Dheepthika Laurent talks to Lebohang Kganye, recipient of the 2024 prestigious Deutsche Börse photography prize. The South African visual artist is displaying her work at the 27th edition of Paris Photo, one of the biggest photography fairs in the world. She talks about how her upbringing in a township post-apartheid influenced her work, why light installations, real-life silhouettes and theatre are part of her photography and the importance of language and literature. She also tells us about the connection between lighthouses and her family name.
"7 Days", 'Walking Away", and "Rewind" were songs that defined an era of UK music and made waves across the globe in the early noughties. With these catchy lyrics and melodies, Craig David became the voice of the UK garage genre. The multimillion selling album "Born to Do It" led him to be one of the most successful artists in UK chart history. Nearly a quarter of a century on, Craig David is on tour, set to release his ninth album and has just completed his seventh season residency in Ibiza. He sits down with FRANCE 24's culture editor Eve Jackson to talk about his new music and even picks up the FRANCE 24 mic for an exclusive performance of "7 Days", just for you.
Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, Harrison Ford and even The Avengers have come out in support of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, while Republican hopeful Donald Trump has the likes of Elon Musk, Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan supporting him. In this edition of arts24, Eve Jackson tells us more about the American culture wars, including book bans in schools and colleges in Florida. We also hear from some of arts24's previous guests about America’s political situation, including "Godfather" director Francis Ford Coppola, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead and Iranian-Danish director Ali Abbasi, whose movie "The Apprentice" tells Trump's origin story.
FRANCE 24 Journalist Jenny Ben Brahim tells us more about Quincy Jones, the superstar producer behind Michael Jackson's thriller album, who died at 91. Born in Chicago, Jones’ decades-long career started in smoky jazz clubs where he collaborated with jazz innovators like Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. He also worked on arrangements for Frank Sinatra. Jones also left his mark on pop music, notably through his collaboration with Michael Jackson for whom he produced what is still the biggest selling album of all time – Thriller.
The 2024 Prix Goncourt, France’s top literary prize, was awarded Monday to French-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud for his novel “Houris” (ed. Gallimard) that looks back at the Algerian Civil War in the 1990s. Executive Director at the American Library in Paris' Audrey Chapuis tells us more.
On today’s music show on arts24, Jennifer Ben Brahim is joined on set by Norwegian-American singer Okay Kaya and Syrian-British musician Ziyad Al-Samman. Okay Kaya is known for juxtaposing her sweet vocal melodies with her unfiltered take on the human experience. She’s just dropped her fourth album called “Oh My God – That’s So Me”, a reflection on social media and “meme culture”. The album also discusses isolation and storytelling. Okay Kaya is playing this week at Paris’ Pitchfork music festival. Ziyad Al-Samman is on track to becoming everyone’s favourite habibi music maker: His childhood in Jordan helped inform his musical style, which is also influenced by Prince and David Bowie. He’s set to drop his debut EP “Pleasure Complex” and is performing next month at Trans Musicales festival in Rennes, France.
In this edition of arts24, Jennifer Ben Brahim meets the master of millinery, Stephen Jones, at a monumental exhibition of his work at Paris's Palais Galliera museum. The British designer has been working for over four decades on both sides of the English Channel, for the likes of the late Princess Diana to Lady Gaga at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. From collaborating with couture houses like Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier, Stephen Jones has made the hat more than just an accessory, turning it into wearable art.
We learn more about the history and traditions surrounding zombies at the Quai Branly museum in Paris, as our reporters take a tour of a new exhibition there. Contemporary art from Benin is in the spotlight at the Conciergerie in Paris, as dozens of creatives from the West African country show pieces as part of the Festival de Francophonie. Plus we check out work from artists shortlisted for the UK's most prestigious award, the Turner Prize, as Tate Britain hosts an exhibition which explores decolonisation, culture and identity.
It won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year: "Anora" is Sean Baker's most sophisticated film yet, according to critic Emma Jones. She tells us why there is lots to love in this story of a sex worker and an oligarch’s son, and why lead actress Mikey Madison is tipped for great things. We also discuss Clint Eastwood’s courtroom drama "Juror No. 2", as the 94-year-old director reunites Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette for this rumination on justice and truth. Plus, Emma tells us why Tom Hardy’s superhero caper "Venom: The Last Dance" is a fun way to wrap up the trilogy under the direction of Kelly Marcel and we check out "Flow", a captivating animation which follows a cat and its animal companions in beautifully rendered landscapes.
“We have no other land to go to," a Palestinian woman responds to Israeli soldiers seeking to displace her community from their village in the West Bank. It's one of the many moving moments captured in the documentary "No Other Land", by an Israeli and Palestinian collective of filmmakers: Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor. Yuval and Basel join us in the studio to discuss working together to collect evidence in the village of Masafer Yatta, where Israeli soldiers have destroyed homes, a primary school and the water supply since the zone was declared a military zone by Israeli authorities. Since the film won the Best Documentary Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, Yuval tells us about the violent threats he’s been subjected to from Israeli and German figures and Basel flags up the position of the international community in the face of the ongoing war in the region.
English singer-songwriter Katy J Pearson has just released her third album "Someday, Now", which sees the indie-folk artist reconnect with people around her while drawing in 1980s-tinted aesthetics. We also hear from Xavier Boyer, the singer of the indie-pop French band Tahiti 80, who are celebrating their 25th anniversary with a tenth album, "Hello Hello". Plus we take a look at new releases by The Cure, who are releasing their first album in 16 years; and Tyler, The Creator, who is back in full form with his seventh studio album "Chromakopia".
His 1989 film "The Killer" is a cult classic of Hong Kong action cinema, featuring John Woo's dynamic style as a filmmaker and highlighting Chow Yun-Fat's charisma as its protagonist. Woo has now revisited the film for a 21st-century audience, shifting the action to Paris and putting Nathalie Emmanuel in the leading role, a femme fatale with a strong sense of remorse. We caught up with cast at the film's Paris premiere, where Omar Sy told us more about playing the good cop and doing his own stunts. We also get the latest from the El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt, as FRANCE 24's Lyana Saleh explains how the geopolitical context is affecting the event.
When the cult French film "La Haine" came out 30 years ago, it sent shockwaves through the world of French cinema. The movie has now been adapted for a musical; our reporters went to La Seine Musicale theatre to check it out. Meanwhile, Lyon is currently hosting its contemporary art biennale, with hundreds of pieces popping up in the streets and in venues around the city. This year’s theme is "Crossing the Water" and includes artwork from all over the world. Plus, we take a look at a celebration of pop art at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris entitled "Pop Forever, Tom Wesselman &…". The show shines a light on artists from the 20th and 21st centuries and the far-reaching influence of pop.
He was an icon of la chanson française. Charles Aznavour's lyrical talent illuminated the 20th century and shone until his death in 2018. The singer-songwriter's life has now been brought to the screen by Mehdi Idir and slam poet Grand Corps Malade. Film critic Perrine Quennesson tells us why actor Tahar Rahim's performance as "Monsieur Aznavour" is an excellent reason to see the film. We also discuss another biopic, "Niki", which revisits the trials and triumphs of Franco-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Plus we check out François Ozon's latest family drama "When Fall is Coming" and an animated feature, "Savages", which blends environmental questions with a jungle adventure.
The American fine art photographer Tina Barney is known for giving us a glimpse into the soul of her subjects, deftly capturing a passing glance, a wistful gaze or a confident look. The artist has been honing that singular perspective from behind her traditional tripod set-up for more than four decades. As her exhibition "Family Ties" goes on show at the Jeu de Paume gallery in Paris, she speaks to us about returning to familiar subject matter, documenting the rites and rituals of the American upper classes and why she thinks the Instagram age is "pretty horrific" for photography.
Franco-British singer-songwriter Emily Loizeau joins us on arts24 to tell us about her new album "La Souterraine", which she produced with John Parish, a longtime collaborator of PJ Harvey. She tells us more about her multi-layered pop and rock album, the people who inspire her and her ambitions to bring her music to a UK audience.
Three years after the majestic Parisian monument closed for renovations, the Grand Palais is once again the HQ of the contemporary art world, as it hosts Art Basel Paris. We hear from Oliver Beer, one of the artists showing his sound-inspired pieces at the event, who tells us how his Resonance Project has inspired installations, paintings and even an operatic film experience. Our reporters also check out the sculptures popping up in public spaces around Paris, as the fair brings contemporary art to the streets. And we meet some of the artists bringing their work to the Also Known As Africa fair in Paris, as the annual art fair shines a light on creativity from France's overseas territories and the Caribbean.
After the phenomenal success of her first novel, "The Twelve Tribes of Hattie", author Ayana Mathis returns with a story that shifts between 1980s Philadelphia and a mythical Black utopia in Alabama. She tells us about finding inspiration in a particular moment of American history – of dashed hopes and failed social projects – and discusses the challenge of creating three-dimensional characters, including their flaws. We also talk about the upcoming US presidential election and Ayana tells us about an unexpected encounter with Oprah Winfrey herself.
Gilles Lellouche's take on the euphoria of teen romance was savaged by the press at the Cannes Film Festival, but critic Emma Jones tells us why "Beating Hearts" won her over by capturing the intensity of first love. We also discuss the dark undercurrents in Romanian drama "Three Kilometres to the End of the World" and check out the talent on the red carpet at the Lumière Festival in Lyon. Plus, Disney's most famous fawn gets the live action treatment in French director Michel Fessler's "Bambi: The Story of a Life in the Woods".
The Spanish powerhouse dancer has been called on by the likes of Beyoncé, Coldplay and Paul McCartney to create memorable works. One of the world's most sought-after choreographers, Blanca Li is Eve Jackson's guest to talk about her latest creations showing in Paris and beyond. Her most recent work was for French shoe designer Christian Louboutin, with Olympic swimmers performing in high heels in a Paris swimming pool. Coming soon is her modern retelling of the tragic love story "Dido and Aeneas", based on the 17th-century opera, at Paris's La Villette venue, as well as a hip-hop take on the Christmas classic "The Nutcracker" at the Théâtre Libre in Paris.