Mr.RobertLacombe,CounselorforCooperationandCulturalActionofFrenchEmbassyinChinaandDirectoroftheFrenchInstituteofChina,satdownwithChinaTodayforaninterview.Astheorganizeroftheculturalevent,hewasveryproudofthesuccessofthisfestival,“Bypromotingartisticcollaborationsbetweeninstitutionsandartistsfrombothcountries,thefestivalhasachieveditsgoal.Wehavealotofprogramsthattestifytothefertilityoftheseexchanges.”
TheFestivalCroisementswascreatedin2006afterthesuccessoftheFrance-ChinaCultureYear.For13years,theculturalfestivalhasevolvedalongwiththerelationsbetweentheChineseandFrenchpeople.AccordingtoMr.Lacombe,inChinathisevolutionhasbeenveryfastandimportant.“Therehasbeenashiftinthetastesandartisticdemandsofthepublic.ThatistosaythattheChinesepublicnowrequiresagreatervarietyofprogramsandquality.”Headded:“EvolutionisnotonlyreflectedinbetterunderstandingbetweentheChineseandtheFrench,butalsointheexceptionalqualityofartisticandculturalexchanges.”
AFabulousEvent
In2018,thefestivalfocusedontwothemes:thecentenaryofthedeathofClaudeDebussyandthe50thanniversaryoftheeventsofMay1968inFrance.ForLacombe,May1968markstheendofaneraandFrance’sentryintoanewworld;thiswasaneventthatallowedfortheliberationofcreativeenergyandexperimentationwithnewformsofcreation.
Amongthe68eventsheldthisyear,therewerethreethatLacomberecommendedparticularlyforFrenchandChineseaudiences.ThefirstwasthepresentationoftheMarcelDuchampAwardtotheTsinghuaUniversityArtMuseum.Accordingtohim,thismuseumisoneofthemostbeautifulmuseumsinBeijingandfindsitselfintheheartofoneofthemostprestigiousuniversitiesinthecountry.Inaddition,thisexhibitisrepresentativeoftoday’scontemporaryartinFranceanditsdiversity.Amongtheaward’srecipientswasaChineseartist,WangDu.
ThesecondeventhighlyrecommendedbyLacombewasthere-enactmentofLeSacreduPrintempsperformedoriginallyinParisin1913andchoreographedbyNijinski.WiththeLeSièclesOrchestraplayingthemusicofStravinsky,thechoreographyofDominiqueBurnrevivedthisballetofmodernity.ThethirdeventwasrelatedtoMay1968.ItinvokesthepresenceofRomainGoupil,amilitantoftheMay1968movement,whodirectedthefilmDyingatAgeThirty.Thisisafilmthatevokesthepassionofyouthandinwhichthedirectortellsthetaleoftheverybrieflifeofoneofhismilitantfriends.Inhisfilm,thepersonalstoryishighlyrepresentativeoftheFrenchhistoryofthattime.
ChineseCultureinFrance
RunningparalleltotheFestivalCroisements,theChinaCulturalCenterorganizesannualactivitiestopromoteChinainFrance.AccordingtoLacombe,themeetingbetweenartistsandpeopleofthetwocountriesallowsthemtoexplorepathsofcreationtogether.
ItaffirmsthatChinesecultureispopularinFrance.Forthisreason,thisyeardirectorsMichelDidymandYiLimingworkedtogethertocreateaplaybasedonthenoveletteAhQ.Lacombeexplained:“Mr.LuXun,theauthorofAhQ,iswidely-readinFrance,asaremanyotherChineseauthors.”Accordingtohim,inFrance,onecanfindthemostnumberoftranslatedworksbyChineseauthorsintheworld.“ThisnoveletteisverypopularinFrance,withitswhimsical,original,andcomicalhero.AndIthinkthisstagingisagreatsuccess.”
However,hebelievesthatthereisanimbalanceinthediffusionofChineseartsinFrance.Hesaid,“IthinkChinaisprettywell-representedinthevisualarts.Chinesevisualartsandartistsarewellknown.ManyChineseartistsliveandcreateinFrance,andotherartistswholiveinChinahaveapresenceinFrenchmuseums.ChinesecinemaisalsoverypopularinFrance.Forexample,JiaZhangkejustpresentedafilmattheCannesFilmFestival.Inmusic,therearemanyChineseperformerswhoaresuccessfulinFranceandwhoareveryappreciatedbytheFrenchpublic.Butheadded,“Ithinktheater,andevenmoreso,dance,areareaswhereChinaisunder-represented.”
AccordingtoLacombe,toresolvethisimbalance,itisnecessarytoinviteFrenchartists,directorsorchoreographersforexample,tocollaboratewithChineseensemblesintheperformingarts.Heexplained:“WehaveanexcellentrelationshipwithmanycompaniesandmanyChineseensembles,butitwouldbegoodtobringthemtoFranceandgivegreatervisibilitytotheChineseperformingarts.IfyouaskachoreographertocreateadanceshowinChinawithaChineseballet,hewillwanttheshowtobepresentedinFrance,which,inmyopinion,willpromotethespreadofChinesecultureinFrance.“
CulturalExchangesStimulatetheEconomyandInfluencePolitics
AccordingtoLacombe,culturecannotbeseparatedfromtheeconomy.“Cultureispartoftheeconomy.FrenchcinemaboxofficegrossedUS$80millionin2017.HealsogavetheexampleoftheestablishmentofanadvancedcollaborationbetweenthePompidouCenterandtheWestBendInvestmentGroupontheeconomicsofculture.Accordingtohim,thereisnoseparationofcultureandeconomywherecultureservesonlytoencourageeconomicexchanges.
AccordingtoLacombe,ChinaandFrance—bothattachparticularimportancetohistory,heritage,andcultureasessentialfeaturesofhumanidentity—havemadeitakeydimensionoftheirpoliticalexchanges.Onthathecommentated:“Westillhavealottodotoensurethatthisdimensionpermeatesallofourexchanges.Infact,PresidentMacronsettheexampleduringhislasttriptoChinabychoosingtogivehisspeechatDamingPalaceinXi’an.DuringhisvisittoChinainJanuary2018,FrenchPresidentEmmanuelMacronexplainedthathewantedtobeclosetoartistsandtheworldofcultureinordertounderlinethecrucialroletheyplayinFrenchdiplomaticactioninChina.”