PUDUCHERRY: The 2022 edition of the French Rendez-Vous Festival, organised by the Consulate General of France, was kicked off with 'The Twist of Fate'--a street show with giant puppets by Les Grandes Personnes on Beach Road. This French cultural festival is being held in Puducherry, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram from April 3-9.
The Sunday evening crowd watched on with enthusiasm and cheered as the puppets weaved engaging tales. Puducherry PWD Minister K Lakshminarayanan, Consul General of France in Puducherry and Chennai Lise Talbot Barre, were among the dignitaries who participated.
This eclectic festival includes 12 shows of music, theatre and modern circus. Some of them are collaborative works of French and Indian artists, highlighting the cultural cooperation between the two countries, said the Consulate. It is supported by The French Institute in India and the three Alliances Française chapters in UT, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram, UT and TN governments as well as that of Indo-French companies.
The festival aims at bringing together arts and culture enthusiasts, and professionals in South India. It showcases creations, exchanges between professionals, workshops and cultural development activities. It also hopes to promote different artistic expressions in the fields of live performance.
The programming of this festival was entrusted upon Les Francophonies – Des Écritures à la scène, a French organisation that spreads the spirit of Francophonie through festivals focusing on literature and culture. Artistic director Hassane Kassi Kouyaté will direct this edition of French Rendez-Vous Festival. Valavane Koumarane from Indianostrum Theatre in Puducherry was in charge of the expertise mission for the festival.
The schedule for the upcoming days include: a theatre show 'Is this the end' by Surya Performance Lab on April 4; The Little Mahabharata by Palani Murugan on April 5; Sirventés Batèsta, a music concert, by the Manu Théron Sirventés Quintet on April 6; Analemm, a modern circus a by Puducherry-based firm Compagnie Distil directed by Romain Timmers on April 7; the Orchestra of Samples concert, which is presented by the Addictive Television Limited on April 8; and a Baroque music concert by The Pondicherry Flute Ensemble on April 9. The Little Prince, a puppet show by the Silk Route Company, will host eight performances across schools and colleges in the UT and Chennai from April 4 to 8.