The Embassy of France and the Alliance française de Kotte, together with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Cultural and Art Affairs and the BMICH are pleased to present the very first French Spring in Sri Lanka, a multidisciplinary ten-day festival opened to the public on a free admission basis, which will be held from 15 to 24 June in Colombo.
Some events will also be presented in Jaffna, Kandy and Galle.
The festival will present 11 events in various artistic fields such as world music, photography, cinema, rock music, classical music, architecture, literature, dance, street art and gastronomy.
The programme reads as follows:
■ FRI. June 15th at 7.00 pm > World Music Abaji (France), P. Ratnayake (Sri Lanka), BMICH Open Air Theatre
Abaji is a multi-instrumentalist, of Lebanese origin, now working in France. In his fifth album, released in 2009, he sings in the five languages spoken by his family: French, Arabic, Turkish, Greek, and Armenian. His compositions are also the reflection of multiple influences extending from the Occident to the Orient.
Pradeep Ratnayake is a sitarist whose skills as a musician and composer have gained worldwide recognition. His extensive musical knowledge, based on exhaustive research, has enabled him to compose pieces reflecting a wide range of influences, including Sri Lankan, Indian, European and North American. Pradeep plays the sitar like no other, for he has given a new dimension as well as a new identity, based on the fusion of eastern and western cultures, to this traditional instrument.
On stage, these two exceptionally gifted musicians will offer a remarkable repertoire that seeks to express music as a universal language and as a form of creative expression that does not conform to geographical borders. Abaji will conduct some workshops in collaboration with the Departments of Performing Arts of the Colombo and Kelaniya Universities, respectively, and also perform in Matara on June 17, 2012, at Rahula College, at 5.30 pm.
■ FRI. June 15th to SUN. 24th – 11.00am to 7.00pm > Photo exhibition by Dorothy Shoes (France), BMICH Mihilaka Medura – Workshops in Jaffna and Colombo
Dorothy Shoes (France)
Dorothy Shoes is a talented young French stage director turned photographer. A storyteller at heart, she gives the impression of speaking through her images, which have been widely exhibited in Europe, North America, and Asia. In her photographs, one will discover the dark and lonely aspects of human existence portrayed though radical poetic imagery.
Parallel to her artistic work, Dorothy Shoes studies art as therapy and works in medical and prison environments. Her photography is significantly influenced by these experiences and is used as a medium for both exploring and interpreting the themes of integration, re-education, and exclusion.
In the summer of 2010, she held an exhibition where she gave voice to her feelings concerning the lives of nomadic people (“gens du voyage.”) This was followed by the publication of her book “Django du voyage” focused on Django and his own, a gypsy family. The book has won critical acclaim due to its thoughtful and sensitive treatment of deep-rooted issues pertaining to nomadic communities, such as the gypsies.
Workshops:
- Colombo, June 16th, 17th and 18th (BMICH)
- Jaffna, June 21st, 22nd and 23rd
“The photographer's eye” will be the central theme of these workshops.
■ SAT. June 16th to SUN. 24rd > Bonjour Cinéma! Francophone Film Festival, BMICH BCIS Lecture Hall – Workshop on short films conducted by Asoka Handagama on Sunday June 24th
2012 will mark the seventh edition of the “Bonjour Cinéma!” Francophone Film Festival, which has enjoyed immense success since its creation. With more than 3,000 viewers for each edition, “Bonjour Cinéma”! has worked on promoting outstanding films produced by the francophone countries having diplomatic and/or business ties with Sri Lanka. The Francophone Film Festival embraces the wider objective of promoting linguistic and cultural diversity as well.
The film "Chatrak", realized by Vimukthi Jayasundara, one of Sri Lanka's leading avant-garde film directors, will inaugurate the festival. This film was selected in 2011 at the "Quinzaine des réalisateurs" of the Cannes Film Festival 2011 and will be presented in Sri Lanka for the first time.
During the film festival, Sri Lankan short films will be screened before the feature film begins. Each of these short films won an award at the Agenda 14 Short Film Festival held in Colombo in 2011.
Award-winning film director Asoka Handagama will conduct a Master Class on short films on June 24, 2012, from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm. This is the second Master Class organized by Bonsoir in partnership with Agenda 14, publisher of the 14- Cinema Journal for young Sri Lankan short filmmakers, and Alliance francaise de Kotte.
■ SAT. June 16th at 8.00 pm > Rock concert Stigmata (Sri Lanka) and SUCCESS (France), BMICH, Outside Hall
On the Saturday 16th of June, Stigmata (Sri Lanka) and SUCCESS (France) will take centre stage for an evening dedicated to rock music!
Over the past eleven years, Stigmata has not only pioneered but also established a firm foundation for rock metal music in Sri Lanka. Chris Colgan from “Metal Insider” said about them, “If you want to hear something fresh and exciting from the power-prog underground, then Stigmata is what you’re looking for.”
Led by the unpredictable Mister Eleganz, SUCCESS – a four-man team – has established itself as one of Europe’s avant-garde rock bands. Its unique brand of music – a tantalizing mix of rock 'n' roll and electro – is something hard-rock music lovers simply cannot resist. For three years, the Success-Show rolled through France and Europe leaving thousands of fans enchanted. And now it has come to Sri Lanka. The SUCCESS-show is a must-see event. Can you remain impervious to its electRAW Power any longer?
■ SUN. June 17th at 7.00pm> Classical Music concert with F. Pelassy (France) and Ananda Dabare, Avanti Perera, Dushyanthi Perera from the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, Lionel Wendt Theatre
Frédéric Pelassy is one of the world’s finest violinists of his generation, with around 1,000 concerts and 25 CDs to his name. He has performed with such prestigious partners as Georges Enesco of Bucharest, the Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, and the Philharmonic Orchestras of Tunisia, Skopje, and Jakarta, respectively. He is known to mesmerize the audience through his stunning virtuosity and extraordinary sensitivity.
He will be collaborating with three of Sri Lanka’s most gifted musicians, all of whom are prominent members of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, at a concert celebrating French and European chamber music. The program will include well-known pieces by Franck, Beethoven, Debussy, Massenet, Saint-Saëns, and Paganini.
Frédéric Pelassy will perform in Kandy on June 15th with the Sri Lankan pianist Bridget Halpe.
Frédéric Pelassy
Avanti Perera
■ TUE. June 19th to SAT. 23rd > Exhibition on Sustainable Architecture (Symposium and Round Table on Wed. June 20th), BMICH Eco Auditorium and BCIS Lecture Hall, in cooperation with the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects
The exhibition “Architecture = Sustainable” of the Pavillon de l’Arsenal expresses the collective view and vision of architects who have been working in Paris on projects related to urban planning and environment.
■ THUR. June 21st at 3.00 pm onwards > Fête de la Musique, BMICH Outside Hall
“Fête de la Musique” (also known as World Music Day) was established some 30 years ago in France to celebrate and promote music on the 21st of June each year – when the summer solstice usually occurs in the Northern Hemisphere. It is now a popular international event. This is the day on which amateur and professional musicians representing different forms and styles such as traditional, folk, rock, rap, pop, hip-hop, jazz and fusion perform for the public free of charge. In addition to celebrating music, World Music Day also seeks to promote goodwill and friendship. The series of performances occurring throughout the day invariably attract huge crowds and always end up being cheerful and happy events.
All music lovers are invited to attend the series of free concerts planned for the 21st. Performers will include students of the University of Kelaniya ; Raju (sitar) and Triloka (jazz/folk music); Jazzed Out; Ravi Bandu and Soundarie David; Beat Drummers (percussion); Asvajit (electro-music) and guests.
■ FRI. June 22nd at 5.00 pm> A vous de lire! Cross readings and books launching, BMICH Mihilaka Medura
“A vous de lire!” is an international event for promoting and celebrating literature. In Sri Lanka, the public will enjoy listening to cross-readings pertaining to this year’s theme: “Island literature.”The program will present selected works of French, Francophone and Sri Lankan writers in the form of readings in French, Sinhalese, Tamil and English.
This event will also serve as the occasion for launching the Sinhalese version of the book “Une Tempête” – written in 1969 by the poet, dramatist and politician from Martinique, Aimé Césaire, and translated by Asoka de Zoysa and Ishan Asanka Dayapala. In this beautiful text, Césaire undertakes the task of delving into the politics of colonialism and slavery in the Caribbean and of giving an entirely new perspective to the classic Shakespearean play (“The Tempest”) on which his own story is based. The essence of “Une tempete” is embedded in its persuasive, anti-colonial subtext.
■ FRI. June 22nd at 7.30pm> “Shango Shango Shango Oh!” Dance performance by Arpeggio Creative Dance Academy (Sri Lanka), BMICH Outside Hall
“Shango Shango Shango Oh!” is an ambitious contemporary dance presentation based on Aimé Césaire’s book, “A Tempest”. (Choreographed by Nilan Maligaspe, Dramaturgy by Asoka de Zoysa)
The book explores the story of Prospero, Duke of Milan, who finds himself exiled on a deserted island after being overthrown. On a stormy day, a ship turns on its side and sinks, and Prospero sees his old enemies – survivors from the shipwreck – coming ashore. Revenge is near! Caliban, the black slave, seizes the opportunity to mount a rebellion, and nothing will ever be the same again.
Dancers of the Arpeggio Creative Dance Academy Company, led by Nilan Maligaspe, will explore the core themes of the book – the master-slave conflict, father and son, the temptation to civilize “the other”, and the struggle for power between the colonized and the colonizer – through stylized choreography. A noteworthy aspect of the production is the use of multimedia projections, special lighting effects, and classical music combined with live percussions to enhance its artistic quality.
■ SAT. June 23rd at 7.00 (BMICH, Outside Hall) and 24th at 5.30pm (Galle Face Green), Street Art / Hip Hop Dance by De Fakto Company (France)
Since 2002, the Company De Fakto, created through an initiative of Aurélien Kairo, has been working on developing and supporting new dance forms derived from hip-hop culture. The company will perform three shows, one in the BMICH outside hall (“Zak and Angelo”), and the other two outdoors (“La Belle Affaire”).
“Zak and Angelo” and “La Belle Affaire” remind us of the big burlesque duo of the “Grande époque.” One is lively, dynamic, and impatient. The other is more of a dreamer – calm, good-looking, and romantic. Both will little by little let themselves get into the personality of the other, resulting in comic and ironic situations. All in all, a compelling farce narrated through rhythmic dancing, stylized movement, and mime.
Workshops will be organised in partnership with dance schools and associations in Colombo.
■ WED. June 20th to SAT. 23rd > French Gastronomy with Chef Frédéric Simonin, Mount Lavinia Hotel
In 2010, French Gastronomy was listed by UNESCO as an immaterial World heritage. It was Louis XIV who made haute cuisine a central affair of the state – a tradition which modern-day France continues to preserve. In terms of fame and prestige, French Gastronomy is on par with French wine and haute couture.
The honour and recognition given by UNESCO to French Gastronomy is an acknowledgement of the fact that the French take more pride in their culinary traditions, which reached new heights in the court of Louis XIV, than any other country in the world.
This gastronomic event will be an occasion to savour French wines and cuisine and exalt the pleasures of the palate. A distinguished French chef, Frédéric Simonin, will be in charge of haute cuisine during the gastronomic week. Be prepared for a surprise, for you are likely to encounter something different and exciting.
The French Spring in Sri Lanka is organized by the Ministry of Cultural and Arts Affairs, the Embassy of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the BMICH, the Alliance française de Kotte, and sponsored by the Fondation Alliance française, the Institut français, the Mairie de Paris, the Pavillon de l’Arsenal, Vinci, Mackwood, Biomed, Mount Lavinia Hotel, Sri Lankan Airlines, Galle Face Hotel, Alstom, Alcatel, Dialog, Maharaja TV, Lafarge, Global Brand Wines, Connaissance de Ceylan, Carmart, Oxylane.
With the kind collaboration of Arpeggio Creative Dance Academy, Alliance française de Kandy, Matara and Jaffna, the APF (French teachers Association), the ASLAEF (French scholars Association), Bonsoir, the Deanna School of Dancing and Courtaulds.
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