IN BRIEF (Page 14)

Engagement to be released this week

The China-France produced film, Engagement, is to be released in cinemas nationwide on Nov 8. The story is set in the early stages of reform and opening-up in China and features a French female journalist reporting the changes in society, families and the ideas of people in some villages. She experiences the fun and challenges of a cross-country romance with a Chinese man. French director Luc Besson, known for Leon: The Professional and Lucy, supervised the film.

Confucius Institute opens in city of Pau

A new Confucius Institute in France was officially launched in the city of Pau in late October. The institute is a five-minute walk from the city's government buildings. Its three floors have classrooms, activity rooms, reading rooms and teachers' offices. The school will teach courses on painting, calligraphy, tai chi, Chinese traditional massage and weiqi, a board game in China. More than 100 locals have already registered to take courses there. The courses are designed for learners of different ages.

High-end store gets second outlet in China

Luxury French department store Galeries Lafayette opened its second Chinese store in Shanghai in late October. Its maiden China store opened in Beijing in 2013.Located in the Lujiazui area of Shanghai, the flagship store covers 25,000 square meters over five floors. It showcases the latest fashions from around the world, including those from next-generation Chinese designers. Galeries Lafayette's CEO Nicolas Houze said the company plans to open up to 10 stores in China by 2025, making the Chinese market its second-biggest after France.

Masterpieces to go on show in Shanghai

More than 100 artworks from the Centre Pompidou of France, including masterpieces from world-renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and Marcel Duchamp, will be displayed at an exhibition in Shanghai from Nov 8. The exhibition, The Shape of Time, will brief the audience on the history and stories behind the artworks. The exhibition will be held at the West Bund Museum in Shanghai and is scheduled to last until May 2021. Centre Pompidou, inaugurated in 1977, is one of the most popular cultural venues in France.

Curtain closes on classical concerts

China Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, one of the most famous orchestras in France, held a concert in Toulouse in late October. It was the last of the China Philharmonic Orchestra's performances to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China this year. The performances were given by cooperating with world-renowned symphony orchestra. It was the first time for a Chinese conductor to lead a French orchestra playing Chinese symphony in France. The China Philharmonic Orchestra also performed in the United States, Italy and Japan in October.

China Daily - Agencies

(China Daily 11/06/2019 page14)