Latest news with #AllianceFrancaise
Indian Express
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Daniel Craig's Queer to open Kashish film festival's 16th edition tomorrow
Powered by actor Daniel Craig, Luca Guadagnino-directed Queer will open the 16th edition of Kashish Pride Film Festival, Mumbai's annual LGBTQ+ film festival, on June 4. The festival, which boasts of being 'diverse and inclusive with representation of the complete LGBTQ+ spectrum', will roll out an impressive line-up of 152 films from 48 countries. 'Earlier, we used to have lesbian, gay or transgender movies. Now, the other members of the spectrum, including non-binary and intersex people are making movies. So, the festival is more inclusive now,' says Sridhar Rangayan, the festival's founder director. Its closing film, 'Close To You', features transgender actor Elliot Page in the lead. The festival's opening ceremony will be held at Bandra's St Andrews Auditorium while the screenings will be held at Cinepolis, Andheri West, from June 4-8. It will also hold screenings at Alliance Francaise, Marine Lines, from June 5 to 8. Some of the major films selected for the festival include Shyam Benegal's 'Mandi', Onir's 'We Are Faheem & Karun', Dutch film 'Out' and 'Odd Fish', which is set in an Icelandic township. Director Deborah Alice Craig's 'Sally!', Mikko Mäkelä's 'Sebastian', Emanuel Parvu's 'Three Kilometers to the End of the World', Patricia Ryczko's 'Reset', and Marcelo Caetano's Baby are the other top picks. 'As the festival turns 16, the programming has become more dynamic. A number of films talk about queer parents and parenting challenges. We also have South Asian countries, such as Myanmar and Bhutan, participating this year,' says Saagar Gupta, the festival's artistic director. While holding the festival for 16 years has been a fulfilling experience, the team has also been dealing with several challenges. 'Across the world, it has become financially challenging to hold a film festival. Donald Trump's anti-LGBTQ+ stand and the UK's trans-phobic policies have made it even more difficult for us. We are supported by the diversity and inclusion budget of corporate companies in India. It's becoming tough to access that,' says Rangayan. Recounting the journey of Kashish, Rangayan shares that in April 2010, its inaugural edition was held at PVR, Juhu, with the aim of creating a 'mainstream space' where the members of queer community as well as their allies could mingle. 'During the pre-Kashish period, we had held screenings of queer films at National College, Bandra, and British Council or Alliance Française. The 2009 Delhi High Court verdict (which decriminalised homosexual acts), gave us the impetus to organise a festival that's more mainstream in nature,' he recalls and adds that it is the first Indian LGBTQ+ festival to be held with approval by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry. Apart from creating a mainstream feel, the festival's aim has been to provide a big-screen experience to delegates as well as make sure they enjoy watching queer movies with their partners, friends and family without 'a sense of shame or guilt', says Rangayan. The festival moved Liberty Cinema in 2014 to accommodate a large number of delegates. This year, the first phase of the festival is being held at Cinepolis and Rangayan hopes it will draw youngsters to the screenings there. The festival schedule and other details can be found at
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Uptick in demand for learning French at Alliance Française
The number of French language learners has grown significantly over the past year at Alliance Française Pondichéry, reflecting a rising interest in picking up the language among students seeking higher education and job opportunities abroad. Enrolments have increased from over 1,600 students in 2023 to more than 2,200 in 2024, a nearly 40% jump in a year, which is a clear indication of the growing trend. According to Alliance Francaise, which is among the earliest and Asia's oldest chapters of the organisation with a mandate to spread French language and culture, the rise in student count is closely linked to recent initiatives undertaken by the 140-year-old institution. Its partnership with government schools in Cuddalore for summer camps, along with a recent MoU signed with Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV) to teach French to over 400 students, supports its broader goal of expanding French language and culture among students. The institute is now set to collaborate with government and private schools in Puducherry and Yanam as well. 'Students who come here often learn the language as an added benefit for their higher education or to support their aspirations for citizenship,' says Laurent Jalicous, Director of Alliance Française Pondicherry. Established in 1889, Alliance Française Pondichéry (AFP) is the first Alliance Française to be founded in India with the aim of promoting Francophone culture and language. It is part of a global network of over 830 Alliances. Located in Puducherry, which has a strong Indo-French history from its time as a French colony, AFP holds a unique cultural position. It is furthermore the only institute in the Union Territory certified by the French Ministry of Education to conduct DELF/DALF examinations. In the previous year, it recorded 900 student registrations for the DELF exams. With many of its teachers being native French speakers, it attracts students from various regions who seek a structured and immersive language-learning experience in a city with the tag of 'India's Little France.' 'Learners can easily transition from one Alliance Française chapter to another, as all AF units follow a set of common objectives,' says Mr. Jalicous. Alliance Française Pondichéry, which is part of a larger network of Alliance Francaise chapters across India, has kept its focus on collaboration, rather than competition, he added. The demand for learning French is perhaps also driven by the sheer size of the Francophonie sphere, with around 29 countries having French as their first language. Hemavathy Perrotet, course coordinator at AFP noted that post-COVID, students who are enrolling for classes prefer the offline sessions due to the ambience the place offers and the effectiveness and better experience of one-to-one learning. 'Real-life conditions, interaction, eye contact, and body language are essential to learn and communicate in any language,' she said. The institute additionally has a library that holds more than 12,000 books and documents about the French language, and classrooms equipped with interactive learning tools. Frequent cultural events, workshops, and job fairs in partnership with organisations such as Campus France and France Volontaires allow the institute to offer better opportunities for students with language proficiency. However, the growing demand also presents challenges. Apart from the limitations of space at its premises on Rue Suffren, the institute also points to intense competition from mushrooming private French language centres as a key factor in maintaining uniform standards in the teaching of the language. 'Convincing students to stay committed for the long term to achieve fluency in French is equally a challenge,' the director said.
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
A Dostoevsky protagonist transitions from text to theatre
If trying to transmit to stage the rush of existentialist thoughts ambushing the mind of a character created by one of the great novelists of the 19th century is not a challenge in itself, to do so with minimalist theatre, can be a next to impossible prospect. Yet, French stage artiste Jean-Paul Sermadiras seemed to pull it off with a practised efficiency, as he presented a theatrical solo based on Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky's story, 'The Dream of a Ridiculous Man' at the Alliance Francaise. The actor portrayed the protagonist of Dostoyevsky's short story of 1877, using the bare minimum of props — a long bench and a candle lantern — and sparse, but mood-synced pieces of background score. The presentation in French has English subtitles projected on a background screen. And, through the hour-long show, it felt like the performer had gripped those in the audience by their hand and led them to travel with the thoughts of the story's protagonist who has just resolved to kill himself in a fit of nihilist angst. Things only get progressively bleak thereon before we are allowed to breathe in hope and optimism. The 'ridiculous man' struggles to figure out the purpose of that chance meeting with a girl he had met on the street, whose cry for help he had ignored and hurried home that night. As the protagonist slips into a vivid dream, where he has already killed himself, he is pulled out from inside the grave by a creature and flown across space and time, and discovers a paradise lit up by happy and innocent people, 'their knowledge deeper and loftier than science'. He dreams of how he is the personification of human greed that poisons the pristine place and plagues it with sin, lies, slavery and war. The first drop of blood is shed, factions arise and conflicts erupt. Snapping out the dream is more than returning to a wakeful state, it is a moment of epiphany. Of how the transformative encounter with the unknown girl changed his destiny, of averting pulling the trigger and getting a second chance to re-evaluate and rediscover the beauty of existence. The play alternates between dream and reality, the factual and the fantastical, the external illusion and the inner journey — a questioning or confrontation between dream and reality that is Ythier's main working axis for the play. The storytelling structure makes one wonder if they are indeed precursors of techniques such as stream-of-consciousness, even trace elements of magical realism, that would get popularised in literature almost two centuries later. Olivier Ythier was stage director and Gilles David, of the Comédie Française theatre group, his associate for this co-production of Compagnie du Passage, La Fabrique du PasSage and Les Chercheurs de Lumière with the support of the General Council of Hauts de Seine, of Saint Cloud city and its Théâtre des 3 Pierrots 'Dostoevsky uses this narrative style of a dramatic monologue that gives the feeling that he is speaking his mind to the audience', said Sermadiras, who had only a couple of weeks earlier, presented 'Behind the Veil.. The Era of Mahsa' by Chahla Chafiq set against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution of 1979, at the same venue. 'The Dream which goes to the roots of a human being is more challenging to adapt to stage than some of the author's other works like The Idiot or The Brothers Karamazov'. 'Here, I try to live the experience of the text, portray the imagery of the dream as it were really about a place with people... only when the protagonist snaps out of his sleep does the audience return to the reality of the present', Sermaridas said. Generally audiences in the East, the Indian audiences more so, connect with the play perhaps due to their exposure to mysticism and spirituality, says Sermaridas, who has co-produced with Ythier, 'Et pourtant, c'est la veille de l'aurore' (And Yet, It's the Eve of Dawn), based on the writings of Sri Aurobindo, Satprem, Charles Baudelaire and Arthur Rimbaud.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Basavanna's Vachanas translated into French, launched in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: The , a form of from the , has been completed after five years of work, marking its translation into 38 at its launch at Alliance Francaise Wednesday, Basava Samiti president Aravind Jatti said, "If Vachanas reach the entire world, I think we may not have any more wars. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now That is the strength of Vachana literature." He reflected on how this egalitarian poetry, once confined to Karnataka, now has a global reach. Drawing parallels between the French Revolution and the 12th-century Sharana revolution by Basavanna and his followers, Jatti described the translations as a gateway to universal values of equality and spirituality. He urged Marc Lamy, consul general of France in Bengaluru, to help circulate the translated Vachanas in French libraries to foster global tiesLamy said, "Relations between France and India are probably at their highest right now. I'm absolutely in favour of finding a way for Campus France to return to Alliance Francaise, which will help us strengthen our bond with the consulate."Responding to a request from Chinmaya P Chigateri, president of Alliance Francaise, Lamy agreed to host a grand Bastille Day celebration in Bengaluru in 2026, hosting 450-500 guests, and promised security and logistical arrangements.30k student goal by 2030We need more French and Kannada speakers in India," Lamy said. "Student mobility is a priority for both countries. The goal is to have 30,000 Indian students in France by 2030, and it is progressing fast. Likewise, we want more French students coming to India and experiencing its diversity."— Sathvi G Bhat
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
In principle, I agree to hold French Bastille Day in Bengaluru: Consul General
Consul General of France in Bengaluru Marc Lamy, on Wednesday, said he was 'in principle' in agreement to hold the historic French Bastille Day in Bengaluru next year. Bastille Day is the national day of France, observed on July 14 to commemorate the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, a major event of the French Revolution. The event celebrated by France in other countries as well, is a major cultural event. Mr. Lamy was speaking after the launch of the book Vachanas in French, a volume of Basavanna's vachanas translated into French, a project taken up by Basava Samiti, at Alliance Francaise on Wednesday. He said the event requires massive logistical and security arrangements, which will be worked out. He also said he would positively consider restarting Campus France, an initiative that helps Indian students looking for higher education opportunities in France, at Alliance Francaise. Aravind Jatti, president, Basava Samiti, said the samiti had got Basavanna's vachanas translated into 27 Indian languages and five foreign languages — Persian, Arabic, Nepali, German, and French. 'The inherent strength of Basavanna's vachanas has enabled us to reach out to the global audience,' he said.
