The French connection

Alliance Francaise de Bangalore is screening films and hosting music concerts as part of the Festival of France which begins today

Alliance Francaise de Bangalore is screening films and hosting music concerts as part of the Festival of France which begins todayu00a0

"Half a billion Francophones around the world will celebrate International Day of Francophonie on March 20. This event began in 1998 as a way for the members of La Francophonie to celebrate their common bond, the French language, as well as their diversity. The term Francophonie was coined by French essayist Onu00e9sime Reclus in the 1880s to describe the geographic areas in which French was spoken. A lot has happened since then, and today Francophonie refers to the community around the world that speaks French," explains Nino Ciccarone, director of Alliance Franu00e7aise de Bangalore.

For details, contact AFB, 108, Thimmaiah Road, Vasanthnagar, Bangalore - 560033.
Ph: 080 4080 8181 email: culture.afbang-alore@afindia.org.
Call between 9 am-7 pm on weekdays, 9-1 pm & 2-5 pm on Saturdays.

Indian princes and Parisian jewellers
Though occasional contacts were made between the maharajahs and European jewellers in the 19th century, it was not until 1910 that some princes were sufficiently impressed by European creations to decide to transform their legendary adornments. The first sporadic contacts with Cartier were formed in 1911, the year of the coronation of George V. Jacques Cartier embarked for India on the steamship, Polynesia, on a voyage lasting 16 days via Malta, Port Said and Aden. Photographs of the original jewellery designed by the House of Cartier for Indian royals are on show at The Leela Palace from March 18-25. Entry by invitation.

Clowns who heal
Docteur Clown, India's first and only therapeutic clown troupe, performs Docteur Clown Gets Saturday Night Fever at the Alliance Francaise at 5 pm on March 21. to entertain both children and adults.

"Everyone from a one-year-old to a 100-year-old will enjoy it," says Gladys, one of the clowns. Using their specialty of improvisational clowning, the clowns use the disco hits of the 70s to hustle their way through their hilarious story. In fact, in this show, it is the audience who will decide how the story progresses.

Screen magic
>>My name is Eugen, a Swiss film, will be screened atu00a0 AFB at 8.30 pm on March 18.
>>The Land, an Egyptian film, will be screened at 6 pm on March 23, followed by the Bulgarian film Monkeys in Winter.
>>Les nuits d'Arabie from Luxemborg will be screened at 6 pm on March 24, followed by the Romanian film The Rest is Silence at 8 pm.
>>Destiny, an Egyptian film, will be screened at 7.30 pm on March 26.

Jazz concert
Sylvain Luc will perform at 7.30 pm on March 20 at The Leela Palace. Entry is by invitation. Accordion on one side, drums on the other, there are many influences, he
claims, as he plays manouche music, valse, or basque folklore. He also plays bass, violin or cello, which he studied at the conservatory.

Let's go digging
AFB observes Water Day on March 22. A photo video competition that is open to students from in and around Bangalore, a slide show, a quiz and a talk show, besides well-digging in the garden of the Alliance Franu00e7aise de Bangalore will be organised.

DJ Night
Fru00e9du00e9rick Gauthier plays everything from pop-rock-punk to disco-funk, RNB to electro. He will play at Olive Beach from 8 pm onwards on March 28.

Hip-Hopu00a0
Slave Farm Crew will perform along with members of The Art of Dance, Lourd Vijay's dance studio, at 7.30 pm on March 29 at AFB. The Slave Farm Crew will also conduct a workshop (open to all) on Hip Hop on March 30 and 31 at AFB.

Docu drama
The Afghan Chronicles will be screened on March 18 at 7.30 pm at AFB. Afghan Chronicles focuses on the press group Killid Media, which comprises two magazines (Killid and Mursal, a women's publication) and a radio station. The documentary reveals how this media phenomenon operates thus portraying the rebuilding of a country that dreams of a better future. The magazine Killid, founded to be an engine of change, carries a message of liberation from the bonds of the past and seeks new freedom of action. Entry is free.

Movie time
The fest opens with a one-hour French film, The Class (Entre les Murs), this evening at 7.30 pm at Alliance Franu00e7aise de Bangalore. Entry is free. The Class, winner of the Palme D'Or at Cannes last year, is an adaptation of a semiautobiographical novel by Francois Bu00e9gaudeau, which deals with his experiences teaching literature at a rough school in a down-at-heel area of Paris. Bu00e9gaudeau himself plays the lead role. Praised for its naturalistic style and realistic tension, The Class has been scoring highly with critics all over the world. Begaudeau says he hopes it will open people's eyes to the way things really are for the scallywags of our times. He says, "I think it would be good for all those people who claim to be able to judge youth in two or three aphorisms to learn something new."

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