Viva la difference

The 2008 Francophone Week, that brings the best of French-speaking culture to Beijing, will close on Monday. This weekend, there will be a concert at Yugongyishan.

A regular feature of the annual culture week are the two concerts held at the start and end of the week with seven bands presenting twelve hours of great music. Hosted by the Yugongyishan bar, patrons can sing along with Dominique A, Rue d'la Gouaille and Chinatown and dance the night away with Dj Otra, Cinemix, DjT2M and Dj Opra Hashimo. Tonight, four French bands and singers will take the stage at Yugongyishan.

Chinatown is a group of five musicians from the world of rock, out to change the landscape of French pop in Quebec. With four albums under their belt, Rue D'La Gouaille have been carting their songs from bars to concert halls and festivals for the past 10 years, carried by the sound of their acoustic instruments. Their songs burst with accents and influences from across the world. On stage, they reveal unbridled and irresistible energy, an invitation to their audience to join them for journeys through their universe, in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

As part of Francophone Week in Beijing, a series of the best recent French language movies have been screened at the French Cultural Center, in collaboration with the embassies of the member countries of International Francophonie Organization. This series showed the diversity of cinematic narratives that recent French cinema has brought to the silver screen. The French Embassy also paid tribute to Women's Writings, and saluted three notable women writers: Paule Constant, Max Monnehay and Florence Dupr La Tour. Tonight, an hour with each of the three authors will feature a dialogue between the guests and the public (in French and Chinese).

Chen Nan

(China Daily 03/22/2008 page6)