arts24

Manon Kerjean, FRANCE 24's film critic highlights some of her picks among the French films in competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. She also looks at new releases in French cinema: "15/18", a film set in a psychiatric unit which tackles mental health and "A Woman's Life" – a film starring Cesar-winning actress Léa Drucker as a woman whose organized life is upended by the arrival of a stranger. She also previews "The Unknown", a film by Arthur Hariri about two strangers who wake up in each other's bodies. Finally, she gives her thoughts on a highly anticipated film, "Call my Agent", which picks up five years after the end of the hit TV series on Netflix. 

From "The Mummy" to his Oscar-winning performance in "The Whale", Brendan Fraser's career has taken some extraordinary turns. At the Deauville American Film Festival, he talks to Eve Jackson about his "Brenaissance", playing General Dwight D. Eisenhower in "Pressure", what D-Day can teach us about the dangers of ignoring science and his return as Rick O'Connell in "The Mummy 4".

In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim brings us a roundup of some of the week's most anticipated Paris concerts. From Céline Dion kicking off her 16 sold-out shows at La Défense Arena, to American rapper Jay-Z celebrating his 30-year career at the Stade de France, we've got you covered. 

The Normandy coast has become Hollywood-sur-mer once again, as the annual film festival welcomes talent from the United States. FRANCE 24's Genie Godula takes time out from hosting the opening ceremony in Deauville to bring us an overview of the features screening there. 

Mike D rose to fame in the 1980s as part of New York's Beastie Boys, a rap-rock trio who soon tired of poking fun at frat boy humour with hits like "Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" and" Girls". The band quickly moved on thanks to their passion for beat making, sampling and playing around in the studio, establishing themselves over three decades as credible genre-bending musicians. 

Our film critic Emma Jones takes us through the highlights as the 83rd Venice International Film Festival kicks off this Wednesday. 

David Guttenfelder from The New York Times has spent 35 years photographing history around the world. Now, he is documenting it at home. The award-winning photojournalist is known for his work in Rwanda, North Korea and conflict zones across the globe. This year, he turned his camera on Minneapolis, documenting the federal immigration crackdown and deadly clashes involving ICE. His exhibition "The People of Minneapolis vs. ICE" is currently on show at the Visa pour l'Image photojournalism festival in Perpignan.

In this edition of our Arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim takes us backstage at this year's Rock en Seine music festival. More than 180,000 music lovers descended on the grounds just outside of Paris to see 80 live shows. Headliners this year included the likes of American hip-hop star Tyler, The Creator, Australian rockers Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds as well as Britrock legends The Cure, who closed out the weekend in style. 

The Korean superstar boyband is wrapping up the European leg of their Arirang album tour in the French capital before dates in North and South America. FRANCE 24 takes a look at the K-pop phenomenon’s meteoric rise. 

His blossoming, botanical and flowing forms recall the life cycles of plants and humans. Designer Ali Zalzali tells FRANCE 24 about creating his first couture collection, ‘Natura Morta’ and the evocative short film he made to conjure up the universe of these hand-crafted pieces. 

In this edition, Critic Emma Jones tells us why Christopher Nolan’s take on the Greek epic was worth the wait – and the eye-watering budget – and how the themes of this ancient story still speak to contemporary audiences. The all-star cast includes Matt Damon as a world-weary Odysseus, Anne Hathaway embodies a very patient Penelope and Lupita Nyong’O plays both Helen of Troy and her twin sister Clytemnestra. 

In this edition, arts24 decamps to the south of France for a special show from the world-renowned Avignon theatre festival as it celebrates its 80th edition. Korean is this year’s guest language at the event, offering audiences an insight into drama, dance and literary work from Korean artists. We also check out Julien Gosselin’s high-tech, literary exploration of evil in ‘Maldoror’, on stage at the Palais des Papes and talk to Egyptian director Ahmed El Attar about his recent work.

On today's Arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim brings us a roundup of upcoming album releases to add to your summer playlists. From the return of indie sleaze icons The Strokes, who are set to release their first album in six years, "Reality Awaits", to a British pop star hoping to recreate the success of her 2024 record Brat – the album that sparked the viral internet trend dubbed "Brat Summer". Her seventh album, Music, Fashion, Film, features musician John Cale, designer Marc Jacobs and filmmaker Martin Scorsese on the cover. Here's the single "Wink Wink".

Paris has been hosting its autumn-winter couture collections amid simmering temperatures, with celebrities sporting parasols and fans as they watch the shows. Fashion journalist Alice Pfeiffer tells us why "Blazymania" has taken hold, as Chanel's new artistic director continues his winning streak with designs inspired by Coco Chanel herself. At Dior, Jonathan Anderson presents an accessible, floral collection, while Pierpaolo Piccioli draws stars including Cynthia Erivo, Demi Moore and Teyana Taylor to the front row for his Balenciaga debut.

From Netflix’s ambitious reboot of “Little House on the Prairie” to Anya Taylor-Joy’s high-stakes crime thriller “Lucky”, this summer’s TV line-up has something for every viewer. We also preview “GIGN” (Elite Force), a gripping French action series that takes viewers inside one of the world’s most elite police units. Fan favourites are returning too, with a new season of “Ted Lasso” and Will Ferrell taking on his first major TV leading role as an ageing golf champion in The Hawk. Arts24’s Dheepthika Laurent rounds up the biggest series to add to your watchlist this summer.

Manon Kerjean explains why the animated feature In Waves, Phuong Mai Nguyen's adaptation of a bestselling graphic novel, has been moving audiences to tears. We also take a look at Stéphane Demoustier's dark summertime thriller The Heat and enjoy the behind-the-scenes comedy of La Comédie Française, set inside France's most prestigious theatre. Finally, 20th-century cinematic visionary Jacques Tati is back in the spotlight with a retrospective of his quirky, forward-looking films, now being screened in newly restored 4K versions.

Two-time Booker prize-winning author, Margaret Atwood has spent four decades warning what happens when democracy, women’s rights and free expression begin to erode. Today, many readers believe the world has caught up with her fiction. In this interview with FRANCE 24’s Eve Jackson, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale reflects on US President Donald Trump, the expanding book bans in the United States, the rollback of reproductive rights, censorship and why she torched an “unburnable” edition of her most famous novel. 

FRANCE 24's Olivia Salazar-Winspear brings us all the latest from the Avignon performing arts festival, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary. This year, Golden Globe winners, Brazilian actor Wagner Moura and French actress Isabelle Huppert are starring in shows. The festival has also chosen Korean as its language of honour and turns the spotlight on artists from the Mediterranean region. Salazar-Winspear also talks to the co-director of Avignon's fringe program. It's known as the "off" in French and features more than 1,700 shows performed in public spaces around the city. Finally, she gives us her recommendation for a fringe show that is not to be missed.

Why has Madonna made Paris the heart of her latest comeback? In this edition of arts24, we unpack the Queen of Pop's new album Confessions II – fresh from her Paris Fashion Week appearance and exclusive fan events in the French capital. We also look at Bad Bunny's historic new wax figure at Paris's Musée Grévin ahead of his sold-out French concerts, and meet MIND, the French pianist and producer blending electronic music with Afro-jazz and his Guyanese heritage before he performs at the Paris New York Heritage Festival. Plus, a preview of the Rolling Stones' upcoming album, Foreign Tongues.

More than three decades after the fatwa over "The Satanic Verses" and nearly four years after surviving a knife attack that left him blind in one eye, Salman Rushdie returns with "The Eleventh Hour", his first work of fiction since the assault. Speaking to arts24's Eve Jackson at Porto's new BABELL literary gathering, the celebrated novelist reflects on resilience, censorship, mortality and why storytelling remains one of humanity's greatest acts of freedom.

Australian actress Milly Alcock stars in the Superman spinoff "Supergirl" – less a superhero movie than a space epic. The film also introduces a fan favourite: bounty hunter Lobo, played by Jason Momoa. Next, Hugh Jackman offers a different take in "The Death of Robin Hood". The film is very dark and sad and returns to the story's earliest origins, where Robin is not a swashbuckling hero but a feared medieval outlaw. 

Afghan-American photographer Daniel Malikyar talks to arts24 about his new photography book, "Afghanistan". It is his most personal project yet. From his perspective as the son of Afghan immigrants, he documents remote communities in the country. 

In this edition of arts24, Marjorie Hache is in the town of Vienne in southeastern France, where the 45th edition of "Jazz à Vienne" is taking place. Headliners include the likes of Jon Batiste, Marcus Miller, Buena Vista Social Club and Jeff Mills. The festival is also shining a spotlight on late jazz legend Miles Davis, 100 years since his birth. The American musician played at the festival four times during his life and left a lasting mark on the town. Marjorie also shares one of her festival highlights: Cameroonian band Akutuk's concert in a swimming pool in an ode to their ancestral links with water. She also chats with New Orleans trumpeter James Andrews, who is transforming the streets of Vienne into a giant parade.

Dancer, photographer and artistic director Mathieu Forget talks to FRANCE 24 about celebrating 10 years of his "Levitation" project. Part sport, part travel, the series features photos of himself or French athletes mid-air against breathtaking backdrops. He also recounts going viral last year after a publishing a video online of his real-life partner, Victoria Dauberville, dancing on a ship's bow in Antarctica. The video was viewed 500 million times on social media. Finally, he details some of his possible future projects, including a series for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.