France in Malaysia

Afternoon of a Foen by Cie Non Nova, An unexpected puppet ballet
Saturday 10 June at 4pm and 6pm
White Box Publika
Theatre-Kids
27 RM – 22RM for AFKL members and kids below 12 y.o.. Available on www.ticketpro.com.my
The will to bring a fresh perspective to the art of juggling and approach it from a more dramaturgical angle led Phia Ménard to create the “Non Nova Company”. The founding idea of this company, the maxim “Non nova, sed nove”, means “Not new things, but in a new way”. A notion which, actually, applies to the show they will perform in the Publika’s Black Box.
The choreography will be a ballet of plastic bag puppets performing to Claude Debussy’s superb pieces “Afternoon of a faun”, “Nocturnes” and “Dialogue of the wind and the sea”. This 25-minute show is meant for the enjoyment of the whole family.

Charles-Baptiste : DJ Set & Fête de la musique
DJ Set : Friday 16 June 7.30pm MAITAI Bar Hotel A-Loft Kuala Lumpur
Fête de la musique : Saturday 17 June 7.30pm The Square - Publika
Charles-Baptiste’s two performances in Kuala Lumpur will be a perfect introduction to French music. The young man intends to resurrect the French dandy style by celebrating joy, music and dance. A nostalgic of the French sixties, he breathes new life into famous hits of the old French pop music by mixing them with new ones, thus moving from France Gall and Gainsbourg to Stromae and Christine and the Queens.
He will first perform a 100% francophone after work DJ set in the rooftop Mai Bar Aloft Hotel. His second show will be the main concert of the Fête de la Musique, an annual event that originated in France in 1982 and aims at promoting music through free open-air concerts. For this second performance, he will appear alongside professional and amateur Malaysian musicians on the main stage of The Square, in Publika.
Charles-Baptiste will also perform in Penang.

Exhibition Jacques Ferrier, A Vision for the Sensual City
18 May- 1 June
White Box Publika
Architecture exhibition
This exhibition explores Jacques Ferrier’s architectural projects and main sources of inspiration. Each project will be displayed in an ingenious system of specific boxes. Some of Ferrier’s major achievements will be shown, such as the Charles de Gaulle French international school in Beijing or the France pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
These past few years, Ferrier dedicated his time to various research in architecture, with the purpose of creating cities that contribute to a sustainable society. This humanistic vision is embodied in the concept of “Sensual City” imagined in collaboration with French architect Pauline Marchetti and philosopher Philippe Simay.
Jacques Ferrier founded his architecture firm in the early 90s. From then on, he has been working on both the French and the international scenes. His architectural work is very diverse: cultural facilities, public buildings, corporate headquarters, etc.
Find out more here : http://lefrenchfestival.com.my/

Maxime Zecchini, piano recital for the left hand
Date and time : Wednesday 31 May at 8.30pm
Venue : Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS, Level 2 Tower 2, Petronas Twin Towers, 50088 Kuala Lumpur
Tickets : RM60
More info on bookings
Phone : +603 2331 7007
Email : boxoffice@dfp.com.my
DFP box office during opening hours
For more info please visit : www.mpo.com.my or write to info@lefrenchfestival.com.my
French pianist and composer Maxime Zecchini specialises in works for the left hand – repertoire which he was initially inspired to explore by Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. The first part of his concert in Kuala Lumpur is dedicated to solo pieces by French composers Gabriel Fauré and Maurice Ravel, written and adapted for the left hand. In the second half, Mr. Zecchini will perform the slow movements from three Mozart piano concertos, together with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.
Born in 1979, Maxime Zecchini was the first French pianist to graduate from the prestigious Italian “Incontri col Maestro” Academy. He has recorded the first anthology gathering all the pieces composed especially for the left hand by the most renowned composers.
Maxime Zecchini will also perform recitals in Penang.

Danse : Sadako by Compagnie Uzumaki
Venue : MaTic, Tunku Abdul Rahman Hall, 109 Jalan Ampang 50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tickets : RM40 // RM35 for AFKL members, students, disabled, seniors www.ticketpro.com.my
More information : info@lefrenchfestival.com.my

On August 6th, 1945, the Japanese city of Hiroshima was destroyed by an atomic bomb dropped by the US. Sadako was two years old then and was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia at the age of 12. She was then told about a Japanese legend stating that whoever folds a thousand paper cranes shall see their wish granted. Sadako managed to fold 644 paper cranes before she died. Her friends folded the rest.

This Japanese story inspired the leading dancer of the Uzumaki Company, Valentine Nagata-Ramos. In her show, she mixes hip hop, butô and origami to express the journey from childhood to adulthood. The evening, which unites tradition and modernity and merges eastern and western elements, will first feature first performances from Malaysian dancers from Kwang Tung Dance Company following a workshop led by Nagata-Ramos, then the show Sadako performed by the master dancer herself.