Ahmedabad to feast on French cultural buffet for a year

French as a language is not the only medium to connect with the French speaking denizens living around the world. In Ahmedabad, it is about moving a step further, by understanding their culture, tradition, music, architecture, and films and introducing and involving them to Indian side of the above mentioned aspects.

In a continued effort towards connecting the French with the Indians, Alliance Française (AF) Ahmedabad brings a whole bouquet of events for 2011. According to AF director, Philippe Martin, International Music Day will be celebrated for three days, starting June 21, while cultural events will last till December 2011. "We will enthral audience and residents of Ahmedabad showcasing various dimensions of French culture, art, and more," Martin added.

Women Are Heroes directed by French artist JR will kick-off the year-long festivities. Explaining the French documentary cum art movie in brief, Martin said, "This movie is a beautiful blend of real women from different continents, combined with artistic expressions in public space, such as hoardings or photographs on trains. India too is depicted in this movie and therefore I feel strongly about showcasing this movie here in Ahmedabad," Martin added. This movie was also an official selection at the Cannes Festival 2010.

Three events among the various lined up for the year are in collaboration with Ahmedabad institutes viz. National Institute of Design (NID) and Centre for Environment Planning and Technology (CEPT). While September will witness French architects at CEPT campus discussing French architecture with Indian architects, October will bring in six animation films to Ahmedabad, courtesy AF.