The Consulate General of France in Puducherry and Chennai has announced the schedule of the 2022 edition of the French Rendez-Vous Festival.
According to a press note from the Consulate, the French cultural festival will take place in Puducherry, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram from April 3 to 9.
The eclectic festival, as part of the fourth edition of Bonjour India, includes 12 shows, comprising music, theatre, modern circus and puppet shows, some a collaborative work with Indian artists, highlighting the cultural cooperation between the two countries.
The festival begins in the city with The Twist of Fate, a street show with gigantic puppets by Les Grandes Personnes.
This will be followed by Is this the end, a theatre show by Surya Performance Lab on April 4; The Little Mahabharatha, a theatre show by Palani Murugan on April 5; Sirventés Batèsta, a music concert by the Manu Théron Sirventés Quintet on April 6; Analemma by the city-based company 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 Puducherry and Chennai from April 4 to 8.
Hassane Kassi Kouyaté, actor-director-storyteller from Burkina Faso, West Africa, the artistic director of this edition of the French Rendez-Vous Festival, will lead one of the Masterclass sessions at Adishakti theatre on April 8.
The festival is organised by the Consulate General of France, the French Institute in India and the three Alliances Française chapters in Puducherry, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram. The fete is also supported by the Government of Pondicherry, the Government of Tamil Nadu, and a host of Indo-French companies.
According to the Consulate, these partnerships are of great importance as they symbolise the friendship between India and France. Francophonie is a concept that unifies the people of the French-speaking world and French language lovers from around the world.
The artistic direction of the Francophone festival is set by Les Francophonies - Des écritures à la scène, a French organisation that spreads the spirit of Francophonie throughout the world through festivals focusing of literature and culture.
