By Dimithri Wijesinghe
The Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives together with the Alliance Française de Kotte, the Office of the Delegate General of Alliance Française in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, are organising one of the biggest foreign festivals in Sri Lanka – the French Spring Festival.
Speaking with Alliance Française de Kotte Director Francis Cappe about the event and its significance, he said that with this being the eighth edition of the festival and coming in at such a crucial time, the organisers hope it would be a colourful event that will allow to showcase the excellence and modernity of French culture as well as promote French culture amongst Sri Lankan audiences.
The event will be held from 13 June to 14 July, during which there will be 10 shows and events presented in eight locations in Colombo and Kandy. The events will feature a range of forms of arts, from painting and music to literature and cinema, most of which will be free for the general public.
Cappe further revealed that the highlight of the event is certainly going to be Shani Diluka, the famous French pianist whose parents are Sri Lankan.
“The moment she heard about the Easter Sunday attacks in the island, she immediately reached out to us to play a concert in Sri Lanka. It was really a wonderful gesture and she really is a bridge between our two cultures,” Cappe said. “It’s doubly special as she will be playing with two Indian musicians, Sahana Banerjee on sitar and Prabhu Edouard on tablas, and their concert will be called ‘Cosmos’.”
Event line up
. 19 June – book launch by Niroshini Gunasekara. She is a professor at the University of Kelaniya and one of the best specialists of the French language in Sri Lanka. She will present at the Alliance Française her Sinhala translation of the novel “Memories” by David Foekinos.
. 21 and 22 June – French DJ Night with Ludo Di Lucci. He will perform at Café Français (Colombo) and Amaya Hills (Kandy) to celebrate International Music Day. This event will be free and open to all.
. 22-26 June – art painting performances by Philippe Baudelocque. He will create artworks on large sections of walls in Colombo: Park Street, French International School of Colombo, and Alliance Française de Kotte.
. 27 June – fashion with Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology (LIFT). An exciting new fashion exhibition, “Exposition de Mode”, will be presented at LIFT to celebrate French fashion through Sri Lankan designers’ creativity and talent.
. 3 July – the movie “Au-revoir là-haut” (See You Up There) by Albert Dupontel. Majestic Cineplex will screen the film event of the year 2017 in France, which won five Cesar Awards. It is an incredible story taking place in France in the aftermath of the First World War.
. 9 July – piano concert by Shani Diluka. Shani Diluka is a famous French pianist of Sri Lankan origins. She will perform at Bishop’s College with Indian musicians Sahana Banerjee on sitar and Prabhu Edouard on tablas. Through her art, she builds bridges between the East and West, between her Sri Lankan origins and her life in Europe.
. 12 and 14 July – jazz concert by Octave and Anatole. The collective of musicians will share standards of gypsy jazz and revisited versions of French classics. They will perform at Hilton Colombo for a free concert (on registration) and for Bastille Day on
14 July (on invitation). Their performance on 12 July will be accompanied by wine and champagne aperitifs provided by Lankan Premium Beverages.
Photos Krishan Kariyawasam
