The ‘Festival des Rencontres francophones 2022’, that is a celebration of the diversity and richness of the French language and Francophone communities worldwide, will be held in Puducherry in April.
The ‘Les Francophonies de Pondicherry’ fete is returning to the city after the successful maiden event in 2019, but with the previous two editions disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tentative schedule for the event is from April 5 to 9, as posted on the website of the French Institute in India, (Institut français India) under the French Embassy, though a final call will be taken soon, according to spokesman for the Consulate here.
The festival, which celebrates the friendship and cooperation between India and France, is hosted by the French Institute in India, under the aegis of the Embassy of France in India and the Consulate General of France in Puducherry with the support of the Alliance Francaise chapter in the city.
The festival will be run simultaneously by the network of Alliance Française chapters in India in a fellowship of people who speak French and are intimately connected to France and the Francophone community.
As part of the festival motto of promoting French language and different artistic expressions in the fields of performing arts, the 2022 edition will feature at least 10 different major events, including drama, contemporary dance, visual arts, music, reading, workshops and lectures.
Lise Talbot Barré, French Consul General on Wednesday called on Tourism Minister K. Lakshminarayanan to discuss the modalities of the festival.
₹14-lakh contribution
As one of the co-sponsors of the festival, the Tourism Department is chipping in with a ₹14-lakh contribution and will get in return an opportunity for branding across event venues.
The Francophonie festival has become an annual fixture after the first edition in 2019 enjoyed huge success bringing to the city a diverse assemblage of performing arts ranging across theatre, dance, music and elements of circus.
The festival takes after the “Les Francophonies en Limousin”, an annual event in Limoges, France, which has for over three decades, been bringing together artists to showcase their theatrical practice in French-speaking countries.
