Something for everyone
Have you ever seen a Red Giraffe?
You may think I've just returned from an African safari. But no, I saw them in India. They visited the Land of Elephants, and they were French.
They were part of "Bonjour India", the Festival of France in India.
"A herd of red giraffes is slowly, gracefully moving on, balancing their flexible necks …the silhouettes of the nonchalant giraffes glide over the avenues…" that was how the invitation to the event described the life-size puppet show. But to experience it was different; the magic of the long slender necks on the streets of India is difficult to describe in words. Set up by La Compagnie Off, a French theater group, this outstanding show was the hors-d'oeuvre of the cultural extravaganza offered to the Indian public.
The Festival consisted of a series of exhibitions, concerts, literary meetings, film festivals, debates, conferences, food festivals and economic, educational and scientific exchanges. Organized by the French Embassy in India and Cultures-France, the cultural arm of the French Ministry of External Affairs, Bonjour India visited 18 cities seeking to showcase the various facets of French (and Indian in some cases) contemporary performing arts and modern creation.
"The eclectic mix of events lined up for Bonjour India promises to enthral India, thus, giving India an experience of different facets that define France," the French Ambassador to India Jérôme Bonnafont had announced in November:
Though an Indian newspaper titled the festival, "The Gauls come to town", most of the programs like the Giraffes reflect more a multicultural dimension than the usual ‘tribe' image associated with the ancestors of the French. And it was this spirit of today's France which was on display.
Over 200 events were scheduled during the two-month long program, featuring 250 artists, musicians and scholars from France. The festival had been taken seriously not only by the French government (several ministries are involved in the sponsoring), but also the regional and municipal communities and number of French companies doing (or wanting to do) business in India.
The most exciting element of the Festival was that it was designed for all kinds of people: the youth, seniors, intellectuals, contemporary art lovers, gourmets, modern music freaks or oenologists (wine experts) could find something to his/her taste.
Image: The giraffes begin their show in Chennai. Picture copyright Claude Arpi. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
