Cultural News Today

President Emmanuel Macron leads France's traditional Armistice Day ceremony honouring soldiers who fought and perished during World War I on Wednesday. Watch the event live on FRANCE 24 at 11am Paris time (GMT+2) at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. from https://ift.tt/2IkV20F

France is set to move the remains of World War I writer Maurice Genevoix into its Panthéon of national heroes on Wednesday, an honour championed by President Emmanuel Macron to encourage remembrance of the conflict. from https://ift.tt/3llfMUG

He's an illustrator, film director and visual storyteller but Woodkid is best known for his haunting musical style, with tracks like "Iron" and "Run Boy Run" establishing him as an intriguing new voice nearly a decade ago. This architect of audiovisual art experiments went on to provide creative services for Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey before returning to personal projects in 2016. from https://ift.tt/32gquV7

Many are worried that France’s independent bookshops – already struggling against large retailers and online giants – may not survive being forced to close for a second Covid-19 lockdown. from https://ift.tt/2TMA1OI

Sean Connery, who rose to super-stardom after playing James Bond in the 1960s and early 1970s, has died at the age of 90, his family told the BBC. from https://ift.tt/3jG0at7

For today's Perspective segment, we discuss the power of dance. Nadia Massih speaks to Aurélia Sellier, the founder of What Dance Can Do, about why she believes the simple act of moving your body to music can change your life. But with the world still gripped by the pandemic, have social distancing measures made the communal dancing experience a thing of the past?  from https://ift.tt/37R7ekB

Plato, Aristotle and Socrates are just a few well-known ancient philosophers. But what about their female counterparts? What about the woman who taught Socrates? Or the sage said to be behind Plato's theory on love? Their names are often lacking when it comes to teaching philosophy and that is something Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting wanted to change. They put together a book called "The Philosopher Queens". Written by female philosophers about female philosophers, it highlights the worlds of women who were drawing crowds as far back as 400 BC and brings us right up to today's thinkers. from https://ift.tt/3m6Kuky

Paris and other French cities prepared for a 9pm coronavirus curfew as French authorities announced a nationwide ban on weddings and other large events – a reality far from the romanticism of Darren Star’s new show “Emily in Paris”, which has prompted debate about French clichés and idealised American notions of the French capital. from https://ift.tt/31ccj2J

Argentine cartoonist Joaquin Salvador Lavado, who created the beloved comic strip Mafalda, has died aged 88, his publisher announced Wednesday. from https://ift.tt/30itfEj

Is dislodging African artwork from a European museum a political statement, or a criminal act? That's the question a French court weighed Wednesday in an emotionally charged trial centered around a Congolese activist campaigning to take back art he says was plundered by colonizers. from https://ift.tt/3ieBZRP

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death just weeks ahead of the US presidential election has triggered a fierce battle at the Capitol and exposed the frailties of the country's justice system. Also this week, Covid-19 caused the UN to hold its first virtual General Assembly and France to impose deeply unpopular restrictions in hard-hit areas. In other news, we look at the continuing political deadlock in Lebanon, the trial of suspected accomplices in the January 2015 Paris attacks, the latest scandal roiling the financial world, and the death of iconic French singer Juliette Gréco. from https://ift.tt/2EACnwo

Lebanese-British singer Mika – best known for his 2007 smash hit “Grace Kelly” – will give on Saturday a concert broadcast live on YouTube in partnership with FRANCE 24 to raise money to help victims of the explosion that devastated Beirut on August 4. from https://ift.tt/2FSQsFu

"The Nest" by director Sean Durkin scooped the top prize at the Deauville American Film Festival on Saturday, September 12, and claimed two other awards with jury president Vanessa Paradis praising the direction and the acting of its leads Jude Law and Carrie Coon. from https://ift.tt/35DBuxY

Toots Hibbert, one of reggae's founders and most beloved stars who gave the music its name and later helped make it an international movement through such classics as “Pressure Drop,” “Monkey Man” and "Funky Kingston," has died. He was 77.  from https://ift.tt/35qgDOO

With Covid-19 infections surging again in many parts of the world, governments are racing to ramp up testing to detect and trace the virus. FRANCE 24 also covered the souring relations between China and Australia, mysterious horse mutilations in France, a high-profile lawsuit over colonial-era abductions in the former Belgian Congo, and masked film festivals from Venice to Deauville. from https://ift.tt/3kkkyRB

Hollywood's motion picture academy unveiled strict new eligibility rules to boost diversity among best picture Oscars nominees and the wider movie industry in a landmark announcement Tuesday. from https://ift.tt/2Fgpfwk

The 46th Deauville American Film Festival opened on Friday, September 4th, with jury president Vanessa Paradis among the stars on the red carpet. But amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and with many American filmmakers and actors unable to attend, this year's is perhaps the most unique edition of the festival in its long history. from https://ift.tt/3i7XiWg

In 1995 "La Haine" rocked French cinema to its core, and the shockwaves were felt across society, from artistic circles to the underprivileged suburbs it depicted. One bittersweet phrase from the film's script sums up its dark sense of humour: "jusqu'ici tout va bien" (or "so far, so good"). That catchphrase is now the title of an exhibition in Paris which is showcasing the achievements of the Kourtrajmé collective which started in the suburbs at that time. from https://ift.tt/2Z4RMfx

French President Emmanuel Macron returned to Lebanon and pushed for urgent reform a month after the devastating Beirut blast that compounded the misery of a nation in economic crisis. Also this week, FRANCE 24 covered the start of the long-awaited Charlie Hebdo terror attacks trial, the unspoken legacy of slavery in France and challenges to centuries of male dominance in the French language. from https://ift.tt/3lNcVV7

The coastal Normandy town of Deauville kicks off its annual ode to American cinema on Friday as its 46th edition gets under way despite the coronavirus. This year's red carpet may be conspicuously short on Hollywood stars but the fête will be an inclusive one, with some feature-length imports from the cancelled Cannes Film Festival joining the party.  from https://ift.tt/3bCMvAZ