

36 Quai Des Orfèvres (2004), by Olivier Marchal with Daniel Auteuil and Gérard Depardieu



Léo Vrinks and Denis Klein are two senior police officers heading important crime investigation departments in Paris. The chief of Paris criminal police is promoted and looks for the best man to take his position. Both Vrinks and Klein qualify for the post as they are equal in rank, seniority and service rating. In the background of serial gang robberies in the city, both men vengefully get involved in jeopardizing each other’s chances in claiming the position.

18 Impressions december-February 2013

watch OUT

Jobs Around the World

The Fondation Alliance Franรงaise has announced its new Photography Competition for 2013.

This is the 3rd competition launched by the Foundation Alliance Franรงaise.

The aim is to show the beauty of people in their everyday work, even if those are terribly harsh or unusual. This would also be the occasion to discover professions.

The winner will be invited to Paris for one week, all costs offered by the Foundation, and will be able to showcase his/her work in a Parisian art gallery. The 40 selected pictures will be exhibited all around the world through the network of Alliance Franรงaise.

Check out the announcements on AF de Bombay's various sites and programs. Participant can submit their work till the 20th January 2013.

For rules and details check the tumblr page: http:// metiersdumonde.tumblr. com/

december-february 2013 Impressions 19

watch OUT

Art Thursdays, art for all

Alliance Française de Bombay and the Sakshi art gallery in Colaba have been working closely together since 2011. At every Art Thursdays evening, the French institution screens short animated movies in the gallery.

F

ounded in 1984, Sakshi Gallery’s objective was to promote Indian art. Since then, it has housed the works of established artists such as Anjolie Ela Menon, Anirban Mitra, Akbar Padamsee, Anandajit Ray and the likes under its roof for connoisseurs of Indian art. Having diversified, Sakshi

has also advanced to showcasing art of the subcontinent in Taiwan along with exhibitions in Europe and the US. From time to time, the gallery also conducts ‘The Easybuy Exhibitions’ where works of art are made affordable and it has been enormously successful.

whereby galleries in the city are open up to 9:30 pm and around 10 art galleries host Art Thursdays in Mumbai itself.

AFB’s Art Thursdays are hosted by Sakshi Gallery wherein 6 to 7 short French films are screened and the gallery is open to visitors until 9:30pm.

Sakshi also extends its services to the academic fraternity by keeping its archives open for researchers and also welcomes art students interns. The gallery’s French connection has been through Francine Meoule who has curated an art programme in collaboration with artists from the Reunion Island. Sakshi Gallery’s association with the Alliance Française de Bombay has been strong for over a year.

Art Night Thursdays is a novel concept

Ritika Ramsuri

Salvador Dalí in France

Art Thursdays is held every second Thursday of the month.

Synergy Art Foundation Ltd. Tanna House, 11,Nathalal Parekh Marg, Colaba, Mumbai, India.

Tel. +91 22 6610 3424 www.sakshigallery.com

The Centre Pompidou is all prepped up for one of the most famous contemporary artist of the 20th century: Salvador Dalí. A must see if you travel to Paris this winter.

T

he Centre Pompidou pays tribute to one of the most complex and prolific artists of the 20th century: Salvador Dalí. More than thirty years after the retrospective devoted to his work hosted by the institution in 1979-1980, even today this remains the most successful exhibition in its history attracting more visitors than any other.

Dalí is both one of the brilliant figures in the history of modern art and one of the most popular.

He is also one of the most controversial artists, often criticised for his theatricality, his liking for money (his nickname was “Avida Dollars”) and his provocative stance on political issues.

It is both the full power of his work and the role of his personality, in his traits of genius

20 Impressions december-february 2013

as much as his outrageousness that this new exhibition sets out to confront head-on.

More than two hundred works (paintings, sculptures, drawings, etc.) are presented in a succession of chronological/themed sections: the dialogue between the artist’s eye and mind and those of the viewer; Dalí, a pioneer of performance art, a creator of ephemeral works, a media manipulator who saw art as a global act of communication; the interrogation of the figure (persona) of the artist in the face of tradition.

The exhibition is on till March 25th www.centrepompidou.fr SALVADOR DALÍ Guillaume Tell, 1930 Huile et collage sur toile - 113 x 87 cm Achat avec l’aide du Fonds du Patrimoine 2002 Photo : Jean-Claude Planchet , Centre Pompidou Centre Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne © Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí / Adagp Paris 2012

watch OUT

Techfest 2013

The annual festival of science and technology is all set to take place next year from 3rd to 5th January 2013.

O Magic Moulla

Light Painting

rganized by the student body of IIT Bombay, Techfest will be held in the sprawling 500 acre campus with 2,200 Indian universities and 500 foreign universities participating this year. As Asia’s largest science and technology festival, the IITB Techfest is one of the few student initiatives in the world to receive patronage from the UNESCO to help the Indian student community to develop social initiatives and outreach programmes through advances in technology. The first edition of the Techfest was held in 1998 and it has come a long way since then with amazing events such as the International Robotics Challenge, Robowars, Nexus – an outreach programme to bring the best of robotics culture to the masses, workshops and lecture series. Technoholix, an events segment of the festival, offers performances that combine technology and entertainment in the Open Air Theatre of IIT. This year, the festival in partnership with the Alliance Française de Bombay invites French magician Magic Moulla for Technoholix. Moulla Diabi has been performing magic tricks since he was eight years old. With his immense passion for virtual reality and computer sciences, he applies technology and dynamics of virtual reality to what he calls The Augmented Magic Shows. Magic Moulla has bagged thunderous applause for his stints in international corporate shows in New York, Cuba, Seville, Florence, Paris and Boston. Technoholix would also include performances by interactive illusionist Tony Chapek, world’s best juggler Mark Nizek and world-renowned theatrical bubble artist Pep Bou. Watch Out: January 3rd to 5th - IIT Powai Visit www.techfest.org for updates on these performances.

DID YOU KNOW ?

Sciences and technology will sparkle this winter Serge Haroche: The French physicist who won the Nobel prize.

After acknowledging the French physicist Albert Fert for his breakthrough discoveries in 2007, the Nobel Prize committee has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics to Serge Haroche for his outstanding work in quantum optics.

Already a recepient of the CNRS Gold Medal in 2009, Serge Haroche has bagged the most coveted prize in the world along with American physicist David Wineland. Their contribution to the field of quantum optics has been remarkable and particularly in studying fundamental interactions between light and matter. This theory of 20th century revolved around the physics of particles smaller than an atom that are difficult to isolate. The two scientists proved that it is possible to observe these particles individually without destroying them. They have thus ushered the scientific world into a new era with this revolutionary experiment in quantum physics.

Other French Nobel physicists count Pierre and Marie Curie (1903), PierreGilles de Gennes (1991), Georges Charpak (1992), Claude CohenTannoudji (1997), Albert Fert (2007).

Serge Haroche and David Wineland would be receiving their prize in a ceremony scheduled to take place on 10th December, the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel. december-february 2013 Impressions 21

FRANCE EN BREF

The Keeper of Seals in the agora of dissent The French government is facing stiff opposition in its bid to legalize right to marriage and adoption for homosexual couples.

F

rance is now all set to follow the trend set by European countries which legalized same sex marriage by 2010 and accorded adoption rights too. The French Minister of Justice, Christiane Taubira announced the next big project of the Republic in the pipeline: ‘mariage pour tous’ on 11th September to the catholic daily La Croix.

This is in consequence to the famous l’engagement 31 promised by Francois Hollande as presidential candidate.

L’engagment 31 is the 31st out of the total 60 presidential propositions made

by Francois Hollande assuring the implementation of right to marriage and adoption for homosexual couples.

This programme also intended to legalize medically assisted procreation to all couples. Reports have suggested that the government is keen on officially recognizing gay marriage, facilitating adoption and simplifying administrative procedures in this regard by 2013. The survey conducted by BVA in January 2012 indicates that 63% of the French population is in favour of gay marriage.

Dominique Bertinotti, the Minister of Family Welfare has been seen actively

22 Impressions december-february 2013

endorsing this project through her media interactions.

In 1999, the French government under the leadership of Jacques Chirac enacted the PACS (Pacte Civil de Solidarité) or the Civil Solidarity Pact after much acrimonious debate with the members of the extreme right wing. PACS is an agreement between two consenting adults moving into a civil union recognized by the court as opposed to marriage that entails more rights and

responsibilities. Initially meant for same sex couples, PACS was made available to heterosexual couples as well. PACS does not accord the right to bear children or international recognition. Under the union of PACS, a heterosexual couple can move to get married or even apply for adoption but the same is not allowed to a same-sex couple. PACS enabled the provisions for collective tax filing and adjudicating on issues of property settlement between couples. According to the INSEE (Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques), with a decline of 5.9% in the number of marriages from 2003, the number of PACS increased by 29% in 2002 and by 25% in 2003. An official document issued in 2006 by the parliament revealed that there were totally 170,000 PACS signed in France.

The proposed draft (avant projet de loi) of l’engagement 31 was exclusively procured and released by La Vie on 21st September. Hollande’s 31st proposition wishes to do away with the discrimination between the status accorded by marriage and that by PACS. However, contrary to the letters of l’engagement 31, Mrs. Taubira

FRANCE EN BREF

In India, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code as formulated by the British Raj in 1860 criminalized sexual activity ‘against the order of nature’.

A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by Naz Foundation Trust in the Delhi High Court to repeal the act in 2001. In 2009, the Delhi High Court scrapped this 150 year old section from the Indian Penal Code and thereby decriminalizing homosexual activity between two consenting adults

Dominique Bertinotti, minister of Family

maintained in her press release that Medically Assisted Procreation (MAP) through insemination shall be beyond the realm of legality. Surrogacy is still illegal in France and in most other countries in Europe. Certain sections of the LGBT community have expressed their disappointment towards this declaration and question the claim of equality when male homosexual couples can’t procreate without Medically Assisted Procreation. In Europe, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Britain allow adoption rights to same-sex couples.

lay the carpet for groups to lobby in favour of polygamy. Dominique Bertinotti counter argues by evoking the Napoleonic Code (The French Civil Code of 1804) – “The laws are made for the society and the society is constantly evolving. Customs of marriage are also evolving with the society and they need to be modified in concrete ways backed by statute.” She further clarifies her stand with the initiative ‘Aider les parents à être parents’ that will guide these couples in raising a child.

The proposed law is also being tugged by the right wing that has been vociferously decrying the effects of right of marriage and adoption to homosexual couples.

Cardinal André XXIIII, the president of the National Conference of Bishops, tried to evoke the religious sentiments of the society and has asked the people to oppose this initiative of the government.

A protest demonstration held on 18th November saw 9000 members of Institut Civitas (extreme-right wing catholic association) gather in the streets of Paris. Destruction of the institution of marriages and denigration of family dynamics and values are some of the hackneyed arguments raised by them. Archbishop of Lyon Cardinal Philippe Barbarin fears that this would

The technical aspects of the proposed draft have also become a bone of contention. The proposed draft suggests that the terms ‘mère’ and ‘père’ will have to be eliminated and replaced by the generic ‘parent 1’ and ‘parent 2’.

At the nascent phase, this proposition doesn’t conclusively put forth the terms for deciding the role of parents. The child however shall bear the last name of both the parents. At this phase, the particulars of the bill are still being discussed extensively. The bill is scheduled to be tabled in the legislative assembly in January 2013.

GERARD JULIEN/Getty Images

Christiane Taubira, minister of Justice

In Mumbai, Humsafar Trust and Udaan have been actively engaging to secure rights and dispel dogmatic attitude in the society. An online community ‘Gaysi’ offers blog posts, podcast discussions and social events for extending solidarity among the community. Alliance Française de Bombay in its capacity has been a supporter of gay rights. The Mumbai Queer Film Festival, Kashish, has been partnering with AFB for the last three years for hosting the festival along with Cinemax Versova.

december-february 2013 Impressions 23

DISCOVERY

France on a budget

You dream to visit the Châteaux de la Loire? You want to take your fiancé(e) on a magical tour of Paris by night? You are curious to discover Cannes before the festival? All of this sounds really nice, but… you are on a tight budget and with the European crisis, prices are not going to go down yet. No worries, France is still accessible.

F

rance often rhymes with luxury, gastronomy and romantic but expensive holidays. However you should learn the tricks to spend as less as possible and visit as much as you can. Once your air tickets and visas are taken care of, learn how to enjoy your stay in France without burning holes in your pocket.

throughout the day, in all major cities.

Forget cabs. Other means of transport would include tramways, local trains and metros but they don’t come cheap.

You could get a special pass (see Box ) if you intend to spend a long time in one particular area. In certain regions such as Centre or North-West where a vehicle is a necessity, departments are making life

easier for everyone: in Finistère (north Brittany) all tickets on the Penn’Ar Bed bus lines come only for 2 euros.

Be open to the countryside

All that is very nice but where to stay on a budget? Well, French hotels would be too expensive for a student’s pockets

Get fit, be patient

France and French cities are best discovered by foot. You can also ride bicycles for a minimum charge

Tips

© ATOUT FRANCE/Emmanuel Valentin

Anything cheap : Check Radins.com/ vacances (in French) Lodging: Couchsurfing: http://www.couchsurfing.org Homestays : http://www.chambres-en-france.com/ Browse through the following in the Alliance Française de Bombay’s library: Guide du routard, Rough Guide to France, the Lonely Planet.

Spend a week-end in a homestay "gite" and meet fellow travelers

24 Impressions december-february 2013

© ATOUT FRANCE/Pierre Torset

© ATOUT FRANCE/Fabian Charaffi

In the lavender fields: take care of the bees!

By bike, you avoid spending on fuel and you discover hidden secrets

DISCOVERY but solutions in youth hostels and “gites” could be of a great help especially if you are travelling in a group. The gites de France and homestay options offer comfortable stays and allow you to discover real French countryside and way of life. Old restored farms, mansions divided in student lodging or fishermen’ huts are good options. The more adventurous could try couch surfing and exchanges with locals or French students looking for temporary flat mates.

Look around

Museums in France could be very frustrating if you are an art aficionado.

In Paris, check out for the city museums that are always free. On certain Sundays of the month, major world known museums such as Le Louvre are free too.

Even if you might not be able to catch the latest exhibition, the permanent collections are to die for.

France has also developed of late some “package tours” that are very affordable and promote solidarity and eco-tourism.

Agencies like Novo Travel or even large associations such as Voyageons Autrement encourage people to travel differently. You can discover underrated villages of Provence while participating at the renovation of a castle, or walk with a eco-friendly group in a departmental forest usually closed to the public. From the websites and associations, one only needs to pick and choose activities and destinations.

Programs for student exchange Youth Exchange Program www.rotary.org/

Allons en France www.allonsenfrance.com Lions’s Club www.lionsclubs.org Perspectives Asiennes/Association East-West (managed in Mumbai by distinguished Alliance Française de Bombay’s committee member M.Babu Karani) www.perspectivesasiennes.org

Transports : Bicycles French cities with access to bikes on minimal charges: Rennes, Lyon, La Rochelle, Grenoble, Orléans, Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence, Paris, Mulhouse, Marseille, Toulouse, Rouen, Amiens, Perpignan, Dijon, Caen, Nantes, Nancy, Nice, Avignon, Lille…

Charges: Most charges vary from city to city, but generally the first hour of usage is free or costs only 1 euro. The customer can decide to also buy yearly or monthly passes.

Minus points you need some French to read the instructions as how to use your credit card (often needed to activate your account) or where to pay.

Share a car There are several sites used by regular French commuters who live far from the main cities and are on a budget. Hop on those to find out till where you can go!

Check http://www.covoiturage.fr/ Charges: Most of the time you will be asked to share the fuel for a minimal price, and it would be always appreciated if you offer a cup of coffee to your co-driver on really long distances. Some travel for as cheap as 1 euro.

Minus points: The car will not always go where you want as these are private carowners who are helping out. Also, always check the references and comments on the drivers before going, as basic safety rules.

Trains They remain very expensive in France and in Europe. The earlier you book the better!

Remember, the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) is more expensive than the local and regional TER (Transport Express Regional) that does not always require a booking (you can buy your ticket at the station at the moment of departure) and without seats reservation. www.sncf.com www.ter-sncf.com You can also opt for the InterRail pass. francais.interrailnet.com

Activities

Museums In Paris, check out for free the permanent collections of : Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Maison de Balzac, Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de Paris, Musée Cernuschi, Musée Cognacq-Jay, Maison de Victor Hugo, Musée de la Vie Romantique, Arènes de Lutèce, Musée du Parfum-Fragonard.

And every Sunday of the month you can also visit for free the following : Centre Pompidou, Musée national des Arts asiatiques Guimet, Musée national Eugène Delacroix, Musée Gustave Moreau, Musée du Louvre, Musée national du Moyen Âge - Thermes de Cluny, Musée national de l'Orangerie, Musée d'Orsay, Musée national Picasso, Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, Musée du Quai Branly, Musée Rodin…

See more : Parisinfo.com

Packages and eco-tourism

http://novo.travel/ Work for eco-friendly project while visiting http://www.voyageons-autrement.com/ http://www.cotravaux.org/

december-february 2013 Impressions 25

AF du Monde

Alliance Française de Vancouver

Jean-Sébastien Attié, directeur de l’Alliance Française de Vancouver revient sur la spécificité de son établissement, entre terre et mer, entre francophonie et culture asiatique.

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aviez-vous qu’à Vancouver, l’Alliance Française a fait traduire son site en chinois?

Erreur géographique ? Pas du tout explique Jean-Sébastien Attié, directeur de cette Alliance Française, fondée en 1904. « 70% du quartier résidentiel où se situe notre AF est chinois avec des personnes issues de Hong-Kong , de la Chine métropolitaine et de Taiwan ». Et pour cause, Vancouver compte environ 35% d’Asiatiques. De fait, l’Alliance Française a du s’adapter et cibler cette population.

Par ailleurs, si le français est considéré comme une langue privilégiée, son enseignement demeure « assez superficiel » constate M.Attié. Chez les cadres de la fonction publique en revanche la maitrise du français est obligatoire. Cette situation entraine l’AF de Vancouver à proposer de nombreux cours intensifs pour les fonctionnaires de haut niveau tout en essayant d’attirer des étudiants qui n’ont pas forcément une bonne connaissance de la langue et de la culture française.

New York ou Tokyo). Ses 1500 étudiants disposent de belles salles de classes et d’un immense auditorium faisant aussi fonction de théâtre. « La ville de Vancouver s’étend de plus en plus et nous aimerions toucher les populations les plus excentrées » note le directeur qui

A Vancouver, ville sportive par excellence où l’on pratique soit la voile soit la randonnée en montagne, si ce n’est les deux, l’AF s’est adaptée en s’associant à de nombreux programmes culturels en extérieur qui ont rencontré un franc succès. La Fête de la musique (Make Music Vancouver) a galvanisé les foules et le premier Dîner en blanc organisé en août 2012 a rassemblé plus de 1200 participants et « 3 500 personnes en liste d’attente » souligne Jean-Sébastien Attié.

Propriétaire de trois étages, récemment rénovés, l’Alliance Française de Vancouver jouit d’une belle situation dans une ville où l’immobilier atteint des sommets vertigineux (à niveau égal avec

26 Impressions december-february 2013

confie également que l’AF n’est pas dans le centre-ville, ce qui la pénalise quelque peu pour être au cœur de l’actualité culturelle. « Nous aimerions lancer de nouveaux campus dans des villes satellites et au centre historique ainsi qu’installer durablement les nouveaux rendez-vous culturels auxquels nous avons pris part auprès des Vancouverois comme le Make Music Vancouver (Fête de la Musique) par exemple ». Et pourquoi pas imaginer dans un futur proche un festival du film français et un salon du livre français ? Ce sont bien là en tout cas les grands défis que se lance cette Alliance Française jamais à court d’idées.

Le saviez-vous ?

Dîner en Blanc : un événement mondain et gastronomique lancé il y a 25 ans à Paris et qui a essaimé dans le monde depuis. Le Dîner en Blanc à Paris rassemble 15 000 personnes. A l’origine, c’est un groupe d’amis Parisiens qui ont simplement lancé l’idée d’un piquenique impromptu dans un espace public.

Le Dîner en blanc, un franc succès.

http://dinerenblanc.info/

december-february 2013 Impressions 27

COVER STORY

Bonjour India is back!

Riding the wave of success of the first edition of Bonjour India (2009-2010), the Institut Français en Inde and the French Embassy in India, in association with the Alliance Française India network and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), are all set to unveil the second edition of the festival from January to March 2013.

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rom Jaipur to Kolkata, Delhi to Trivandrum, via Mumbai, Chandigarh, Nasik and several others, a total of sixteen cities will play host to over a hundred outstanding cultural events. These will encompass the entire gamut of peopleto-people exchanges between India and France: art, literature, cinema, education, sports, architecture, fashion, photography, performing arts.

Giving pride of place to original productions jointly conceived by Indian and French artists for this edition of the festival, Bonjour India 2013 presents: Luminocity, the inaugural event by light sculptor Patrick Rimoux and Nandita Palchoudhuri transfiguring reality; Indo-French designer duo Hemant Sagar and Didier Lecoanet; Ballet Preljocaj on a stage designed by Subodh Gupta; Eric Vigner casting Nandita Das in Marguerite Duras’ play Gates to India Song composer Pierre Thilloy and the

Avignon Symphony Orchestra in an original performance with sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan; a global platform of choreographic navigation for ipads and iphones by French choreographers N+N Corsino with Indian dancers Revanta Sarabhai and Pooja Purohit. Other festival highlights include exhibitions of Anay Mann photographs and Gigi Scaria paintings revisiting French heritage in India, and the analogue-digitalacoustic-electronic signature music of Scratch Bandits Crew. Bonjour India II will conclude with the grand finale of “angels” enthralling the public with aerial acrobatic dance performances at emblematic venues in Delhi.

During the festival, there will be a discernible French presence at major literary events in India: France is the Guest Country for World Book Fair 2013 in Delhi, while Prix Goncourt laureate Tahar Ben Jelloun (2007) will participate in the Jaipur Literature Festival. Albert

Camus’ birth centenary will also be celebrated across India through a series of events.

Innovation to fashion and new trends, revisiting the past (baroque music interpreted by Amarillis Dieltiens), navigating the present and fastforwarding to the future (Greater Paris architecture exhibition on creating sustainable futuristic cities), the eclectic offerings of Bonjour India 2013 promise something to delight everyone’s palate. Reflecting the longstanding ties of friendship between France and India, the events will express our common passion for the arts, be a rich nurturing ground for new encounters, and inscribe yet another significant chapter of the relationship of the two countries.

France wishes you a happy festive season and says, BONJOUR INDIA! www.bonjour-india.in

Aruna Adiceam, cultural attachée Institut Français en Inde, Max Claudet, director of the Institut Français en Inde and cultural counsellor, Embassy of France in India, and Thierry Robert, associate director of the Institut Français en Inde, set in motions the festival Bonjour India 2013.

28 Impressions december-february 2013

COVER STORY

Conversations

Bonjour India has been a huge and fantastic process of putting together the best of French cultural production along with finding the right resources to fund the festival. Aruna Adiceam, Cultural Attachée to the Institut Français, Thierry Robert, Associate Director of the Institut Français and Max Claudet, Director as well as Cultural Counsellor, Embassy of France in India, tell us how such a project comes to light.

What has been the starting point of the Bonjour India festival?

Aruna Adiceam: Interestingly, since 1989, the year celebrating India and France, there have not been proper long Franco-Indian festivals despite many important events. In 2008, the former French Ambassador to India, Jérome Bonnafont and Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, then director of the Institut Français [in 2008 it was known as CulturesFrance], had a chat about creating a new festival celebrating both France and India. In 2009, the first edition of Bonjour India was born.

How is this festival different from the others and from the Bonjour India first edition ?

A.A : The first edition was covering all fields : not only cultural or artistic, but also economic and scientific. In 2013, the Bonjour India festival reflects the ongoing program of the Institut Français following similar artistic inclinations.

Can you tell us more about the specificities of the cultural directions of the Institut Français in India?

A.A: We focus a lot on residencies as well as theatre and dance. We want long term relationships with India and long term projects. Gates to India Song for instance will be the result of collaboration and residency between Eric Vigner and famous Indian actors such as Nandita Das. We also wanted to focus on visual arts. N+N Corsino for example will give a sample of what French digital creation can do. Another important Franco-Indian project will be the project between a symphonic

orchestra and a sarod player, fruit of a long term relationship in India.

How are the projects selected?

A.A: At the Institut Français en Inde we all have a role to play in the selection.

I have been in charge of the artistic directions but there are also other fields such as literature, cinema and science where my colleagues have been involved. We work closely with the Institut Français in Paris too. The idea is to showcase the best of France but also arts where France is known to be the best like street arts or dance. There are 80 ongoing French dance shows every year throughout the world.

What are the repercussions that one would expect after such a festival ?

A.A: Of course we would like to strengthen our ties with India not only through cultural aspects. In many areas, the festival is helping multi cooperation between French and Indian cities. For example, the city of Bordeaux, hometown of Urban Ballet, one of our big shows in Bonjour India, will probably have a cooperation on urbanism and governance with the city of Hyderabad.

Thierry Robert: We also want to reach out to a larger public in India with this festival, not just the elite. In the same time, such a festival is meant to increase French influence in India as a whole.

Political and business delegations will be coming during the festival. This will definitely draw the attention of many actors in every field where we are trying to build strong Indo-French relations.

Max Claudet: The Bonjour India festival will be the perfect event to advertise and promote the Institut Français as a brand, working hand in hand with all the Alliances françaises in India. Very often, in India, the cultural wing and the role of the French Embassy is not known enough. This festival will be the occasion to emphasize the presence of France in India.

What is the role played by the network of Alliance Française in India?

A.A: The Alliance Française have been de facto representing France for most Indians. It is a prestigious institution which is the most visible partner of our festival and also a great support for us.

Which shows do you recommend during this festival, or are you most excited about?

A.A : It is a tricky question, I cannot decide! I guess I love Studio Cirque, because of its enchanting concept. I also had a real crush on Imany, an artist that also portrays France as a country of diversity. Last but not least, I am very excited by Eric Vigner’s project, Gates to India Song, a strongly aesthetic project.

T.R: I can’t wait to see Imany perform and I am equally impatient to discover the work of Vigner on Marguerite Duras, a real challenge!

M.C: I must say that I am very thrilled by the Luminocity project in Jantar Mantar, a real grand show! As a ferocious reader, I am also very eager to attend the book fair in Delhi, as many French publishers and writers will be present.

december-february 2013 Impressions 29

COVER STORY

The soft power of the Institut Français France’s cultural diplomacy is regrouping its actions towards one main center : the Institut Français.

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he French have a long history of cultural diplomacy that goes all the way back to the “Ancien régime” during the reign of the Sun King. Even then, the idea was to promote the French language as a tool for communication (French was then a very important language, perhaps equal to what English is today) and to maintain close political and economical ties.

The cultural diplomacy took another turn after the First World War, in 1922 when France created the French Association of artistic exchanges (Association française d’action artistique, AFAA). The aim was to reunite different world personalities interested in promoting French art in the world. During the 20th century the exchanges have considerably increased.

In 2006, a new impulse was given with the creation of “Culturesfrance”, under

Today there is a network combined of 101 Institut Français (and 125 annexes) and over 900 Alliances Françaises in the world.

By 2013, the cultural services of French embassies, the Institut Français and the Cultural Centers across the world will fuse in only one entity for each country, the Institut Français. India is one of the pilot countries where the fusion process started strongly supported by the 16 AF in the subcontinent.

the aegis of both the ministry of Culture and Communication and the ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Institut Français succeeded in 2011 with more missions and, for the year 2012, a 65.5 million euros budget was attributed.

MAEE

Saint Louis Institut Français 1963

A poster for Bonjour India 2009, in front of the Alliance Française de Pondicherry

30 Impressions december-february 2013

Interestingly, the name itself renews with the first Institut Français that was created in 1907 in Florence, Italy. Most of the Institut Français created in later years were supported by French universities while French cultural centers were directly created by the French state (a few were binational, co-funded by the host State). Those centers are fast joining the new Institut Français.

Xavier Darcos, former minister of Labour and now President of the Institut Français explained in an interview to the weekly L’Express in December 2011 how the Institut’s goal was to “accompany the diplomacy”. Soft power as it is called or cultural diplomacy is often seen as “the only possible option in certain situations” he further states.

In emerging economies, the impact of cultural cross exchanges also has a bigger aspect: we are at times the keys for companies to enter and open some markets” he explains.

COVER STORY

BONJOUR INDIA 2013

I

n 1985 elephants walked down the Trocadero Alley in Paris across the Eiffel Tower signaling the beginning of an enchanting mela replete with dance, music, food heralding the Festival of India in France.

This cultural exchange left an indelible impression in the minds of people.

In 1989 French artists recreated this magic, this time in Mumbai and people came in droves to watch the spectacular fireworks that lit up Marine Drive.

We hope that a whole new generation of youngsters in both countries shall discover through such cultural exchange the common vision that they share of the world and novel ways of expressing it.

Bonjour India!

January TO MARCH 31 FRENCH ARTISTS OVER HUNDRED OF EVENTS 16 CITIES IN INDIA MILLIONS OF SPECTATORS

Š Daniel Dalet

A quiet two decades later the Festival of France in India, Bonjour India came back with a bang. In December 2009, giving a new boost to Indo –French relations, an ambitious festival grand in scale and reach, travelled to 18 cities in India. The three month long roller coaster ride added dance, music, literature, sciences, new circus, design, exhibitions, opera, architecture, economic meets and more along the way to encompass the entire red violet notions of a larger spectrum representative of the scale and grandeur of exchanges between the two countries.

The best of French trends came to India and as is always with India, they were enriched and spiced up with Indian flavors yielding a heady palette of collaborative projects. Namaste France, Festival of India in France soon followed in Paris and again it is time to repeat the second edition of the Bonjour India festival in 2013. Many of the collaborative projects find expression in Bonjour India 2013.

*The above map is only representative and does not show actual geographical boundary. december-february 2013 Impressions 31

COVER STORY

And then, one thousand years of peace The Ballet Preljocaj performs for the first time in Mumbai, a breathtaking piece.

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his creation for 21 dancers, choregraphed by Angelin Preljocaj for the first time in 2010 will be performed in Mumbai on the 20th and 21st of January, at the NCPA. The Indian public will enjoy the familiar sight of scenographic details by renowned artist Subodh Gupta as the techno music legend Laurent Garnier mixes pulsating rhythms intertwined with samples from Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata. According to the Edinburgh festival where the Ballet was performed last August, And then, one thousand years of peace combines intricate and edgy action with slow, graceful movement in an ever-evolving dance that reveals our innermost hopes, desires and fears”.

“Working within a poetic and impressionist vein, And then, one thousand years of peace relies on an assiduous but not irrational reading of the Apocalypse.

One should thus refrain from looking for images or clichés that illustrate, directly or referentially, Saint John's famous text.

A fertile source of interpretation, the very word Apocalypse (from the Greek apo: "to lift" and calypsis: "veil") evokes the idea

of revealing, unveiling, or highlighting elements that could be present in our world but are hidden from our eyes. It should thus evoke what is nestled in the innermost recesses of our existence, rather than prophesizing about compulsive waves of catastrophe, irreparable destruction, or the imminent end of the world.

When dance, the art of the indescribable par excellence, assumes the role of the developer (in the photographic sense), is it not most able to realize this delicate function of exposing our fears, anxieties,

Angelin Preljocaj, September 2010

Suivront mille ans de calme / Création 2010 / Angelin Preljocaj / Ballet Preljocaj & Théâtre du Bolshoi / Photo © JC Carbonne

Suivront mille ans de calme / Création 2010 / Angelin Preljocaj / Ballet Preljocaj & Théâtre du Bolshoi / Photo ©JC Carbonne

32 Impressions december-february 2013

and hopes? Dance relentlessly highlights the entropy of molecules programmed in the memory of our flesh that heralds the Apocalypse of bodies. It stigmatizes our rituals and reveals the incongruity of our positions, be they of a social, religious or pagan nature. And then, one thousand years of peace wishes to graze these bodies that drift along blindly, tossed about by ideals and beliefs, somewhat lost between the lines of the Apocalypse. “

COVER STORY

Angelin Preljocaj One of France’s most prodigious ballet performers and choreographers, Angelin Preljocaj is an unpredictable writer whose force is his ability to blend contemporary dance and traditional ballet.

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ngelin Preljocaj was born in 1957, in the Paris region of France, and began studying classical ballet before turning to contemporary dance, which he studied with Karin Waehner. In 1980, he went to New York to work with Zena Rommett and Merce Cunningham, after which he resumed his studies in France, where his teachers included the American choreographer Viola Farber and the French Quentin Rouillier.

Angelin Preljocaj works regularly with other artists including Enki Bilal (Roméo et Juliette, 1990), Goran Vejvoda (Paysage après la bataille, 1997), Air (Near Life Experience, 2003), Granular Synthesis (“N”, 2004), Fabrice Hyber (Les 4 saisons…, 2005), Karlheinz Stockhausen (Eldorado Sonntags Abschied, 2007), Jean Paul Gaultier (Snow White, 2008), Constance Guisset (Le funambule, 2009), Claude Lévêque (Siddharta, 2010), Laurent Garnier and Subodh Gupta (And then, one thousand years of peace, 2010).

His productions have become part of the repertoire of many companies which also offer him commissions, notably the Paris Opera Ballet, La Scala of Milan and the New York City Ballet. He has made short films (Le postier, Idées noires in 1991) and several full-length films, notably Un trait d’union and Annonciation (1992 and 2003) and for which he was awarded the “Grand Prix du Film d’Art” in 2003, the “Vidéo-Danse” First Prize in 1992 and the Prague Video Festival Prize in 1993. In 2009, he made Snow White, featuring his own piece, and in 2011 he signed, for Air

© Rita Antonioli

After that he joined Dominique Bagouet before founding his own company in December 1984. He has created 46 choregraphies, ranging from solo to larger formations.

Angelin Preljocaj

France, the commercial L’Envol, based on the choreography of Le Parc.

Since then he has collaborated on several films of his own choreographic work: Les Raboteurs with Cyril Collard (based on the painting by Gustave Caillebotte) in 1988, Pavillon Noir with Pierre Coulibeuf in 2006 and Eldorado/ Preljocaj with Olivier Assayas in 2007.

Several books have been written about his work, notably Angelin Preljocaj in 2003, Pavillon Noir in 2006 and Angelin Preljocaj, Topologie de l’invisible in 2008. Throughout his career, Angelin Preljocaj has received a number of awards, including the “Grand

Suivront mille ans de calme / Création 2010 / Angelin Preljocaj / Ballet Preljocaj & Théâtre du Bolshoi / Photo © JC Carbonne

Prix National de la Danse” awarded by the French Ministry of Culture in 1992, the “Benois de la danse” for Le Parc in 1995, the “Bessie Award” for Annonciation in 1997, “Les Victoires de la musique” for Roméo et Juliette in 1997, the “Globe de Cristal” for Snow White in 2009. He is an “Officier des Arts et des Lettres”, a “Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur” and he was appointed an “Officier de l’ordre du Mérite” in May 2006.

Since October 2006, the Ballet Preljocaj and its 26 permanent dancers are installed in the Pavillon Noir in Aix-en-Provence, a building entirely dedicated to dance, with Angelin Preljocaj as its artistic director. december-february 2013 Impressions 33

COVER STORY

Pain and pleasure at the court of Versailles

If you have a passion for western classical, you will be delighted with Amarillis. This unique ensemble of variable size is currently one of the most original baroque orchestras in Europe.

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boe, harpsichord, traverse, violin and viola, cello and horns will bring you a few centuries back, thanks to extremely talented Amarillis ensemble.

Founded in 1994, the group has won three international First Prizes: in 1995, at the York Early Music Festival, in England; First Prize in the Ensemble Music Competition organized by the French federation FNAPEC in April 1997, and both the First Prize and Audience Prize at the Sinfonia competition chaired by Gustav Leonhardt in September 1997.

In 1999, Amarillis received an ADAMI "Classical Revelations" award. Its programs are inspired by a will to bring together musicians of recognized talent in the spirit of chamber music.

The Ensemble's twelve-CD discography has been praised by critics both in France and internationally. It has recorded ten CDs on the Ambroisie-Naive label: Furioso ma non troppo; Amour et mascarade with Patricia Petibon and Jean-François Novelli; Jeux de dames à la cour; J.-S. Bach: Aria with La Maîtrise de Colmar; G.-F. Handel: Recorder and oboe sonatas; A. Vivaldi: Concerti per flauto e per violoncello; G.-F. Handel: Sacré / Profane with countertenor Robert Expert and many more. In 2011, it released Ferveur et extase with Stéphanie d'Oustrac on the Ambronay label and A Music Party on Agogique.

Amarillis is : Héloïse Gaillard - baroque oboe Violaine Cochard - harpsichord Amélie Michel - traverso David Plantier - violin Fanny Paccoud – viola Annabelle Luis - cello Lionel Renoux and Pierre-Yves Madeuf – horns The Ensemble Amarillis will be playing at the NCPA, Mumbai on the 26th of March

34 Impressions december-february 2013

Découvrez la musique Baroque Selon l’ouvrage Histoire universelle de la musique « le baroque en musique» pourrait se définir comme une exubérance des formes et de l’inspiration, un goût raffiné du luxe et contraste, entre deux classicismes. L’imagination que l’on déploie pour « passer la rampe » (un nouveau public attend d’être étonné) va engendrer les principales formes classiques : opéra, oratorio, cantate, sonate, symphonie, concerto apparaissent au cours de cet âge baroque du classicisme. » Parmi les grands musiciens de l’ère baroque, il faut se souvenir de : Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741 Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677) (rare femme compositrice), chez les Italiens, JeanBaptiste Lully (1632 – 1687), François Couperin (1668 - 1733) Marin Marais (1656-1728) Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683 - 1764) pour les Français, JeanSébastien Bach (1685- 1750) le plus Michelangelo Caravaggio The Lute Player

célèbre parmi les Allemands ou encore l’Anglais Henry Purcell (1659 - 1695).

Pour en savoir plus: - Histoire universelle de la musique, Roland de Candé, Tome 1 et Tome 2, éditions Le Seuil, disponible à la médiathèque de l’Alliance Française de Bombay.

- Musique Prim, fiches du CNDP Ensemble Amarillis

COVER STORY

NCPA : A window on the world overlooks the Arabian Sea

Mumbai can be proud of hosting the most vibrant and prestigious multi-purpose cultural center in India. A buzzing hub for legendary talents, the NCPA opens its doors for Impressions.

“D

o you know we are actually sitting ‘on’ the sea?” asks M.Suntook, with a spark in the eye.

The current chairman of the National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA) likes to remind visitors that the NCPA sits on a patch of reclaimed land, acquired in the sixties. “Dr. Jamshed J. Bhabha, the visionary behind the center obtained from the government of Maharashtra a ‘piece of sea’. Associated with JRD Tata and the Tata company, he built the NCPA Apartments first, to raise money” explains the chairman. With the State Government’s blessing, the site was leased for 99 years for the purposes of research and training in the performing arts, the presentation of Indian and international art forms, the promotion of excellence and the preservation of India’s rich cultural heritage claims the website of the center. Since its inception, the NCPA was devoted to all form of performances, both Indian and Western.

“The American architect Philip Johnson and the acoustic specialist Cyril Harris worked on the Tata Theatre. The idea

was to offer the best to Mumbai. Latest, in 1999, was built the Jamshed Bhabha theatre with an orchestra pit”.

With 700 performances a year, the NCPA plans its programs a year in advance.

Two seasons a year are dedicated to Western classical including opera, a genre forgotten by Mumbaikars. Opera used to be very popular under the British Raj (and the then Royal Opera House was house-full) till the 60’s and slowly faded away. Today “70% of the western performers are foreigners” underlines M.Suntook. He gladly welcomed Arties, the Franco-Indian association led by Gauthier Hermann in partnership with Alliance Française de Bombay, who is performing through the year. “We would love to do more with France, but we need sponsorships. So far the NCPA is self-sustaining but we need strong partners for big projects”. If Western classical and opera (through the constant direction of the Symphony Orchestra of India) are making the NCPA special in India, an important focus is also given to Indian performances.

Names such as Hariprasad Chaurasia, Zakir Hussain, Naseeruddin Shah, S Balachander, Chandralekha and many other legendary talents from the performing arts have been familiar and associated with the center over the years.

Often criticized for being elitist or catering only to an ageing audience, the NCPA is doing its best to reach a younger crowd and to keep the fares accessible to all. “Most of the tickets don’t exceed 300 rupees, still we want to give the best quality to all” says M.Suntook.

Ongoing musical teaching programs for children and college students are also taking place through the year. “We also started broadcasting performances from London, with only a gap of one or two days, in the Godrej theatre, he explains, it is actually offering a live experience to the audience not a screening. Soon to come, monthly performances from the Metropolitan in New York will be added to the program”. Overlooking the Arabian Sea, the center offers the city one of its best windows on the world.

Entrance of the NCPA experimental theatre

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The Stuart-Liff collection: Story of an obsession

In addition to the Library’s main catalogue, the NCPA houses the world-famous Stuart-Liff Collection of 6,000 books and 11,000 LPs mainly of Western classical music.

George Stuart and Vivian Liff

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his collection was generously donated to the Centre in 2009 by Vivian Liff and is an invaluable source for researchers, musicologists, students and general music lovers. According to the Times of India, this assemblage was considered as one of the most comprehensive private compilations of historical recordings in the UK. The long friendship between these two collectors

36 Impressions december-february 2013

and Khushroo Suntook was the principal reason behind the donation.

“With India emerging as one of the most important and influential countries in the world, a wealth of musical talent awaits discovery and nurture. It is greatly hoped that this initial donation from the Stuart-Liff collection will be of real use in encouraging and sustaining this aim”, wrote Liff in a recent letter.

Reference books include the complete 20-volume Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians, the 10-volume Enciclopedia dello Spettacolo, the Dictionnaire des Oeuvres de l’Art Vocal in 3 volumes, Hugo Riemens Musiklexicon in 2 volumes (plus CD-Rom), and Steiger’s 9 volumes on opera. To make space for the collection, the NCPA has created a new Stuart-Liff library, adjacent to its existing library on the first floor. The book collection includes the autobiographies or biographies of almost all the important Western classical music singers from the 18th century up to the present. Also included are books on composers, opera houses, worldwide recordings and all facets of vocal and instrumental art, covering roughly the same period.

Vivian Liff and George Stuart, the retiring duo behind one of the most extensive, private, vocal collections in the world Vivan Liff and George Stuart devoted their lives to their various collections.

George was a lawyer by profession and Vivian an architect. A long article by Alan Blyth on the pair in the American magazine, Opera News, related how the chance hearing of a recording by Gigli started Vivian in his search for great voices. George Stuart was so impressed

by Bizet’s Carmen that he was impelled to collect every version or excerpt he

could find. They met in 1959 at the Aldeburgh festival and decided to combine their collections. When it first merged, it numbered some 5,000 discs.

By 1978, when the article was published, it exceeded 40,000 items.

They would put advertisements in local papers or magazines and then travel around Britain and the world seeking rare vocal recordings or unusual music.

“We not only saw various countries but were invited into people’s homes which made it so much more interesting”, Vivian Liff commented to Opera News.

In tandem with their record collecting they also sought out autographed photos of both the famous and the lesser known singers. They were amused and flattered to be given the title of the ‘Singers’ archeologists’ by Victor Pujol, the splendid Opera-Comique tenor.

Both collectors are also remembered for being extremely generous with their knowledge and contributed towards many books as well as lending recordings to the BBC, EMI and other record firms.

Their homes, initially in London and later, in Kent often hosted gatherings of singer and musician friends. Their record collection and photographs were used for the initial two volumes of EMI’s The Record of Singing, a prizewinning compilation of singers from the first half of the 20th century - the era of the 78-rpm record. It was issued on 24 LPs by EMI. The project was accompanied initially by two illustrated books, containing singers' biographies and appraisals, which were published in London, by Duckworth, in the late 1970s.

George Stuart passed away in October 2007. Vivian Liff resides today on the Isle of Man. He still writes for various magazines in America and Britain.

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Prithvi, a love story between Mumbai and theatre

Nestled amongst Juhu’s greenest patch, a two minutes walk from the sea, Prithvi Theatre stood its ground through the years in Mumbai. Kunal Kapoor, its director, unveils for Impressions a little bit of history.

How would you qualify your audience,

in partnership with foreign productions.

But we are extremely clear on one point: our plays have to be home-grown and indigenous.

Late actor Amrish Puri in front of the entrance

How would you define Prithvi in the cultural landscape of Mumbai?

I like to think that we are not like other theaters. We have a strong following and a public with old habits. We also do respect our performers a lot. Although some things were hard to impose at first, like the “no walking late” policy that took years to be implemented. But today we are also respected because of that.

What are your upcoming projects?

We were closed last year for important renovations so we could not hold our regular Prithvi festival. This year we celebrated our 'Celebrate Prithvi Festival' with plays from productions we have been working with for years and partners, such as the Alliance Française de Bombay. In the future I would like to develop an in-house production, maybe

Prithvi Theatre Archives

How did you manage to maintain a certain balance between languages, performances and your original objectives?

The theatre is a trust and we are running at a loss. But we never compromised in accepting anything else, unrelated to theatre, like corporate events. Our only aim is performances and it is not easy, so we are constantly working with sponsors.

We also focus only on professional theatre and not amateurs as we believe in supporting theatre as a way of living. We must be doing something right as we are booked 365 days.

has it changed a lot since the beginning of the theatre?

I feel we are attracting a younger crowd although the audience is quite different according to the plays and languages. It is actually quite interesting to see a different audience coming for different Hindi productions. Overall I feel the Mumbai public is more honest, not so loaded by intellectualism or what I would call “subintellectualism” or status. Things are more mixed in this city.

New things to look forward in Prithvi: - Sunday Jam sessions: one Sunday a month come and enjoy live acoustic music - Prithvi House, opposite the theatre is always open to initiatives linked with theatre. See our Alliance Française regular program.

Prithvi Theatre Archives

How did you get associated with the theatre?

It was my father’s dream to fulfill his own father’s idea to have a theatre [Prithviraj Kapoor, ndlr]. My mother ran it till 1984, the year of her passing away. I took over and then my sister Sanjana directed it as I was also busy with my own activities [Kunal Kapoor is also a known lineproducer, ndlr]. But the policies in this theatre have not really changed since 84!

This was the key to Prithvi’s success. It was built to promote performances in a perfectly equipped theatre, offering the best at very low cost to the performers.

We are still doing that.

Contact: Prithvi Theatre 20 Janki Kutir,Juhu Church Road, Juhu 022 2614 9546 www.prithvitheatre.org

december-february 2013 Impressions 37

COVER STORY

Gates to India Song Eric Vigner adapts Marguerite Duras «A love story by Marguerite Duras, with Nandita Das » …One night at a reception held at the French Embassy in Calcutta in 1937…

Gates to India Song is the stage adaptation of the novels India Song and The Vice Consul by Marguerite Duras, one of the greatest French authors of the 20th century.

These two texts, inspired by a common source, an Indian imaginary, are intimately Rehearsal for Savannah Bay, Salle Richelieu Comédie Française, portrait of Marguerite Duras in the background

linked as happens often in Marguerite Duras’s works. The Vice Consul, a love story that takes place between the French Ambassador’s wife and the Vice-Consul of Lahore in 1930’s Calcutta, was rewritten 10 years after its publication by Marguerite Duras in her film India Song which was presented at the 1975 Cannes Festival.

Following the evolution from The Vice Consul to India Song, from literature to cinema, the director Eric Vigner has chosen an important Indian cinema actor,

Nandita Das, to play one of the leads in this modern-day tragedy.

For the first ever stage adaptation of this love story, Eric Vigner has decided to cast Indian actors as characters of French diplomats. From the original texts, this experimental performance shall retain the themes of passion, desire, social inequalities and colonial domination.

Echoing the original story which reaches its climax during a reception at the French Ambassador’s residence in Calcutta, the performance will be presented at the Did you know?

Gates to India Song will be playing at the Prithvi Theatre from the 14th to the 17th of February and the 21st at the NCPA. The cast Nandita Das (Anne-Marie Stretter) Subodh Maskara (Ambassador of France) Neeraj Kabi (Peter Morgan) Suhaas Ahuja (the Vice-Consul) Jim Sarbh (Charles Rossett, the young Attaché)

A.Fonteray. 2002

residence of the French Ambassador in New Delhi.

38 Impressions december-february 2013

Eric Vigner, director and head of the CDDB – Theâtre de Lorient, is an artist whose talent has been rewarded with invitations from some of the most prestigious French festivals and institutions such as the Avignon Festival or the “Comédie Française”, as well as abroad, with invitations to festivals such as the Bharat Rang Mahotsav of the National School of Drama in India. His artistic approach upholds théâtre d’art, the art of stage setting or mise en scène akin to a painting or sculpture. Amongst all the meetings that have shaped Eric Vigner’s journey, the one with writer Marguerite Duras has been the most beautiful and conclusive. That he has staged several of these texts is evident from his admiration for her and the artistic complicity that unites them.

COVER STORY

Blue Frog

As the first ever music project of its kind, Blue Frog has managed to create quite a buzz among music lovers in the city.

Blue Frog

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lue Frog was founded as an integrated music project by five like minded individualsMusicians Dhruv Ghanekar & Ashutosh Pathak, film director Mahesh Mathai, film producer Srila Chatterjee and fund manager Simran Mulchandani with a view to reinvent the music scene in the city. Since then Blue Frog has been serving as a common platform for interaction between some of the best musicians, fans and lovers of a good live performance club experience alike. With a state of the art recording studio, a top notch production house, an independent record label, artist management and music consultancy services Blue Frog has managed to channelize resources and provide recognition to some of the best independent artists in the country. Blue Frog has been collaborating with the Alliance Franรงaise de Bombay since 2007 by inviting French musicians to Mumbai.

Blue Frog

Eol and Saiyuki trios, French bands invited by both Alliance Franรงaise de Bombay and the Blue Frog

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Imany, the voice of hope A model with a prestigious agency, Imany chose her love for music over an international modeling career. The growing French sensation has recently won a Golden disc for her first album.

Imany in concert at Blue Frog, 14th March 2013.

40 Impressions december-february 2013

Barron Claiborne

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aris Match, the famous French magazine named her « fleur des Comores », 'Flower of Comores'. A suave, deep voice emerges from the frail soul folk singer.

She is Imany, “hope” in Swahili, a fresh talent discovered by the French in November 2010 with the EP “Acoustic Sessions” which featured four of her compositions and one cover of Michael Jackson 'I’ll be there'. Nadia Mladjao has been a successful model and lived for six years in the States. Author and composer of her own songs, she first opened for bands such as Angie Stone, Wasis Diop or Hocus Pocus. Noticed by a French producer, Malik Ndiaye, she started performing in small jazz music halls in Paris, bars and intimate set ups. Her debut album, The Shape of a Broken Heart, recorded during the summer 2010 and released in 2011 gave her a wide recognition in France.

Imany chose to write both in English and French and is managed by her sister Fatou. In an interview with magazine Elle in June 2011 she revealed that she got “the bug for music when I moved to New York at the age of 19, while I was on a modeling contract for Calvin Klein”. However, the singer in her was already very much alive during her school days, where she used to train with the boarding school chorus. Very soon, the French labeled her “the new Tracy Chapman” due to her husky voice, something that Imany disliked as a young girl in school as people used to tell her it was too “grave and masculine”.

However she found her voice as she listened to Tracy Chapman, Marvin Gaye, Tina Turner and Billie Holiday.

In 2012, her schedule is already booked with concerts in the most prestigious halls of Paris and France. Whatever happens, in 2013, do not miss her.

COVER STORY

Scratch me if you can The SBC or Scratch Bandits Crew will land in Mumbai for a unique blend of dub, rock, sampled voices, video-animation and dj-ing. Do not miss them.

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urntablists bands are pretty rare on the planet, and those pushing the envelope so far you can count on one hand...

Beyond scratch and technique, the band develops a strong musical and visual signature between fantasy and street culture. Their musical range is wide, from Hip-Hop and Jazz, to Drum'n'Bass, with some pinch of Rock, Dubstep, or whatever feels right to their taste.

The set is eclectic but linked together by their unique sonic signature. The tracks are mainly composed and arranged by Dj Supa-Jay. They don't work with samples (except voices). All instruments were played by real musicians and recorded to give the dj's the sonic material to create their songs. Born in 2002, the band makes a name on the dj's championship

circuit and then worked hard to develop a unique stage-rocking set to play on the regular gig circuit. Their show takes the audience through a trip in their twisted urban universe with the help of scenography, lights and video (animatics).

“En petites coupures…”, their first record was released April 30th 2010. The band picked up six tracks out of the 20-something made in past 3 years to offer a coherent record, linked together by the horns section's work. This is by far one of the most successful attempts to gather turntable technique and musicality.

Scratch Bandits Crew, 9th of February, Blue Frog. december-february 2013 Impressions 41

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The Floating Buffet Experiment with French Gastronomy at its height with food up in the air

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he two artists of La cellule (Becquemin&Sagot) use sculptures, installations and performances to question desire and its processes. Their works stage the tension between the two expressions of desire – one aiming at sublimation, the other one at consumption. They experiment the desire to be found between Eros and Thanatos. They question the fragile moment where everything can fall apart, be consumed and disappear. Their works often come from the absurd as a way to « escape » - in its historical sense of « letting escape a ball properly thrown » :

they veer off course. Their apparent lightness unveils a more bitter reality.

La cellule (Becquemin&Sagot) develop their creations in three directions : Les mécaniques - The mechanics – performances The mechanics of desire are performances that explore the encounters of what's real and what's invented. They use the instinctual lures of hunger, thirst and sex and make the perception of the work shift from what's extimate to what's intimate.

The works of La cellule (Becquemin&Sagot) are the offspring of contextual and participative art. They question what consumes modern man – impulse or sublimation.

anthropomorphisation of the object or its de-functionalization – they are shifting from their ontology. Oscillating between « the domesticated form of merchandise » and the status of works of art, they make us think about our relation to the world – somewhere between consumption and aesthetical experiment.

Desire archives - drawings, paintings, photographies

La cellule

La cellule (Becquemin&Sagot) regularly exhibits in France – art galleries, museums, modern art festivals and fairs – and abroad – Design Tide for LauneGallery in Tokyo, French Year in Brazil in Rio, Modern Art Museum in Lima, Loft Project Etagi gallery in SaintPetersburg, French Cultural Centre in Buenos Aires, Croisements festival in Shangai and Beijing, French May festival in Hong-Kong, Art Summit three-yearly fair in Jakarta etc.

Les échappées belles - Great escapes – sculptures The great escapes use objects under existential crisis : they are playing truant and fleeing from their destiny. When they refuse their true nature; whatever the process – perishable or material, the

42 Impressions december-february 2013

During the Bonjour India festival, the artists will exhibit the work called the “floating buffet”. This penetrable work based on gigantic helium balloons gives support to an interactive action between food, body language and video.

Do not miss the Floating Buffet on the 20th of March 2013, at the Novotel, Juhu (source: La Cellule official website)

COVER STORY

A French window overlooking the Indian Ocean

Novotel Juhu

A strong partner of the Alliance Française de Bombay, the Novotel Juhu has been associated with all culinary and musical events of the French institution. Xavier Cappelut, director of the hotel, explains what this relationship means to him and his organization.

How do you associate French and Indian values in the Mumbai context ?

Novotel, a French Brand has recently ventured into the Indian Hotel Industry.

Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach provides a blend of both, the Indian as well as French values. This blend can be seen in the food served at the hotel, style of service to the interiors of the guest rooms. It has the finesse and class of the French and on the other hand has the warmth of the Indian hospitality industry.

How does the company like to emphasize its "Frenchness" in its activities, offers, services?

The hotel has a lot of special offers for various French Associations in India. The hotel hosts special tasting sessions and cocktail evenings for its French guests to retain its French values!

The menu at the Square restaurant in Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach also features some French delicacies which just goes to prove the point that even the menu is influenced. Right from the croissants in the morning to its cheese during the day, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach takes special care of everything that is French. The Square menu features dishes like Croque Monsieur. The hotel also uses the finest Jambon and French mustards.

How did you choose Alliance Française as a cultural partner?

Alliance Francaise de Bombay is the most renowned French cultural centre

in Mumbai. Like Novotel, even Alliance Francaise believes in blending the French culture with the Indian culture. It helps us understand the two cultures to a great extent and at the same time connects us to a lot of French citizens residing/visiting Mumbai. Thus it keeps us closer to the French values and traditions.

Which are the most memorable events you co-hosted with AFB that you liked?

Any anecdotes?

The most memorable AFB event that Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach hosted was the ‘Francophonie’ event held from the 14th-29th of March, 2011. A Cross cultural cooking class was organized by us, hosted by Chef Franck Bayard from the Lycée Hotelier de La Réunion and the Chef Robert D'Souza, the in-house Chef of the French consulate residency.

It was followed by the Indian Ocean Gastronomy where guests dipped into the delicacies of Indian Ocean, gathered around the Novotel Mumbai Pool Side, surrounded by a contemporary art exhibition of Reunion Islands by painter Stefan Barniche.

Consulate Generals of different countries were the guests of honor for this cocktail

and dinner evening. It was wonderful to interact with team AFB and really satisfying to know that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the party. The guests relished the special themed buffet while they enjoyed their drinks, as they socialized.

Next year there will be a Bonjour India festival: what does it mean to Novotel?

It means a festival celebrating IndoFrench relationship and cooperation. An exchange of culture through a series of exhibitions, concerts, literary meetings, film festivals, debates, conferences, food festivals, economic, educational and scientific exchanges, is an ideal platform that promises to enthrall India, giving India an experience of different facets that define France. The aim of the festival is to bring together the two countries and facilitate dialogue and corporation in varied fields like art & culture, education, science, technology and economy. It helps in bringing the two countries close together.

A French word to define your relationship with Alliance Française de Bombay?

Eternel. december-february 2013 Impressions 43

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And all over India...

BONJOUR INDIA is happening in 16 Indian cities, among those events have a glimpse of some of the highlights of the festival.

FLYING ANGELS Les studios de cirque Closing ceremony of the festival - Delhi A soul soothing moment. One of those moments we cradle preciously deep in ourselves. A pacifist allegory; angels are bearers of gentle happiness, invading the sky, playing with their weightlessness, drawing cloudlike white lines in the night sky. Feathers, tons of feathers that fill the arms of the public; all the better to distill their joy.

Place des anges, directed by Stéphane Girard and the late Pierrot Bidon, showcase angel-like acrobats suspended from tyroliens who take over the aerial space and play with their weightlessness while showering white feathers on the spectators. This high quality show is a moment of magic, keeping you breathless from beginning to end and culminating in a stupendously beautiful finale.

Dominique Chauvin

BOZIO

Since the creation of this unbelievably successful show, the Angels crisscross the world from Europe to Argentina, a stopover in Russia and Australia with a few hundred kilos of feathers in their luggage. Place des anges has been designed to be presented in a public space, transforming the open sky into a circus tent. Recently the show was presented in London during the Olympic Games 2012.

LE SONGE D’ANANTA Concerto for sarod, symphony and electronic orchestra - Pierre Thilloy with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan and the Symphony Orchestra of Avignon and KORD Called “musician of the world”, Pierre Thilloy is however not an explorer of music but of cultures.

His interaction with the cultures of the world began in Africa and took him to Central Asia especially, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

His next stop was India in 2010 where he had his first taste of a vast and ancient musical tradition with divine origins and a metaphysical quality. During this visit he met with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, the grand maître of the sarod and with whom he began a close collaboration. From this meeting was born a project of writing a concerto based on an Indian raga. Founded on the fundamental principles of Indian music and its origins as well as the execution of a raga, this work, composed and directed

by Pierre Thilloy will be interpreted by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ayaan and Amaan Ali Khan and the Symphony Orchestra of Avignon as well as the electronic music group KORD. Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Mumbai

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QUINTESSENCE Paintings by Dominique Paulin and Photographs by Michel Kirch Through this exhibition, artist Dominique Paulin and photographer Michel Kirch, in collaboration with ESA (European Space Agency) lead us into questioning the future of humankind and our living space, the earth. Natural catastrophes, global warming, uncertainty nourish two works created from satellite images. Works that use art as means of exploration of these phenomena and of life. Dominique Paulin, is an artist, doctor and daughter of the well known designer Pierre Paulin. Her paintings do not reveal whether it is the beginning or the end of the world, the beginning or the end of a life. We only know that we are at the heart of something important and that an immense battle lies before us: that of the living. Michel Kirch also started with medicine. His vocation as a photographer was born out of his confrontation with the mountains at the Chamonix school. He uses photography, composition and digital alteration to reinvent the world.

Quintessence, Delhi

LITERATURE Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival Organized by the Apeejay Surrendra Group and Oxford Bookstores, the fourth edition of The Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, 2013 (AKLF 2013) will be hosted in Kolkata from 9 –13th January 2013. The Festival will see the participation of Kenizé Mourad on the occasion of the publication of the English translation of her book Dans la ville d'or et d'argent (Robert Laffont, 2010) by Full Circle.

Hyderabad Literary Festival: France as Guest Country Launched in 2010, HLF is an annual festival organized by Muse India in partnership with the Department of Tourism of Government of Andhra Pradesh.

France will be the Guest Country at HLF 2013 (18th – 20th January, 2013) and will see the participation of author Kenizé Mourad.

DSC Jaipur Literature Festival The DSC Jaipur Literature Festival, the largest and liveliest literary festival in Asia-Pacific, will be held from 24th – 28th January.

Tahar Ben Jelloun’s tour in India from the 24th of January to the 5th of February.

Kenizé Mourad’s tour in India from the beginning of January to the beginning of February World Book Fair 2013: France as Guest Country France will be the Guest Country at the WBF 2013 (4 – 10 February, 2013). The Bureau du Livre of the Embassy of France in India and the Bureau international de l'édition Française (BIEF) will assure the presence of more than 20 Foreign Rights Managers from various French publishing houses as well as numerous activities (professional round table meetings, a French pavilion and various cultural activities). Acclaimed author Tahar Ben Jelloun will also be present.

My Favourite Camus The Bureau du Livre will organise an Indo — French seminar commemorating the 100th Birth Anniversary of Albert Camus at the beginning of March 2013 where Indian and French intellectuals will talk of their Camus – the one who influenced and inspired them – writer, playwright, thinker, journalist and engaged citizen.

Long Night of French Literature 2013 – Francophonie Week (end of March) The Long Night of French Literature is an evening of francophone literary encounters on contemporary writings in French, and will be organized jointly by the Bureau du Livre, Institut francais en Inde, the Embassy of France in India, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium and Pro Helvetia.

december-february 2013 Impressions 45

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Friends indeed They mean business and love culture. Meet some of our patrons.

Banque BNP Paribas The former Banque Nationale de Paris (which joined the Paribas group in 2000) was amongst the first banks to open in India in 1860 at Calcutta. It has been committed to preserving cultural heritage and encouraging artistic expression in several art programmes through corporate philanthropy in several countries. In 2010 BNP launched an exhibition titled Women Changing India to commemorate their 150th anniversary in India in partnership with Magnum Photos.

The exhibition toured Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Chennai and Calcutta and was also very well appreciated across Europe in cities such as Milan, London, Brussels and Paris.

Actress Katrina Kaif on a set, for the Women changing India project, by Alessandra-Sanguinetti

FRATELLI WINES Sujata Patil could be considered by many to be a real “Bourguignone”. The dynamic Fratelli Wines consultant has indeed spent a year in the region, as she was doing her Masters in the Dijon Business School. A trained translator, the Pune-based Sujata Patil has mastered French in Delhi. “I worked for many years with French companies over there. But I felt the need to complete my studies in International business. Since I had a friend dealing in the wine business I decided to try. I was curious to discover more about it as the wine market was also growing in India”. She moved to France in 2003. “During my stay I had the occasion to visit many vineyards all over France and even in Italy and Germany. But I am very faithful to Bourgogne” she says, feeling “at home” in this region.

Back 46 Impressions december-february 2013

home in India, after a few years in Mumbai, she moves back to Pune. A relative informs her about the Fratelli Wines project. This Indo-Italian venture is a collaboration between the Italian the Secci brothers, the Indian Sekhri brothers and Mohite-Patil brothers. The vineyards cover 240 acres of land in Akluj, Maharashtra. “I met Anne Dubourg from the Alliance Française de Bombay at a party, and we started chatting.

She appreciated our wines for their quality and today we work more often with the Alliance Française de Bombay than the one in Pune” she laughs.

A partner of the events at Alliance Française de Bombay, Fratelli Wines have distinguished themselves with quality millésimes (and bagged four important awards, including two for their Chardonnay 2011). When in doubt, ask Sujata Patil for her advice: you can’t go wrong with Chenin Blanc or a Red Merlot she says, but,“wait for our 2012 wines, they will be exceptional”.

TOTAL Total is one of the six ‘Supermajor’ multinational oil companies in France. It was after World War 1 under the leadership of the French industrialist Ernest Mercier in 1924 as Compagnie française des pétroles (CFP).

It was renamed as Total in 1991 after being listed as a public company at the New York Stock Exchange. With 92,855 employees Total operates in more than 130 countries.

Total encourages students to initiate themselves into the business world through its scholarship and internship programmes in the host countries. Total has been a faithful sponsor of Alliance Française de Bombay for many years and a dynamic partner in many Indo-French events in Mumbai.

GODREJ The Godrej group was founded in 1897 by the lawyer-turned-locksmith Ardeshir Godrej and further developed by Pirojsha Godrej at Lalbaug in Mumbai. The conglomerate has seven major companies.

Today, the Godrej group operates in more

than 60 countries and is headed by the chairman Adi Godrej. The Godrej group has been active in a very large number of social programs. Some include the Heroes AIDS awareness project launched in 2004, blood donation camps in leading hospitals with the Red Cross Society and Indian Medical Association, the Smile Train project to finance the surgeries of children with cleft lip and palate deformities and the Godrej Foundation for Medical Research that strives to bring medical innovations to the grass root level in rural areas. The Godrej Group is also very active with culture, being involved with the Indian Heritage Society. It has been a faithful partner of Alliance Française de Bombay ever since the time of S.P. Godrej.

Today, Nadir Godrej is the ever-enthusiastic president of the committee of Alliance Française de Bombay.

ATOUT FRANCE Formerly known as Maison de la France, Atout France is the French mission to promote France as a tourist destination to tourists of foreign countries through its promotional activities and public relations.

Atout France is present in 33 countries and where it promotes the France’s history, the culture and gastronomy. Atout France (India) was first set up in 2002 in Delhi.

Later in 2004, Atout France moved to the commercial capital of the country – Mumbai under the new director Catherine Oden who is known for her experience in the tourism industry. Atout France has organized Press Trips to France for journalists to write about their experience in Indian dailies and magazines. Several TV production houses were welcomed in Paris and other regions of France by Atout France to shoot popular Indian television serials. According to an estimate made by Atout France, out of the 75 million foreign tourists visiting France, around 200,000 are Indian tourists. Atout France has also managed to engage young Indian professionals and entrepreneurs through its integrated online presence and campaigns. This year, Atout France is one of the partners of the bi-annual Franco-Indian festival – Bonjour India.

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Ritika Ramasuri december-february 2013 Impressions 47

Français en marche

Mumbaikar in French : rendez-vous à Marseille Le Forum Français pour la Formation Ouverte et à Distance (FFFOD) et la région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, a invité les acteurs de la formation à participer aux Dixièmes Rencontres du FFFOD à l’Hôtel de Région à Marseille, les 19, 20 et 21 novembre 2012.

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’Alliance Française de Bombay était représentée par son directeur pédagogique qui, en visioconférence, a présenté toutes les actions numériques développées ces dernières années pour l’apprentissage et l’enseignement du français. Avec les ressources numériques à la disposition des apprenants, la place des apprentissages informels ne cesse de croître. Ces ressources, surabondantes, semblent être à la portée de tous. Pourtant, trouver celles dont on a besoin au moment opportun n’est pas si simple. Se former par soi-même n'est pas nouveau, mais les manières de le faire se transforment. Au

Festival du dernier jour

cours de ces journées, des exemples de formations informelles ont été présentés dans des domaines allant du professionnel aux pratiques de loisirs, sans oublier d’aborder la culture scientifique et technique. En présence de M. Thierry Repentin, Ministre délégué à la Formation Professionnelle et à l’Apprentissage, le forum s’est interrogé de savoir comment ce qui est de l'information pour l'un, devient de la formation pour l'autre.

Le forum a évoqué aussi la croyance illusoire que l'on peut apprendre en un clic. Plus largement, le forum a soulevé les problématiques suivantes : peut-on envisager que nos façons d'apprendre et

de construire le savoir sont en train de changer ? Le numérique peut-il permettre d’installer et d’optimiser un continuum entre formations informelles et formelles?

Ces nouveaux territoires d'apprentissage ont été interrogés au regard des pratiques existantes et émergentes. Les intervenants ont réfléchi sur la manière de développer des pratiques et une appropriation critiques d’Internet et du numérique, afin d’améliorer l’insertion sociale, professionnelle et culturelle des jeunes stagiaires et apprentis et apprenants.

D.C

Le CAVILAM, grand acteur français du FLE Plusieurs spécialistes de la langue française sont issus du Centre d'Approches Vivantes des Langues et des Medias, plus connu sous son sigle, le Cavilam. Plusieurs de ces enseignants-experts mettent à profit leur savoir en expérimentant en Inde.

C

arrefour français des cultures du monde, le Cavilam, créé en 1964, reçoit tous les ans près de 4000 stagiaires de plus de 110 nationalités. Aujourd’hui labellisé Alliance Française d’Auvergne, il contribue à l'innovation pédagogique pour l'enseignement des langues. En

dehors de leurs activités de cours et de formation, les professeurs du Cavilam participent à l'élaboration de méthodes d'apprentissage avec différents éditeurs, à la création de contenus pédagogiques à diffusion mondiale pour le compte de divers medias ou institutions (TV5Monde , Canal Académie , Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes) et effectuent régulièrement des missions de formations de professeurs à l'étranger pour le compte des Instituts français, des Alliances françaises, ou d'universités.

C’est dans ce cadre que les experts Emmanuel Zimmert, ancien directeur pédagogique de l’Alliance Française de Chennai, et Christian Rodier, attaché de coopération pour le français, Institut Français en Inde, proposent de nouvelles pratiques pédagogiques. De formation

48 Impressions december-february 2013

Christian Rodier, attaché de coopération pour le français, Institut Français en Inde.

classique, Christian Rodier, ancien conseiller pédagogique au Cavilam où il travaillé près de 32 ans, a pris la suite de Dominique Frin. Ce passionné de littérature grecque et romaine a également beaucoup publié sur l’utilisation des méthodes d’enseignement en ligne.

En 2008 et 2009 il participe ainsi très activement au projet Babel Web. Après

Français en marche de nombreuses expériences de formation dans plus de 35 pays, il accepte ce poste à Mumbai qui, selon lui, correspond le mieux à sa formation et à son parcours. « Nous avons eu de très bons projets et je souhaite continuer sur cette lancée. Et j’aimerais aussi en profiter pour améliorer les problèmes de mobilité des professeurs

avec plus de formation initiale en ligne et d’auto-formation». Pour Emmanuel Zimmert, autrefois en poste à Chennai, l’Inde a été un terreau riche en innovations TICE, notamment à travers le réseau social « La Salle des Profs », bien connue des enseignants de français en Inde. Les initiatives numériques en inde

fleurissent notamment avec plusieurs projets sur le long terme tels que les réseaux sociaux apprenants (Mumbaikar in French, Français Mathadona, RendezVous in Chennai) et de futurs projets en préparation (plateforme FOS et module de formation initiale).

Pour plus d’ informations : dismoidixmots. culture.fr

"Dis-moi dix mots semés au loin"

Les dix mots sélectionnés pour l’édition 2012-2013 de l’opération "dis-moi dix mots", qui nourrissent chaque année des activités, concours et projets pédagogiques nombreux, ont été dévoilés ! Cette nouvelle édition, présentée sous le titre “Dis-moi dix mots semés au loin”, illustrera le “désir de français” dont témoignent les emprunts des langues du monde à la langue française.

Aussi les dix mots ont-ils été choisis

Les nouveaux mots du Petit Robert 2013 sont arrivés

parmi les mots, tournures ou expressions empruntés à la langue française par d’autres langues comme l’allemand, l’anglais, le polonais, le portugais, le russe, le néerlandais, l’espagnol et l’italien: atelier, bouquet, cachet, coup de foudre, équipe, protéger, savoir-faire, unique, vis-à-vis, voilà Saurez-vous identifier les langues dans lesquelles chacun des dix mots s’est installé?

Cette année, l'économie broie du noir avec l'entrée des mots « agence de notation », « dette souveraine » ou « creusement » (du déficit). La révolution numérique se poursuit avec l'arrivée de cyberdépendance », « billet » (d'un blog), « nuage informatique », « mémoire flash » ou des plus obscurs « permalien », « réseautique » et « rétrolien ». Les « tweets » sont là depuis 2012, avec mention de la marque déposée Twitter, et l'on « tweete » toujours à l'anglaise, avec deux « e », mais les « twittos » n'ont pas encore droit de cité. « Indignés », dans le sens de « jeunes qui manifestent (en Europe et aux Etats-Unis) pour la justice sociale » s'invitent dans l'ouvrage de même que « belgitude », sentiment identitaire des Belges, ou encore « anosognosie », trouble neurologique diagnostiqué notamment chez l'ancien président Jacques Chirac.

(Source : AFP) Le Petit Robert 2013, 2880 pages

december-february 2013 Impressions 49

Français en marche

Mon festival du film français Sumitra Badrinathan, étudiante de l’AFB en B2, revient sur le festival « Rendez-Vous with French Cinema » au sein du MAMI, auquel elle a assisté et participé en tant qu’interprète auprès des vedettes françaises. Témoignage.

A

près avoir vu des films pendant une semaine, certains extraordinaires, certains drôles, certains passables, après avoir couru d’une salle à l’autre, et attendu dans des queues serpentines sans fin, et après avoir crié “Silence, s’il vous plait” aux obsédés des téléphones portables, je me sens déjà nostalgique de cette quatorzième édition du MAMI.

Seraient-ils snobs? J’ai reconnu de loin Jean-Paul Rouve. Je me suis présentée et on a discuté d’une façon simple et spontanée comme si l’on se connaissait depuis très longtemps.

Quand Je Serai Petit de Jean-Paul Rouve Le protagoniste croise par hasard un enfant qui lui fait étrangement penser à lui-même au même âge.

Profondément troublé, il se lance dans une quête insensée sur les traces du petit garçon qui risque bien de bouleverser son existence et son équilibre familial. Et si l'on pouvait revivre son enfance, pourrait-on alors changer le cours des événements?

Avec ses dialogues drôles, ce film m’a enchantée.

Lorsque M. David Cordina m’a appelé pour accompagner la délégation française dans sa visite de Mumbai, j’étais aux anges ! La semaine que j’ai passée au festival était formidable parce que j’ai pu vivre l’expérience de regarder en continu des films internationaux et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures à travers ces films.

Et surtout, j’ai pu assister aux discussions et aux débats avec leurs réalisateurs.

J’ai assisté à son film Quand je serai petit à Inox. Après le film j’ai revu Jean-Paul Rouve. « Alors, ça vous a plu ? » m’a-til demandé. Son film était parmi mes préférés. Et je suis ravie de dire que mon palmarès des « Top 4 » films du festival étaient français!

Unifrance

Pour mon premier rendez-vous, au Trident, j’attendais l’équipe un peu anxieuse. Comment seraient ces ‘super stars’? Comment se comporteraient-ils?

La critique de Sumitra

A French improvised theatre competition A 10-minute sketch competition was organized by the pedagogical team consisting of Tanay Pinglay, Lakeri Raut and Ketaki Rajwade at Alliance Française de Bombay.

Excerpts from “le sketch en dix minutes”, winner of the competition, group B2-2

‘Jhamais’ pour ‘jamais’ - Et ‘bucoup’ pour ‘beaucoup’, quel horreur !

- Pourquoi, ne pas parler de nos premiers pas en français, on développe notre début en français pour le sketch !

(Réactions) - Ah oui ! les profs, les fautes, les ‘le, la, les’, les verbes, les conjugaisons.

C’était comme la mer à boire - Super ! il y avait «…» qui disait

Nous surmonterons, Nous surmonterons, Conditionnel et subjonctif, Où mettre les adjectifs, Nous allons tous apprendre, La langue française.

50 Impressions december-february 2013

This was one unusual Saturday morning at Theosophy Hall when the quiet office

was shaken up by the bustling of excited students who lined up for the sketch competition. The first round of Concours de Theatre began with much zest on 3rd November as eight participating teams of level B1-B2 swooped in to the library to dress up into their characters. Here they took refuge with baited breaths and waited for their turn to perform. The first performance of the day by ‘Les Dix-Verts’ (Level B1, Santacruz) was a futuristic look at the environmental degradation and ended with a valuable message on saving

David Cordina

Français en marche

the environment. The judges appreciated this sketch for their meticulous effort in costumes and songs that rendered their act livelier. ‘Un Voyage Incroyable’

by Level B1 (Somani), ‘Bienvenue Chez Les Singhs’ by Level B2.1 (Somani), Group 5 by Level A2 (Somani), Group 5 by Level B2.2 (Somani) and ‘Ma Tante Franglaise’ by Level B2.1 (Somani) were equally liked by the audience for their costumes, acting and well executed comedy while touching upon the intercultural nuances. However, it was ‘Le Sketch en Dix Minutes’ by students of Level B2.2 Santacruz that bagged the first prize. “From discussions to digressions, omissions to additions, the overwhelming experience culminated into victory! What a roller-coaster ride it was!” declares Shreni Shah. With their basic resources and a simple script, the sketch was based on the real life

experience of all that the group endured during the two weeks of brainstorming and struggling with time constraints before the competition. The second round of the competition was held on the following Saturday, 10th November. The batch of A1 beginners from Santacruz won this round for their outstanding performance in the sketch titled ‘La folie à l’aeroport’. “Full credit for the script and creativity goes to my students”, said their prof. Puneeta Budhiraja who guided her students all throughout. “There was a similar competition in 2003 for students of all levels wherein level A1 from Somani won the trophy. After a small discussion we decided to pitch the idea this year and Director David Cordina gladly supported our initiative”, says Ketaki Rajwade. “We relived our own experience as students through this competition” adds Tanay Pinglay, “Back then we had a students’

council that organized cultural events and AF was always abuzz with activities”. With more than 15 participating teams, they unanimously agree that the competition this year was a grand success.

Ritika Ramasuri A participant of the group “le sketch in dix minutes”

december-february 2013 Impressions 51

campus france

Study in France Do you wish to study in France? Join one of Campus France tours to know more about the various universities and schools in France.

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During the last promotional tour, organized jointly by Campus France and the Embassy of France in India, from the 30th September to the 7th October 2012, across India, students from all fields could discover the wide range of universities and schools in France. In Mumbai the fair was held on 7th October 2012 at Sea Princess Hotel, Juhu. Around 90 students turned up on that day. “We had quality students from IIT Bombay, University of Mumbai etc. They were very keen and motivated. According to me organising such events gives an opportunity to all the students to talk directly to the representatives of the Institutes and get their doubts and questions cleared before actually starting the application process. Some students as well as their parents had the same opinion when I spoke to them during the event” explains Amruta Datar, the Campus France Mumbai educational advisor. The main objective of this Admission Tour was to offer French institutions the opportunity to meet Indian students and Indian students to meet the French Institutions through the online consultation of students’ CVs and making appointments in advance. The prospective students could obtain information regarding the different courses on offer as well as the scholarship opportunities. This tour has given a platform to students where all their queries have been addressed on a one-to-one basis. “This year 2200

52 Impressions december-february 2013

DR

rance is currently the third most popular destination for international students. Yet many prospective students are unaware that they no longer need to be fluent in French to study in France! Many programs are now taught in English- – there are currently 600 programs in all disciplines from summer courses to full degree programs – from the bachelor to the doctoral level.

Do not miss it:

In 2011-2012, over 2200 students decided to go for higher studies in France

students have gone to France from India for their higher education and we hope to have more candidates next year” says Ms. Datar. She advises to make an appointment through the Campus France website, but one can also just walk-in. “If they miss the event they can also make an appointment directly with me” she suggests. Students should bring their CV and have some ideas of courses they would be interested in pursuing.

A similar event will be held on the 2nd of Feburary 2013 in Mumbai, then Bangalore, New Delhi and Kolkata.

For more information, contact Mumbai@ india-campusfrance.org and visit the Campus France website for updates: www.campusfrance.org

Did you know?

The Financial Times has recently published a list of the best European masters in management, of which four of the top 10 are in France.

ESCP Europe is 2nd, HEC Paris is 4th, ESSEC business school is 5th and EM Lyon business school comes 9th.

Regards croisés

Bharati Mishra and Agnès Pequignot share their experiences Bharati is a familiar face of Theosophy Hall. Agnès, a born traveler, has settled in Mumbai for two years. cultural team in press communication.

Bharati then went on to acquire a scholarship from AFB to do her Masters in International Business at IESEG Lille. She is currently interning at Sodexo (Paris) as project manager for their global client Procter & Gamble.

“It is a very good opportunity to work in a multinational company, as I come across clients facing challenges and I am working with managers from different countries. Paris so far has not disappointed me. This beautiful city has a life and it offers various activities that can occupy all your day. I often found myself gazing at an old wooden cafe, next thing I entered to sip a cup of hot coffee and write a small couplet. My old passion for photography is developing here, I try discovering the unknown places and write about them, to live to the fullest and not keeping things for tomorrow,” she said excitedly. She envisions a professional life where she can combine her knowledge of French with managerial skills whilst working for a multinational company.

Bharati Mishra: Bharati was in her 2nd year of bachelors when she stopped by Theosophy Hall for the screening of Jules et Jim. Instantly enamored by the language, she began taking French lessons at Alliance Française de Bombay and actively participated in the cultural activities of AFB. “I used to go to French film festivals, concerts and participated in French touch that enriched my cultural knowledge. On the other hand, my passion for literature grew as I was reading classics, poetry and often felt this rush to write in French,” she recalls.

Later, she was recruited to work at AFB where she handled various jobs from DELF/DALF registrations, working at the reception, library to helping the

Agnès Pequignot:

After graduating with a degree in trade and tourism, Agnès worked in France for a while. She later decided to travel with her husband for his career. “It is a choice that we made and we’ve been living a happy life of expatriates, traveling wide and learning about different cultures,” reveals Agnès. She arrived in Mumbai in 2010 with her husband and four kids. Having lived in several countries such as Norway, USA, Scotland, Trinidad & Tobago and France, Mumbai has been a totally different experience for her since it took her the longest to adapt to the pace of the city. Back in Norway, Agnès had a great experience as a French teacher for retired women and she fondly remembers them for their enthusiasm

to speak French and learn about French culture. This inspired Agnès to focus on teaching and developing her competence in the field further. Agnes began preparing for DAEFLE (Diplôme d´Aptitude à l´Enseignement du Français Langue Etrangère) two years back and received her diploma last June. She was then offered 'stage d'observation de classe' by Alliance Française de Bombay that further polished her knowledge.

Agnès believes that teaching is all about interaction and she wishes to share her knowledge of French language and culture wherever she goes.

Ritika Ramasuri

december-february 2013 Impressions 53

members page

Mrs. Gul Engineer Impressions will dedicate in each issue a full page to the senior and special members of Alliance Franรงaise de Bombay. In this first attempt, Mrs. Gul Engineer, a member of the Alliance Franรงaise de Bombay for the past 35 years, has been particularly remembered by the current committee President, M. Nadir Godrej.

Farewell to Gul Engineer

Mrs Engineer

By Nadir Godrej 21/8/2012 Mrs Engineer, as the only woman delegate then, of the Second World Congress of outdoor advertising, in Cannes, 1966. She gave her speech in French.

M

rs. Engineer was born in Mumbai in 1922. As a young Parsi girl from a well-educated family, she attended art schools in Mumbai and London. But she was also a founder member of the Alliance Franรงaise de Bombay, since 1960. Her marriage with M.Nicholson, founder of the firm Selvel Syndicate Outdoor Advertising led her to actively participate in the business.

She held meetings instead of her husband from 1965 onwards as he sadly passed away that year. She even represented India as the only woman delegate in the Second world congress of outdoor advertising in Cannes in 1966. After her remarriage with a famous Air Marshal officer, she remained a strong business woman till very recent years. The Selvel company is today run by her son Kekoo S. Nicholson.

Among former committee members, she enjoyed the 14th of July the most and was very much part of all the cultural activities of Alliance Franรงaise de Bombay.

54 Impressions december-february 2013

Mrs Engineer with former Prime Minister of India, Mrs Indira Gandhi

All of us are here to cheer Someone who is very dear She served us well for many a year And we applaud Gul Engineer.

Many years ago she had gone And studied at the Sorbonne.

French literature, cinema and art Had a special place in her heart.

She was known for her bonhomie And fondness for gastronomy.

We were fortunate to have the chance To interact at the Alliance.

Her company is called Selvel And hoardings is what they sell.

But for us there was no feePublicity completely free.

Over the years our Alliance has grown And thanks to Gul it is well known.

And it should certainly be noted That clean Bombay too was promoted.

And we owe her much gratitude For her helpful attitude.

And personally I owe much more For she would send from Bangalore The most delicious Avocado.

You couldn't ask for a better 'cadeau'!

And now dear Gul deserves some rest And we wish her the very best.

Regards croisĂŠs

december-february 2013 Impressions 55

Buzz

Nouveaux venus

Mehaik Shaikh, 21 ans

Le rêve d’enfance de Mehaik ? Devenir chef d’ascenseur pour pouvoir appuyer sur tous les boutons. Aujourd’hui elle se console avec ceux du téléphone à l’Alliance Française de Bombay. Et oui, elle est notre nouvelle réceptionniste.

Elle vient de terminer sa licence de commerce et son histoire avec la langue française a commencé au lycée. Elle a postulé à cet emploi pour être en contact avec la langue et elle trouve les locaux de l’AFB très agréables. Véritable encyclopédie du cricket, cette fille talentueuse est une athlète qui a représenté le Maharashtra en compétition de natation. Elle a également participé à un championnat de badminton pour son université. Cette grande admiratrice de Matt Bomer se change les idées en jouant de la guitare ou en regardant Masterchef Australia.

Véritable gastronome, elle déclare aussi que sa mère prépare le meilleur Mutton Biryani au monde.

Hrishikesh Pednekar, 28 ans

Dhananjay, Harshikesh et plus recemment Heershikesh, son prénom est perpétuellement réinventé par les représentants commerciaux et autres étourdis qui ne peuvent le prononcer correctement. Hrishikesh a rejoint

56 Impressions december-february 2013

l’équipe de l’AF Bombay en septembre comme responsable DELF/DALF. Cet étudiant de management à Wellingkers est passionné par la langue française et il est d’ailleurs en train de suivre les cours de français commercial à l’Alliance Française de Bombay. Il maîtrise plusieurs langues étrangères comme l’italien, l’espagnol et l’allemand. Un grand connaisseur automobile, il est fier de sa collection de 200 maquettes de voitures. Son rêve le plus fou : posséder deux voitures de chaque marque de luxe!

Ritika Ramasuri

Matthieu Lefort, Ubifrance à Mumbai

directeur

Une fois n’est pas coutume, le directeur du bureau Ubifrance de Mumbai est fraichement débarqué de Hong-Kong.

Spécialiste du monde chinois, Matthieu Lefort prend désormais les rênes du bureau Ubifrance à Mumbai. Après un Master en commerce international à Paris, le jeune diplômé intègre le Centre français du commerce extérieur, le CFCE (aujourd'hui Ubifrance) en 1998.

Cinq ans plus tard, lorsque l’opportunité de partir se présente, il n’hésite pas. « J’ai rejoint la mission économique à Taipei afin de m’occuper du secteur ‘biens d’équipements’». En 2008, il

rejoint Hong-Kong comme directeur du bureau Ubifrance, une entité désormais à part entière [depuis 2009, les bureaux Ubifrance travaillent indépendamment des missions économiques, ndlr]. « Mumbai m’a intéressé car l’Inde a un profil comparable à celui de la Chine » explique Matthieu Lefort. Il note également des différences culturelles intéressantes : plus de mobilité géographique et de flexibilité chez les collaborateurs indiens et aussi des rapports plus humains où, « les gens ont envie de savoir à qui ils ont affaire, où il existe une interaction qui va au-delà du business ». Au début, si l’Inde le déroute, le jeune directeur d’Ubifrance Mumbai reconnait que son expérience asiatique est aussi un atout. Il perçoit une timidité dans les rapports entre la France et l’Inde, similaire à celle qui existait il y a 15 ans entre la Chine et la France. Il interprète ce décalage sur le compte de la libéralisation du marché intervenue plus tardivement. Aujourd’hui « nous sommes dans une économie où les Indiens sont demandeurs. A nous de convaincre les Français de tenter cette aventure. Nous avons d’ailleurs remarqué que les régions indiennes se rendent directement en France. Je pense que ces dernières présentent un nouveau levier de croissance sur lequel il faut miser ».

BUZZ

december-february 2013 Impressions 57

France Pratique

Trouver un emploi à Mumbai Par où commencer sa recherche d’emploi à Mumbai? La Chambre de commerce et d’industrie indo-française (CCIIF) répond à cette demande avec la création de son Service Pour l’Emploi. Jean-Paul Diaz-Caneja, jeune diplômé fraîchement arrivé à Mumbai, témoigne de son expérience.

Jean-Paul Diaz-Caneja

© Stephen Finn | Dreamstime.com

« Récemment diplômé en Management Entrepreunarial, je suis arrivé en Inde pour un stage et la CCIIF m’a placé en tant que stagiaire Marketing dans une entreprise de consulting nommée Dezan Shira & Associates (DSA). Avant DSA, mon expérience de stage s’était résumée à servir le café à mes supérieurs ou photocopier des pages sans fin.

58 Impressions december-february 2013

Cependant, avec DSA, j’ai pu participer au processus de recrutement d’employés au sein de la compagnie, ce qui m’a permis de mieux comprendre le point de vue d’un employeur. J’ai également accompagné le principal associé de la firme lors de ses réunions variées. Cela a été une véritable révélation professionnelle.

J’ai apprécié de travailler avec mes collègues indiens, qui m’ont fourni plusieurs apports professionnels et ont toujours reconnu mes idées. J’ai beaucoup appris sur la culture indienne en discutant avec mes collègues, que ce soit pendant la pause-déjeuner ou dans le train du retour. Pour résumer, mon expérience est très enrichissante et je suis reconnaissant à la CCIIF de m’avoir fourni cette opportunité de stage en Inde.»

Le Service Pour l’Emploi (SPE) en janvier 2012 a été mis en place par un

accord entre le Consulat Général de France à Bombay et la CCIIF, soutenu par le Ministère des Affaires Etrangères.

Il se donne pour mission de mettre en rapport les ressortissants français à la recherche d’un emploi ou un stage en Inde, et les entreprises en Inde cherchant des employés francophones. Le SPE se concentre principalement sur les ressortissants français déjà présents en Inde, les titulaires de cartes PIO et OCI (Person of Indian Origine, Overseas Citizenship of India), les conjoints d’expatriés et les étudiants français suivant un programme d’échange en Inde.

Il propose également des ateliers pour faciliter l’intégration dans le monde du travail en Inde, à destination des ressortissants français : atelier d’écriture de CVs, d’entretiens blancs, d’introduction à la culture d’affaires indienne, ou encore des évènements pour les Directeurs/ Directrices des Ressources Humaines de compagnies indiennes, pour discuter des meilleures pratiques du management des ressources humaines.

Il est possible pour les ressortissants français à la recherche d’un emploi en Inde de s’inscrire sur www.defijob.org.in Côté entreprise, il est possible de consulter de mini CVs anonymes de ressortissants français ou d’Indiens francophones cherchant un emploi en Inde sur www. ifcci.org.in.

Pour plus d’informations, contactez la conseillère du Service pour l’Emploi, Mme Shreya Mapara.

E-mail : shreya.mapara@ifcci.org.in Tél. : +91 22.67.47.97.65

december-february 2013 Impressions 59

Calendar

December 2012 3

SPECIAL EVENT

13 ART THURSDAYS

In partnership with Olive Bar & Kitchen

In partnership with Sakshi Gallery and the French Embassy in India

The Owner, a multi-Director, multi-language, Internetcollaboration feature Film. The screening of The Owner will be followed by a glass of wine

Annecy: 50 years of Animation (7 short animated films) Thurs. 13th, 6.30 pm, Sakshi Gallery Tanna House

Mon 3rd, 6.30 pm, Olive Bar and Kitchen, Khar

5

CINEMA

17

La Princesse de Montpensier, by Bertrand Tavernier (139’)

L’enfance du mal, by Olivier Coussemacq (90’)

Mon 17th, 6.30 pm, Alliance Française auditorium

Wed 5th, 6.30 pm, Alliance Française auditorium

6

CINE-CONCERT

CINEMA

18

DOCUMENTARY In partnership with The Root Reel

In partnership with Liberty Cinema

Between the lines, by Thomas Wartmann (95’)

Cagliostro, by Richard Oswald, a copy restored by La Cinémathèque Française, music by Mathieu Regnault (58’)

Tues 18th, 6.30 pm, Alliance Française auditorium

Thurs 6th, 7 pm, Liberty Cinema Registration mandatory, please call us at 22035993 or mail at sheryn@afindia.org

19

CINEMA In partnership with Institut Français and Prithvi Theatre From Theatre to film @ Prithvi

10

CINEMA

Solutions locales pour un désordre global, by Coline Serreau (117’)

Lapin chasseur, by Jérôme Deschamps and Macha Makéïeff (56’ x 2) Wed 19th, 7 pm, Prithvi House, Juhu

Mon 10th, 6.30 pm, Alliance Française auditorium

11

DOCUMENTARY In partnership with Vikalp Film Archive

I am your poet, by N.K Pamnani (30’) Broken memory, shining dust, by N.biswas (36’) This or that person, by S.Krishnan (28’) Tues 11th, 7 pm, Alliance Française auditorium

60 Impressions december-february 2013

MEMBERSHIP !

How to become a member of the Alliance Française?

If you wish to register as a member of the Alliance and participate in all our activities and take advantage of all that we offer, come to Theosophy Hall with 1200rps + 100rps and one passport size photo. Membership is open to everybody.

Contact: director.assistant@afindia.org 22 03 59 93

Calendar

January 2013 8

CINEMA

Brother, by Adam Elliot

Blanche-Neige, by Olivier Assayas (90’)

Village of idiots, by Eugene Fedorenko & Rose Newlove

Mon 8th, 6.30 pm, Alliance Française auditorium

Father and Daughter, by Michael Dudok de Wit Barcode, by Adriaan Lokman

7-8 LITERATURE

Car Craze, by Evert De Beijer

In partnership with Bureau du Livre Delhi, Full Circle publisher and Ramnarain Ruia College Kenizé Mourad, launch of her upcoming book “A city of gold and silver” (Full Circle) and conference with Mangala Sirdeshpande (Mumbai University)

Ryan, by Chris Landreth Thurs 10th, 6.30 pm, Sakshi Gallery Tanna House 14

Eldorado, by Olivier Assayas (90’) Mon 14th, 6.30 pm, Alliance Française auditorium

Mon 7th, 6.30 pm Taj Hotel, Colaba Tues 8th, 12.30 pm, Ramnarain Ruia College, Matunga

CINEMA

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CINEMA In partnership with Prithvi Theatre and French Embassy in India From Theatre to Film @ Prithvi

9-10 SPECIAL EVENT

In partnership with the Poona Music Society and the NCPA with the support of the Alliance Française de Pune Classical music concert : Gérard Caussé, Violist, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Violinist, Henri Demarquette, Cellist Wed 9th and Thurs 10th, 7 pm, NCPA 10

ART THURSDAYS In partnership with Sakshi Gallery and the French Embassy in India On the occasion of Art Thursdays, the Alliance Française de Bombay will present a series of short animated films untitled “Annecy: 50 years of animation”.

Phèdre, by Patrice Chéreau (140’) Wed 16th, 7 pm, Prithvi House, Juhu 19-20 DANCE SHOW

In partnership with Institut Français, NCPA “And then one thousand years of peace” Ballet Preljocaj Sat 19th and Sun 20th, 7 pm, NCPA Jamshed Bhabha Theatre For further information please call us at 22035993 or mail at sheryn@afindia.org

With Best Compliments from

FRANCO- I N D I A N PHARMACEUTICALS PVT. LT D

20, Dr. E. Moses Road, MUMBAI-400011 Tel. 2493 4026 Fax 2495 0557 E.mail: francoip@bom7.vsnl.net.in

december-february 2013 Impressions 61

French corner

Amruta Patil, ovni littéraire en France et en Inde

Photographies de Claude Pauquet/ Agence VU'

Remarquée en France et appréciée en Inde, Amruta Patil charme le monde avec ses romans graphiques hors du commun. complété sa résidence en deux temps, en 2008 puis entre août et octobre 2012, ndlr], mon plus grand besoin fut de retrouver un sanctuaire où solitude, stabilité, simplicité, m’ont permis de me concentrer, de travailler. En Inde, nous vivons dans une société culturellement pauvre où les artistes ne peuvent se concentrer sur leur créativité car ils ont besoin de subvenir d’abord à leurs besoins. Nous devons remédier à cela.

A

mruta Patil, c'est Kari.

Ou plutôt c'était Kari: ce personnage touchant et triste, cynique et énervé.

Une jeune femme en quête d'elle-même, un personnage androgyne, miroir d'un autre, vivant dans une ville tyrannique, imaginée et bien réelle. Kari, c'est aussi un roman graphique poétique et enragé, hors du commun, un best-seller en Inde, paru en 2008 (toujours chez Harper Collins) et traduit en français. Il n'y aura pas de suite à Kari. "Je ne l’espère pas. La colère de la jeunesse ne devrait pas s'éterniser" explique-t-elle dans un entretien par e-mail alors qu'elle travaillait sur le second volume d'Adi Parva à la Maison des Auteurs à Angoulême. Adi Parva est une trilogie inspirée du Mahabharat et qui est publiée simultanément en Inde et en France, respectivement chez Harper Collins et aux éditions Au Diable Vauvert. Pour Jean-Pierre Mercier, conseiller scientifique à la Cité de la BD à Angoulême, « Amruta Patil plonge le lecteur dans un univers et une sensibilité que l'on n'imagine pas. C'est une artiste à suivre de près et qui n'est qu'à l'aube de sa carrière ». Un ovni littéraire à ne pas manquer.

Amruta Patil, quelles sont vos influences principales en termes de BD et romans graphiques?

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sont assez éloignées du monde des BD. J’ai en fait découvert ce monde en France. Sinon je suis très touchée par le travail de peintres français comme Odilon Redon et Paul Gauguin. Chez les bédéistes-illustrateurs contemporains j’aime particulièrement Denis Deprez, Aude Samama, Sarah Debove... Chez les grands classiques, c’est John Steinbeck, Eduardo Galeano, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jeanette Winterson et John Kennedy Toole.

Comment percevez-vous le roman graphique?

La conjonction des images et du texte dans ce genre rend ce medium littéraire extrêmement proche du cinéma. Mais pour que la magie opère, il faut une réelle maitrise du scénario. Je pense que le manque de “règles” dans le monde du roman graphique en Inde, l’absence de traditions solides nous a en fait conduit à créer des choses très expérimentales et intéressantes. Sachant que le genre en Inde est assez récent et qu’il n’y a que très peu de livres sur le marché, je trouve que les thèmes abordés sont extrêmement variés et ambitieux. J’espère que nous n’oublierons pas notre identité dans le processus.

Qu’avez-vous retenu de votre résidence?

Lorsque je suis partie pour la première partie de la résidence [Amruta Patil a

Vous aimez la France… comment est votre français après deux longs séjours?

Je me débrouille maintenant…mais il y a encore du travail !

Qu’avez-vous apprécié lors de vos voyages en France?

J’ai adoré le Languedoc Roussillon et le Vaucluse; ainsi que plusieurs endroits en Dordogne. Les roses et les coquelicots, les rivières débordantes, les vieilles pierres médiévales, les fresques murales préhistoriques… Il y avait tellement de beauté tout autour de nous. J’ai aussi apprécié la simplicité des Français et leur approche de la nourriture, de sa production à sa consommation. Ils sont vraiment bios.

Quel a été l’élément déclencheur de votre dernier ouvrage?

La mythologie, surtout le genre que connait notre sous-continent, appartient à une histoire commune, distillée à travers des millénaires. Elle contient des trésors que nul projet artistique seul ne puisse contenir. Se plonger dedans est une réelle expérience personnelle, interne. Je le vois presque comme un rituel de passage.

La French list d’Amruta Patil Art : Paul Gauguin, Odilon Redon BD : Denis Deprez , Marjane Satrapi, Aude Samama Tourisme: Dordogne et Languedoc avec un faible pour les fresques préhistoriques

BUZZ

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