Gala of French culture set to open

By Sun Shuangjie Source:Global Times Published: 2016-4-27 18:08:01

Festival Croisements to pack in two months of Gallic arts


Festival Croisements is the largest festival of French culture outside of France, as well as the largest foreign culture festival in China. For the past decade, the gala has attracted 10 million spectators, last year alone pulling in 2.3 million people from across the country.

France's ambassador to China, Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, says that the 11th edition of the festival this year will be "more succinct and concentrated," scaling back to span two months instead of three.

From Friday to June 29, Festival Croisements will hold 150 events across 30 Chinese cities, covering music, theater, literature and cinema, as well as exhibitions and workshops, including Shanghai.

An abstract painting by Jérôme Boutterin Photo: Courtesy of Festival Croisements

Stage works for adult and children

The newly opened Magic Theatre will present an acclaimed rendition of Molière's The Imaginary Invalid from May 13 to 15. The work created by director and comedian Michel Didym has toured France, Germany and Belgium for over 100 performances.

Didym directs a refined cast and delivers a delightful interpretation of the story, which revolves around a wealthy hypochondriac widower trying to marry his daughter to a doctor.

Power Station of Art has two experimental theater pieces to offer. Closing of Love on June 14 and 15 is a work created for the Avignon Festival in 2011 that "takes an everyday domestic dispute and transforms it into a cruel, jaw-dropping spectacle."

Renkonti on June 18 involves melodic percussion, acrobatic dance and object theater to illustrate communication through emotions.

Younger audiences are welcome to a workshop by children's book illustrator Anne Bertier on May 22 at Alliance Française, and to her exhibition at Yi Yuan Tang Museum from May 4 to 23. On June 9 at Joy House, they can see children's theater play Swift!, which is adapted from Gulliver's Travels.

Famous Chinese abstract artist Ding Yi is one of five festival patrons, and he especially recommends two art exhibitions in town.

One is Traces at Shanghai Himalayas Museum, which showcases a collection of videos and films created by young people from 20 different countries, assembled by French couple Isabelle and Jean-Conrad Lemaître.

The works highlight "culture, contemporary society, politics and ethnic identity matters" and "suggest to the public a different approach and way of thinking," as quoted from Ding.

The other is Jérôme Boutterin's Each of us now … under an edge of the sky, which showcases the artist's two latest series of abstract art.

"His works are very abstract, but all are in close relationship with music, dance and calligraphy," Ding said.

The award-winning band Paris Combo Photo: Courtesy of Jorge Fidel Alvarez

Rocky, classy and jazzy

Two French musical groups will join the Strawberry Festival, bringing fresh talent and energy.

On April 30, Fuzeta, a four-piece band, comprised of the Sims brothers and their childhood friend Jérémy Hervé from Vannes, will prove to the audience why they're worth the Richard S.A. Live Music Prize with their melody that "falls somewhere between pop and poetry."

On May 1, Ko Ko Mo, a duo from Nantes, will take the audience on a rock journey with a forceful combination of guitar and drums.

The annual Fête de la musique returns to town from June 17 to 19, with a handful of rock stars performing at Qianshuiwan Culture Center.

Jacobins Piano Festival, with its 37-year-long history, selected three pianists to each present a concert in town in May.

They're Sandro de Palma (May 6, Shanghai Centre Theatre), one of the most significant and original Italian pianists; Philippe Bianconi (May 14, Lyceum Theater), a frequent performer at famed international music halls who focuses on compositions by Chopin, Schuman and Brahms; and Rémi Panossian (May 15, Shanghai Oriental Art Center), a young and zealous jazz pianist with four albums under his belt who has performed in some 250 concerts in over 30 countries.

Besides jazz piano, more jazz concerts are offered by the trio Réunion, led by Thierry Maillard (May 3, JZ Club), "a flawless composer" reviewed by Jazz Times magazine; Paris Combo (May 28, MAO Livehouse), an award-winning band that blends various styles such as American jazz with Roma and North African music; Airelle Besson Quartet (June 14, Shanghai Poly Grand Theatre), an emerging musician collective which is "energetic, rhythmic and organic;" and accordionist Richard Galliano, who has over 150 recordings in not only jazz but also classical music and will play with Geneva Camerata orchestra group at Shanghai Oriental Art Center on June 17.

Meanwhile, Sennheiser Shanghai Concert Hall will offer a music dialogue between Chinese soprano Qiu Shuwei and French conductor and composer Jean-Philippe Vanbeselaere on June 12.

For films, Shanghai is screening Arnaud Desplechin, winner of the César Award and Lumières Award for best director, through May 8. During June's Shanghai International Film Festival, there will also be a series of French films being showcased.



Posted in: Metro Shanghai, Culture

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