The Ambassador of France to India, H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Lenain, today announced the 4th edition of Bonjour India 2022.
A moment for furthering people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, in its fourth edition in 2022, Bonjour India celebrates 75 years of India’s Independence and 75 years of the establishment of Indo-French diplomatic relations, a milestone moment in any nation’s history.
Besides projects narrating the shared history of the two countries, through photography, science and letters, Bonjour India will also be an opportunity to ring in some positive vibes, build communities, foster social interaction and create opportunities for diversity, joy and amity after a long time since the pandemic overtook the world.
Bonjour India 2022 will showcase in 19 Indian cities a program of 120 events created in collaboration with French and Indian partners, in domains including education, science, literature, cinema, gastronomy, street art, performing arts and photography.
Speaking about Bonjour India, Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said, “Bonjour India is a gift from France to the people of India when the country celebrates the 75th anniversary of its independence. India and France have enjoyed a close cultural partnership for decades, thanks in particular to the network of 14 Alliances Françaises throughout India. During this festival, we will honor the past exchanges and create new collaborations.”
Ambassador Lenain further added, “We believe that our two nations can grow closer by appreciating cultures and co-creating art, amalgamating views from both the countries. I look forward to coming together with the most creative people from our countries, resulting in greater creativity and enrichment. I believe that the free exchange of ideas between our two countries will plant the seeds of new thoughts that will help tackle the challenges that lie ahead.”
Every event is open to all, thoughtfully crafted to delight and entertain, and in most cases, freely accessible to the public. Bonjour India rejoices in the centuries-long interactions and friendship between India and France. Bonjour India is for neophytes and enthusiasts alike, a platform where families, school children, young adults, professionals, and others, mingle, discuss, explore, and forge memories and experiences that are remembered for a lifetime.
As much as Bonjour India is supported and funded by the government of France, the festival has a tradition of receiving the support and contribution of numerous partners, Indian and French, public and private. This has played an important role in enriching the festival and bringing diverse communities together. More specifically for the present edition, enterprises and brands, whether small or big including BNP Paribas, Pernod Ricard, Airbus, JSW Group, Saint Gobain, Tata Sons, Godrej, Safran, Accor, Om Books International, Chaudhry Nummero, Bira91, L’Opéra and many others came together to support culture in a bleak economic scenario because of their conviction in the power of the arts, in the essential quality of culture in bridging people and in the strength of Indo-French relations. They are a part of Bonjour India to be part of the celebrations around the 75-year milestone moment for Indo-French diplomatic relations and India’s 75th Independence year.
France says a whole-hearted Bonjour to India and lays the foundations of the festival as a convivial, pleasant, friendly and a special occasion!
A peak into the events of Bonjour India 2022: A multifocal panorama of the collaboration between India and France
Shared history
How did French and Indian photographers perceive India over two & a half centuries since the birth of photography in France? Bonjour India takes you back in time and space to discover a panorama of photography’s French connections across original prints and negatives from museum collections in France, in a curation by Rahab Allana. Likewise, discover the France of the 70s with Indian photographer much influence by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Parmanand Dalwadi.
The festival also unearths the vast, though hitherto lesser known, history of scientific cooperation between the two countries over at least three decades. From the discovery of helium to electrification of Indian railways, through satellite imagery from space of Indian cities and the presence of French mathematicians in Indian cities in the 1930s to stories of India and France flying together throughout the first half of the 20th century.
A collaborative and inclusive festival
Bonjour India will reclaim urban public spaces through innovative initiatives which will address issues of gender through interventions like City for All? a street art/wall art festival which redefines equality and expression for all and finally, a street parade which invents new ways of making sculpture dance in the streets brought by the company Les Grandes Personnes. Why do we lack participatory public spaces in India? Why do people come together? Bonjour India will address some of these questions through its performances.
A diverse, friendly and festive programme
COVID-19 brought in social distancing, masking, isolation, online work and took away conviviality from life in general. Bonjour India is a coming out moment. Bonjour India is a fest, a time when people will come together in a friendly atmosphere across a lively and vibrant programme with dance, circus, music, pop-up shows, debates and food and cinema.
Bonjour India brings the power and energy of electro dance with ELEKTRIK, showcases Marguerite Duras through a Indo-French theatrical dance form, brings a selection of short films around a showcase, Let’s Dance and revives the art of juggling in a modern circus performance.
French cinema and gastronomy come together to create a magical experience while a mobile cinema in a rickshaw screens visual arts out in the open.
Remember the songs, lyrics and melodies streaming from balconies and streets and Zoom choirs during the lockdown? When physical limits could not stem this most universal urge to make melody, imagine the energy of music sans restrictions or barriers? From jazz to fusion and electro, Bonjour India offers an eclectic range of music and concerts.
Books, Ideas, Debates
Bonjour India prides itself as a platform for liberal exchange of ideas, expression and democratic values.
It brings a debating Night of Ideas on the theme of “Rebuilding Together” with architect and community-based artist, Swati Janu and thinkers from India and Europe.
A French Pavillion at the New Delhi World Book Fair with at least 20 writers, illustrators, poets and publishers to engage around the diversity of India and its languages and audiences. Workshops, conferences, book launches.
The prestigious Goncourt Prize comes to India as Goncourt Choice of India wherein students from nine Indian universities and the Alliance Française network come together as jury to pick their best francophone literary work. A coming-of-age of the French-speaking community in India, quantitatively and qualitatively.
The National Institute of Design creates the Bonjour India logo
Celebrating the Indo-French diplomatic relations, the logo of Bonjour India has been designed by National Institute of Design, retaining the essence of the festival that is central to fostering human exchanges between the two countries through arts, culture, science and education. The color story symbolically represents the two nations, with the use of, red and blue in the letter form B, and saffron and green in the O’s and R. Together, the visual language of Bonjour India 2022 summarises the ethos of the festival that looks forward to bringing together moments of joy, cheer, sharing, being in the open, and connecting with people.
The Organisers:
Overall, Bonjour India will cover 19 cities across the country, showcasing Indo-French expertise and collaboration in innovation, education, research, science and technology, arts and culture. This artistic, cultural, educational and social initiative is an Indo-French moment put together by the French cooperation network in India mainly comprising of the Embassy of France and its cultural service, the French Institute in India, the Alliance Française network and, the Consulates of France in collaboration with Indian Council for Cultural Relations, with support from various public and private partners.
Institut Français
The Institut français is a public institution responsible for French cultural actions abroad. Its initiatives cover various artistic fields, intellectual exchanges, cultural and social innovation, and linguistic cooperation. Throughout the world, it promotes the French language, as well as the mobility of artworks, artists and ideas, and thus works to foster cultural understanding. The Institut français, under the aegis of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, actively contributes to France’s soft diplomacy. Its projects and programs take local contexts into account and can be successfully implemented thanks to the vast network of the French Embassies’ cultural services, as well as the many Instituts français and Alliances Françaises present across five continents.
The French Institute in India (Institut Français en Inde – IFI) is the educational, scientific and cultural department of the Embassy of France in India. It facilitates academic and scientific exchanges between higher institutes of learning and research, enables student mobility, and promotes the French language, and artistic and cultural partnerships. Cooperation between India and France takes place through a number of sectors: Arts & Culture, Books, Ideas, French Language & Education, the Study in France programme, Academic Partnerships, Science Technology, as well as Innovation and Multimedia. www.ifindia.in
About Alliances Francaises in India
The 14 Alliance Française centres across India are part of a worldwide network of associations founded more than 135 years ago, established in 133 countries and welcoming nearly 500,000 learners every year. Enrolling at an Alliance Française centre in India is an opportunity to learn the French language, discover France and explore the unique character, diversity, history, heritage and gastronomy of the country. Quality courses, a warm welcome, professionalism, innovative methods, cultural programmes, a friendly atmosphere – everything is in place to ensure that French learning becomes an unforgettable experience. www.afindia.org
About BNP Paribas (printed version)
BNP Paribas, which has been in India since 1860, has branches in key metros and offers the entire range of corporate and institutional banking products and services, covering flow banking (transaction banking), financing, hedging, global markets, derivatives and investments. The wholly owned subsidiary Sharekhan, provides personal investment services to individuals across 540+ cities. Further, Technology and Operations global delivery centers in Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai support banking operations worldwide. BNP Paribas India Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, deploys BNP Paribas’ CSR efforts in critical areas including education, youth skilling, culture and environment.
About BNP Paribas (digital version)
BNP Paribas has been in India since 1860. Corporate and Institutional Bank branches in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Pune, offer the entire range of corporate and institutional banking products and services. The wholly owned subsidiary Sharekhan, provides investment services to individuals. Further, Technology and Operations global delivery centers support banking operations worldwide.
This article was shared with Prittle Prattle News as a Press Release.
