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67th Festival de Cannes
France-China diplomatic relations: celebrating 50 years
              By Writtwik Banerjee, Digital Volunteer, Majestic Barrière Hotel, Cannes

Many countries around the globe have been prudent enough to identify Cinema as a diplomatic tool and they have been using it for quite some time now. Undoubtedly, the cornerstone of Cannes Film Festival has been the creativity that is showcased there. Yet France too has gone the extra mile and this land of poetry and art has used cultural expression as an instrument for reinforcing bilateral relations time and again.        
Ever since the Second World War ended, France has been working hard at connecting cultures and building stable diplomatic relations in the process. It is difficult for the Indian mindset to grasp the French one which sees art more as an instrument of aesthetic pleasure than a consumer product.  Aesthetically speaking, literature instills values in the human mind and those are then reflected in various creative outlets.
Life is a struggle for the ordinary person in today’s French society. The last European elections came out with a substantial mandate for extreme nationalism. Yet, Cinema is still seen as an encouragement for the process of restoration of peace. France talked about her ‘cultural exception’ during the 1993 GATT[1] agreements. The focus was on the difference between cultural goods/services and traded merchandise due to their distinctive natures.  After almost 21 years ‘cultural exception’ has now evolved into cultural diversity. The mainstay of this diversity is now diplomacy or ‘cultural diplomacy’ to quote the United Nations. Cinema is playing an important part in this journey to the future. When diversities meet to unite, co-productions can secure the foundations of that bond.
Almost 50 years ago, in the extraordinary times of the Cold War, General Charles de Gaulle of France initiated the process of establishing bilateral relations with China. Though it was an exceptional gesture from the side of de Gaulle it also expressed his farsightedness. Had de Gaulle been alive today I would have asked him how he could anticipate at that time that China would play a major role in today’s international arena!


General de Gaulle seen with Chinese representative. Photo: Internet

The Foreign Affairs Ministries of both the countries are celebrating 2014 as the Golden Jubilee year of Franco-Chinese friendship[1]. Despite the immense cultural and ideological gap, both France and China have shown their express intent to move ahead together.         
The National Centre for Cinema and the Moving Image, French Ministry of Culture, organized an enriching seminar during the Cannes Film Festival on the 16th May, 2014 in the Majestic Barrière Hotel, Cannes to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Franco-Chinese diplomatic relations. It was a privilege to have been invited from the side of France and as the only Indian present during this cultural cooperation, my excitement knew no bounds. Consequently, I would like to elaborate a few angles of this meeting since I was present both as an observer and a columnist.

In 2013 the Chinese box offices grossed almost € 2.6 billion which is 27% more than in 2010. China has built over 20,000 film theatres all over the country during the last 4 years. Where the internal market is the principal factor in deciding the fate of home-grown productions then foreign cinema gets a comparatively lower advertisement[1]. If we try to feel the pulse of the average cine-goer from China we will find that romance and action steal the show in the land of our neighbor.
However, while Chinese co-productions with foreign countries are on the rise it’s equally important for them to understand the common man’s psyche and craft cinema accordingly. Though there are over 20,000 cinema halls the number is not much with respect to the country’s population. There is 1 cinema hall per 65,000 people in the remote areas. Though China’s approach is still conservative regarding the commercial aspect of film production, France is willing to comprehend the Chinese market despite the limited scope.


Audrey Azoulay, Deputy Director, Audiovisual, CNC Photo: CNC

France is the heart and soul of world cinema and yet the commercial dimension of her own productions is quite weak[1]. Consequently, France is trying to hit the bull’s eye by capturing the markets of the ‘developing’ economies of China and India through co-productions. It is possible to understand markets with the help of co-productions and without adhering to the quota system. Renewal of friendship through cinema has been a major agenda in this year’s celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of Franco-Chinese diplomatic relationships[2]. Sitting in the audience at the seminar I was wondering if we too could make cultural diplomacy a tool of our bilateral relations with other countries! Co-productions could play a major part in strengthening the cultural bond and convergence of ideas among India, France and China. How long do we have to wait for such a mature and wise decision?

                                                                 END 

Website reference:
  1. http://www.france24.com/en/20130615-eu-deal-french-cultural-exception-usa-trade/
  2. http://www.france-chine50.com/en
  3. http://english.entgroup.cn/report_detail.aspx?id=26
  4. In French: http://www.franceculture.fr/emission-la-chronique-de-brice-couturier-un-cinema-sous-subventions-2013-01-08
  5. http://www.cnc.fr/web/fr/actualites/-/liste/18/4965407
  6. CNC: Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée. Equivalent : NFDC, India
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International Film Festival Cinéma du réel Writtwik Banerjee, Paris
Write-up published in Bengali by Ganashakti, 30 March, 2013; translated by Suchandra De Sarkar.

The 35th edition of Cinéma du Réel, an international festival of short and full-length documentary films, is in full swing at Centre Georges Pompidou, the famous multi-dimensional cultural centre of Paris. This festival is mainly defined by its search for new cinematographic languages and a presentation of the real to cineastes. When imagination and reality confront each other a conflict is born. Documentary films justify this conflict. Perhaps, the foremost ambition of collective or individual imagination is to analyse and dissect reality and the real. The language of protest is strengthened by social decay, injustice, the environment or the anguish of refugees. That unyielding voice finds its visual outlet with a camera.

Long back, when cinema was still in its teething years Alexandre Astruc saw the camera as pen (caméra-stylo). Then Jean Giono told us in his 1947 novel ‘Noé’- 'Imaginer c'est sélectionner’. To imagine is to select. The struggles of real people and the possible alternatives to misery find their language in the documentary filmmaker’s camera. It’s easier to comprehend a statement when it is visual and hence more articulate. There’s a creative pleasure in recording harsh reality and that is why the retrospective of 10 films made by Anand Patwardhan marks an important aspect of this festival.
Anand narrates the stories of people’s day-to-day life, engagements and struggles from social, cultural and historical perspectives and presents his themes in the language of cinema. This is where cinematic reality finds its voice in Anand’s engaged work. If we put aside the eternal dichotomy between subject and object we will notice the rich and unique tapestry of Anand’s successful creations. However, though his films are marked by the union of a strong power of imagination and an astute understanding of reality in no way are they propaganda. That is Anand’s unique achievement.

 International Film Festival Cinéma du réel Writtwik Banerjee, Paris
Anand Patwardhan’s films, such as “Waves of Revolution”; “Prisoners of Conscience”; “To the Children of Swat, from the Children of Mandala”; “Bombay our City”; “In Memory of Friends”; “In the Name of God (Trilogy of Fundamentalism 2)”; “Father, Son and Holy War (Trilogy of Fundamentalism 3”; “War and Peace”; “We are not your Monkeys”; and “Jai Bhim Comrade” are being screened at different theatres of Paris from the 21st -31st March. Curated by Nicole Brenez this retrospective has an additional gift for the cineastes of Paris- a day-long Masterclass on the 24th March where Anand Patwardhan talked about his filmmaking.
END

Author : Digital Volunteer Writtwik Banerjee
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"As a part of My India Initiative.I would like to submit this Article I have compiled about our country's complete history in a form even a layman can understand..I have mainly resorted to videos..
Please consider publishing this on the inbministry blog "

Link :  http://www.johnspace.in/2013/04/the-complete-history-of-india-from.html
Author : Digital Volunteer John Vivan Prashant
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7 comments:

KAJAL CHOUDHURY PAGE said...

You are doing the best .....Bravo !

kajal CHOUDHURY

joseph martin cj said...

DD news tops viewership ratings

It doesn't have hectoring anchors scrambling for ratingsor sensationally packaged exposés. That has worked for Doordarshan news, which has topped viewership ratings, according to Prasar Bharati.


According to Doordarshan data, based on TAM or Television Audience Measurement ratings, Doordarshan's Hindi news stood out as the "most watched" among all Hindi channels in the 8pm to 9pm category, with a gross rating point of "1.22" for the week ending April 27.

A gross rating point is the total of all rating points for a programme.

When it came to watching English news, Doordarshan's flagship Newsnight programme was the most-preferred news and analysis shows programme for the same period in the 9 pm to 10 pm slot, with a gross rating point of 1.14. Newsnight was ahead of rivals such as Times Now, CNN-IBN, NDTV 24X7 and Headlines Today in that slot.

"What these ratings indicate is the rapidly changing perception of viewers about the kind of television they like to watch and is perhaps an occasion to introspect for those who have made sensationalism their staple," information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari told HT.

Tewari, who was a Congress spokesperson before taking charge as minister, had shared his inputs on beefing up news content with Prasar Bharati. Newsnight got a new look this January, with a fresh professional team and a dedicated research unit.

source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/DD-news-tops-viewership-ratings/Article1-1055943.aspx

Kailash Dubey - Online Editor TIMES OF MAHARASHTRA said...

UNDP Administrator praises successful implementation of rural jobs scheme
“It would improve the standard of life of people in the rural areas”
JAIPUR: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen
Clark has praised successful implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme in Rajasthan, saying it would improve the standard
of life of people in the rural areas and stop their migration to cities.
“Conceived as the biggest employment generation programme in the world, the
NREGS is seemingly yielding significant results for the rural families in India,” said
Ms. Clark at a meeting with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot here over the weekend.
She pointed out that the social security programme launched in Egypt had been
inspired by the NREGS.
Ms. Clark – three-time Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008 – said the
UNDP was willing to share the information about the flagship scheme of the Union
Government with other countries and “spread its features” worldwide for the benefit
of the people at large.
According to an official release here, Ms. Clark also praised the initiatives taken
under the UNDP-sponsored Rajasthan Mission on Skills and Livelihood and Rural
Infrastructure Development.
She said the attempts being made in the State for achieving the U.N. Millennium
Development Goals would improve the quality of life of poor people.
The release stated that the UNDP Administrator offered her organisation's
assistance in the formulation and implementation of public welfare schemes at the
micro level and inclusion of new initiative in them.
Ms. Clark, presently on her maiden five-day visit to India, is the first woman to lead
UNDP.
Throughout her tenure as the New Zealand Prime Minister she engaged widely in
policy development and advocacy across the international, economic, social and
cultural spheres.
Ms. Clark is also the chairperson of the United Nations Development Group, a
committee comprising the heads of all U.N. funds, programmes and departments
working on development issues.
State Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Bharat Singh, State Planning
Board Deputy Chairman V. S. Vyas, State Chief Secretary T. Srinivasan, U.N.
Resident Coordinator in India Patrice Coeur-Bizot and senior officers of the
Rajasthan Government attended the meeting.

vinay kumar said...

very good

Gamer said...

it,s my india

Life ♥ad lib♥♥ said...

Job portals:

http://jobs.hinkhoj.com/

http://www.letmeknow.in/

Life ♥ad lib♥♥ said...

Public database for those who are in medical need of blood:

http://www.friends2support.org/

Extension of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme through ECLGS 2.0 for the 26 sectors identified by the Kamath Committee and the healthcare sector

Extension of the duration of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 1.0 The Government has extended Emergency Credit Line Guarantee ...