Understanding France’s diversity via its architecture and regional heritage

Museums highlighting France’s unique artistic heritage

Contemporary art as a basis for the future cultural heritage of France

Theatre and cinema as proof of French cultural dynamism

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Theatre and cinema as proof of French cultural dynamism

Live performances combining tradition and ongoing change

Live performances are at the forefront of a French cultural landscape that alternates between legendary establishments the (Palais Garnier a dedicated venue for dance; the Comédie Française ; Théâtre national de Chaillot; Odéon – Théâtre de l'Europe; the Cité des Papes in Avignon) and new architectural spaces (Opéra Bastille a dedicated venue for Opera; the "Pavillon Noir" in Aix-en-Provence, national choreography centre; "Le Quai" in Angers, a brand new national dramatic centre launched in June 2007).

 

There are many lively sites for music in Paris, including the Institute for Music/Acoustic Research and Coordination IRCAM and the Ensemble Intercontemporain at the Centre Georges Pompidou; the Cité de la Musiqueand the Music Museum at La Villette, and the Salle Pleyel and Salle Gaveau music halls, etc. Music and dance can be accessed throughout France via numerous festivals, including the Festival d'Automne (Paris), the Chorégies d'Orange and the Festival d'Aix en Provence (art lyrique), the Biennale de la danse in Lyon and Montpellier Danse which host a range of productions from around the world. The greatest French choreographers around at the moment include Jean-Claude Gallotta, Philippe Decouflé, Larbi Cherkaoui, Joëlle Bouvier and Régis Obadia, the Ballet Preljocaj in Aix-en-Provence, the Ballet Maguy Marin in Rillieux-la-Pape, the Ballet Maurice Béjart in Lausanne and the Ballet Atlantique Régine Chopinot.

The French classical music scene can boast artists such as Natalie Dessay and Ludovic Tézier (opera), Jean-Claude Casadesus, Daniel Oren and Sylvain Cambreling (conductors), Pascal Dusapin, and Philippe Manoury and Philippe Fénelon (composers), etc. In terms of contemporary music, there are some dynamic festivals to mention, including Eurockéennes de Belfort, and Francofolies de La Rochelle and Les Vieilles Charrues at Carhaix in Brittany.

French theatre, which has come out of a tradition central to which was the concept of the troupe (Molière, Louis Jouvet, Georges Pitoëff, etc.), is characterised by its tremendous creativity. The has become one of the main symbols of this. Led by numerous artists (the directors Patrice Chéreau, Jérôme Savary, Didier Deschamps and Macha Makéïeff, Jacques Nichet, Philippe Adrien and Denis Podalydes, as well as performers Michel Serrault, Isabelle Huppert, André Dussolier, Robert Renucci and Ariel Garcia-Valdès to name but a few), the theatre relies on a nationwide network that is both compact and well structured to bring plays to a wide audience. New companies, national and regional dramatic centres, subsidised venues and national venues, and national theatres constitute the new face of “theatre decentralisation”, which was initiated in the 1950s.

The great range of sites and forms of expression – which include street theatre, circus (Cirque d'Hiver in Paris and Cirque à l'ancienne Alexis Grüss, etc.) and puppet shows (compagnie Philippe Genty, Festival international de Charleville Mézières) – demonstrate the vitality of this cultural sector which is in a state of constant change.

France and its unique relationship with cinema

The cinématographe was invented in Lyon by the Lumière brothers in 1895 and the first screening was held in the Opera district in Paris on 28 December that year. These were films of no more than a minute long, including "Le déjeuner de bébé" (Baby’s Lunch), "La sortie de l'usine" (Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory), and "L'arrivée du train en gare de La Ciotat" (Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station), which is the most famous.

France, as the birthplace of cinema, has always associated cultural heritage and cinematic creation. The Cinémathèque française established in 1936 by Henri Langlois for the preservation of world film heritage is located on 51 rue de Bercy and also houses the Museum of Cinema. It ushered in the New Wave (an artistic movement in the 60s involving filmmakers such as Chabrol, Truffaut, Resnais and Godard, etc.). The Archives françaises du film, (French film archives) is another leading national heritage depository, established in 1969. Its 100,000 titles are digitised and can be accessed via the French National Library (BnF) and the Fort de Bois-d'Arcy (Yvelines).

French cinema benefits from the efficient support of the government and a system of self financing that is the only one of its kind in the world (the Centre national de la cinématographie established in 1947). The vitality of the sector can be seen in the new talent that has surfaced and a flourishing production industry, appealing to foreign audiences and markets. Through very different genres, auteur films ("Lady Chatterley" by Pascale Ferran, "Voyage en Arménie" by Robert Guédiguian) and the more popular hits (the comedy "Camping" by Fabien Onteniente and the thriller "Ne le dis à personne" by Guillaume Canet) both have a place on the bill.

Each year, there are several international festivals where French cinema can be compared with films from other countries (the Cannes Film Festival in May, the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival and the Géode Film Festival in Paris) helping to confirm its status worldwide. In the same way, the Césars award ceremony, the equivalent of the American Oscars, is a long awaited event that creates competition by honouring the best artists and technicians in the industry. Jeanne Moreau, Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu, Jean Reno, Alain Delon, Sophie Marceau and Isabelle Adjani are names and faces which have been exported to other countries.

France is a driving force in constructing European cinema through co production efforts. In 2007, “La Vie en Rose” (French title: “La Môme”) by Olivier Dahon, with the actress Marion Cotillard was a co production between France, the Czech Republic and Great Britain. In 2006, co productions included “Azur et Asmar”, an animated film by Michel Ocelot (France, Belgium, Spain and Italy), and “Indigènes” by Rachid Bouchareb with Djamel Debbouze (a French Belgian co production)

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