Culture and arts

To mark French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Madagascar, the French-African Foundation is organising Alefa Jeunes Talents, a new edition of Young Leaders. The highlight of the event will be a discussion between Emmanuel Macron, Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina and young African, Madagascan and French talent.

Melina Mercouri (1920-1994), actress, singer and politician, exalted her country through her films, songs, exile and positions as member of parliament and minister. Through images and interviews, we look back at the career of a pillar of Greek culture, a heroine who claimed to be frivolous.

"Switzerland has been awarded 226 points by the public!": this was how the presenter of Eurovision 2024 announced that Nemo had won with "The Code". We look back at the musical stages in the life of the artist from Bienne and the creation of his flagship song.

Journalist François De Brigode interviews a personality from the artistic world. Together, they discuss the guest's career and current events, as well as their respective cultural favorites.

Saluting the world of Belgian films, with 'Toto the Hero', 'The Carriers Are Waiting', 'Night Call' and 'Flow' to name but a few! A diversified, original, bold and humorous approach to cinema. Cathy Immelen explains this success story by examining all its facets.

This programme, hosted by Tania Garbarski and Charlie Dupont, is full of surprises, culture and fun. This duo of stage and screen actors have to guess the identity of their guests before sharing a moment for conversation and discoveries.

The award ceremony for the Lauriers de l'audiovisuel (Audiovisual Awards) celebrates French actors and television and radio programmes. The 30th edition is being held on 24 February 2025 at Marigny Theatre in Paris.

In the Quebec region, the birthplace of "queb rap", the history of hip-hop is about the emergence of a long sidelined community. A look back at the journey of young people who found a culture they could identify with and have taken to industrial level, not without confrontation and rivalry.

Among Swiss specialities, raclette is a world-famous dish that fills stomachs, livens up long winter evenings and... inspires comedians! A gourmet illustration with a difference featuring Booder, Chantal Ladessous, David Castello-Lopes, Brigitte Rosset, Michel Boujenah, Maurice Barthelemy, Fabrice Éboué, Titoff, Laura Chaignat...

Each year the Swiss Film Awards honour the best of Swiss cinema. We look back at the 2025 ceremony with the main prize-winners, who share their reactions immediately after receiving their awards.

One stage, one audience, two dancers and instructions generated live by artificial intelligence and discovered by the performers over the course of the performance. The artistic process is revealed gradually, as strange as it is quirky, and our freedom within a given structure, often ruled by algorithms, comes under question.

At the carnival in Guiana, in Saint Pierre and Miquelon with fishermen or in Réunion in the company of Mafate inhabitants: we explore lifestyle in French overseas territories.

We explore the musical scene through the eyes of six disabled artists, turning their difference into strength.

Hats off to creatives in Québec! Here are the highlights of 2024: covering the performing arts, literature, music, visual arts, architecture and cinema.

2023. After a four-year break, the election of a Miss Guinea is being relaunched. Placed under the banner of promoting women's independence and fighting illegal emigration, this edition, which is prompting enthusiasm and controversies, is leading to many events across the country. Immersion.

She is a Malian artist who says she is on a mission. Fatoumata Diawara discusses her musical world and more. She is simultaneously a singer, author, accomplished musician, stage magician, actress, political influencer... This multi-talented woman alone incarnates many contemporary struggles. Her portrait.

During a walk, a celebrity and a close friend or family member to begin a conversation, a dialogue to exchange confidences and to say those all-important things. Walking, the act of putting one foot in front of the other, frees speech and opens a door to better understanding.

On his death on 9 October 1978, Jacques Brel left an artistic heritage that remained vibrantly alive. Even today, many singers and actors are still influenced by the Belgian artist. Why is his mark still so visible? What was so special about him? Alex Vizorek sets off to find out.

As of the 17th century, Chinese objects fascinated the kings of France while French tapestries and astronomical instruments impressed Emperor Kangxi's China. A look back at four centuries of artistic dialogue between East and West, in the magnificent settings of the Palace of Versailles, the Forbidden City and Jingdezhen.

It's a great love story and mutual admiration between Paris and Jean-Michel Basquiat. In the 1980s, the avant-garde artist stayed in the capital several times: he did not come looking for fame, as he was already a star with soaring popularity. A look back at the origins of this attachment.

Immersion in the beating heart of the authentic Paris of its second-hand booksellers. As water and the words flow, we discover these enigmatic Parisians, guardians of the banks of the Seine, privileged observers of Ile Saint-Louis and Notre Dame, driven by their love of books and the beauty around them.

8 March 2023. The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande performs "Symphony no.9 in D major", by Gustav Mahler at Geneva's Victoria Hall. Interview with Jonathan Nott, the orchestra's conductor, who discusses this major work by the composer and explains what it means to him.

The French language: officially born in the 16th century, by the hand of a king, at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts. Since then it has travelled across continents thanks to 321 million French-speakers. A story recounted in the first person, describing its difficulties and successes down the centuries.

For many, Anouk Aimée, who died on 18 June 2024 aged 92, immediately evokes the grieving woman in love of "A Man and a Woman" by Lelouch, for others it's "Lola" or "La Dolce Vita"... But despite her international renown, she always remained discrete, rarely revealing her private side.

In 2020, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Michel Audiard's birth, Gaumont opens its archives, revealing the author's lesser-known works. "Le Terminus des Prétentieux", a title invented for many of his unfinished works, looks back over the life and work of one of France's most prolific dialogue writers.

A major brand of the LVMH Group, founded in 1895, the House of Berluti creates top-end shoes and suits for men. We go behind the scenes to discover the fashioning of these exceptional products, particularly the work of Jean-Michel Casalonga, master shoemaker, and Karim Rebahi, master tailor.

The early 1960s. Sonia Medina's family leave Tunis, never to return. Since then, the director and producer is nostalgic for a world she's never known. For other Tunisians in exile, what routes did they take, what were their experiences, adventures? She sets out to meet them and discover their stories.

Archives, testimonials, behind the scenes: a look back at seven decades of Belgian television.

Romy Schneider (1938-1982): an actress who leaves no-one indifferent, her beauty admired equally by men and women, her delicate fragility and a talent often deemed to be immense. We look back at the career of a perfectionist who lived her roles with passion, a great romantic forever blessed by life.

What values are dear to the heart of Switzerland's most influential figures? How do they see the country, its know-how and its successes? We meet some of those taking Switzerland to the top in the fields of economics, politics, science, culture...

From the shores of Lake Maggiore to the Jungfraujoch, Alexis Favre travels the length and breadth of Switzerland to meet some of the locals, whether well-known or anonymous. A journey in search of what characterises the Swiss, what concerns them most and what brings them joy.

North-East Congo in the 1930s. The resistance movement against the Belgian colonial power takes many different forms. Anyoto, or Leopard Men, attack their victims as a leopard attacks its prey. One of their leaders is arrested and executed. For the settlers he's a terrorist; for the Congolese, a resistance hero.

One of the 20th century Belgian artists who was the most idolised, exhibited, published, sold... Yet the artist himself, Jean-Michel Folon (1934-2005), whose work became controversial because deemed insipid, with its mannerisms, pastel tones and colours, remains little-known. Through previously unseen archive footage, Gaëtan Saint-Remy offers him a voice.

Marlene Dietrich's silence on stage, Harrison Ford in the Piazza Grande rain, Quentin Tarantino's arrival... To coincide with the 75th Locarno International Film Festival, we look back at some of the memorable moments of this major event in the world of cinema, richly illustrated with archive footage, interviews, anecdotes...

A veritable celebration of Belgium's regions, along with the locals who live there, their regional languages... and their humour!

We are in Roubaix, for an immersive visit to La Piscine with Richard Orlinski. For years the French artist considered museums inaccessible, preserve of the elite. But that was before his own work was displayed there. Today, Richard Orlinski shares his visit with Maéva, Naël, Naomie, Thomas and Karim.

A look back at the filmography of French comedy four icons. Fernandel, Jacques Tati, Bourvil and Louis de Funès all met success, simultaneously, at the end of the 1950s, in front of or behind the camera. How did they become box-office stars? What was life like being so immensely popular?

One of the most popular mainstream art forms, the cinema offers an ideal medium to contribute to our collective memory. But, in France, few films ever represent slavery. A documentary where historians, film-directors, producers and actors try to explain the invisibility of slavery in French films.

Kombu, dulse, wakame, gamtae: interest in seaweed is flourishing and its diversity continues to surprise the palate. Sought-after for its nutritional value, salty tang or aesthetic properties, it is gradually conquering the world. We discover the fascinating world of seaweed, from Japan to South Korea and Brittany.

For the fiftieth anniversary of the radio and television programme "Le Kiosque à Musiques", launched in 1971, artists from the worlds of classical music, varieties and rock pay tribute to Swiss popular music. What better way to get in tune for a festive moment that breaks down the generational barriers!

Stars of rap, breakdance champions, DJ... KT Gorique, Baby Volcano, Zoée and DJ Kosmo impose their feminine touch on the Swiss hip-hop scene. They call them the Fly Girls. Portraits of four artists who have broken free of the sexist codes, asserting themselves through dance, words and music.

A general overview of European and world monarchies, through an issue of the moment, a particular focus, an encounter or a trend, plus one right royal question, asked by Ange-Victoria!

It's the story of a man searching for his way, torn between a need to punch out and a desire to assume his sensitivity through music. After nearly dying in 2010, Raphaël began to question his life. Today, the former boxer is setting himself new sporting and social challenges.

The French lyrical singer, Edwin Fardini has sung a thousand and one stories yet never recounted his own. Through the creative process for this experimental work, he questions his dual identity from metropolitan and overseas France. How to be both? How to allow our different fundamental influences to coexist?

It's the fabulous adventure of 250 employees working for the same company and their Playing for Philharmonie project. Amateur musicians and choristers, many absolute beginners, they worked for three years under the direction of François-Xavier Roth, head of the Les Siècles orchestra, before performing at the Philharmonie de Paris.

Gaëtan Roussel, singer with Louise Attaque, wants to settle in Brittany. At the wheel of his campervan he discovers the region in the company of some of the celebrities that already call it home, happy to welcome him and offer a guided tour.

Having arrived in the world of French rock in the 1980s with a bitingly ironic cover version of "Douce France", Rachid Taha (1958-2018) embodied an exhilarating cross-cultural music style for thirty years. Refusing all forms of determinism, thwarting any attempt at assignation, Rachid the rocker remained forever a free-thinker.

Virtuoso player of the kora, emblem of Mandingue culture, the Malian Ballaké Sissoko takes us on a unique voyage in search of the origins and development of this twenty-one string harp. Between tradition and innovation, an epic musical journey across the great plains of West Africa.

Exclusive interviews and confessions! Guided by the voice of Joëlle Scoriels, a celebrity enters a sensorial bubble where different stimuli reawaken buried emotions and memories.

On the occasion of World Francophonie Day and in the framework of the friendship between France and Saudi Arabia, a special programme devoted to French songs recorded at the heart of the ancient city of Alula, in Saudi Arabia.

When RTBF opens its doors and invites you to enjoy an immersive visit behind the scenes to discover its programmes and how everything works.

Interview with a key figure from the Swiss cultural scene. An opportunity to look back at their life and career, and the foundations that underpin their work.

A majority of the trades in the world of performing arts are behind the scenes, figures in the shadows, creating the soul of a venue and carrying the performers. Caller, flyman, wardrobe assistant... Professions that are often little-known yet remain both central and essential to the success of a performance.

Humanitarian workers, who are they? What do they experience when they volunteer to head towards total horror? Based on their personal accounts, Tiago Rodrigues created the show "Dans la Mesure de l'Impossible", at the Comédie de Genève, in February 2022. "Dans la Mesure du Possible" reveals life behind the scenes.

A spotlight on a contemporary artist to explore their personal world, the source of their inspiration and their creative process.

Claudia Cardinale, Monica Vitti, Brigitte Bardot... throughout his career Alain Delon has starred opposite the most beautiful actresses. Some even shared his life: Romy Schneider, Mireille Darc and Anne Parillaud. Women have always played a major role in the life of this icon of French cinema.

To mark the 400th anniversary of Molière's birth, actors adopt the character of Tartuffe, a multifaceted, greedy and mischievous crook. Based on a single scene from Moliere's famous work, they question his sense of comedy. A behind the scenes immersion in "Vous toussez fort, Madame!", the play by Matthias Urban.

In a career spanning over thirty years, Jean-Louis Trintignant consistently enriched his roles, giving them greater depth combined with a unique radiance, through his ability to play strongly contrasting characters with talent and nuance. On 10 April 1977, he shared confidences with Christian Defaye, in the "Spécial Cinéma" studio. With the directors Michel Soutter, Claude Autant-Lara and Villi Hermann.

The Piazza Grande is the beating heart of the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland. For the occasion, this centrally placed square is transformed into an open air cinema and welcomes almost 8000 spectators. It is a magnetic place with global stature, here described by those who know it well.

October 1986. Abidjan welcomes Jean-Michel Basquiat for his first African exhibition. A decisive, long dreamed-of encounter with the continent, but his audacious style disconcerts. Crowned in glory, the American artist died young in 1988, but opened a route to emancipation for a generation of African artists claiming a direct filiation.

Patrick Juvet left us on 1 April 2021. He was one of the few, indeed the only Swiss singer to have enjoyed a truly international career and sell millions of records world-wide. We look back at his career, with surprising archive footage and personal stories from those close to him.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the art world closed its doors to women artists. But through their obstinate determination and sheer courage, the boldest still managed to make a place for themselves. Today, their works hang in the most prestigious museums around the globe.

Urban culture in the company of Richard Orlinski! From Paris to New York, from London to Miami, the famous "rule-breaker" offers an immersion in artistic life and a host of fascinating discoveries. Each episode includes an original interview with a French-speaking street artist and the creation of a joint work.

Tosca, Falstaff, Les Troyens... Ten grand operas recounted by Éric de Lochner and illustrated by extracts from prestigious performances.

In Saint-Germain-des-Prés, at the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th, a golden triangle developed between Brasserie Lipp, Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots. A look back at these renowned meeting places, veritable institutions in Paris, that embody a lifestyle seen as typically French

From the 1930s to the modern-day, protest songs in French-speaking Switzerland question the political and social themes headlining at the time. From Gilles to Stress, from Henri Dès to La Gale, discover a medley of some of the best.

From stage to cinema, classical music, artistic immersion and performances, "Ramdam" showcases culture in all its forms and offers an opportunity to meet the artists themselves. Those involved discuss their career, their interpretation of the work, the creative process and share their view of the subjects raised.

To pay tribute to Jean-Paul Belmondo, who died on 6 September 2021 at the age of 88, a look back at his interview with Patrick Simonin in 2001. The actor, veritable legend of French cinema, talks about his lengthy career.

When you decide to settle in Switzerland, what should you expect? Eight foreign families unpack their suitcases, their hopes and put down new roots in Switzerland.

He was one of the greatest stars of French cinema. Alain Delon passed away on 18 August 2024 at 88. "Purple Noon", "Rocco and his Brothers", "The Leopard", "The Samurai", "The Swimming Pool", "The Sicilian Clan"... he worked with some of the greatest directors and left an indelible mark on the world of film. In 2021, when his public appearances had already become few and far between, the actor granted Cyril Viguier an exceptional interview.

Lélo Fiaux (1909-1964), an artist from the Vaud whose life and work are indissociable. A nomad driven by her passion, she accepted no concessions when it came to her painting and her freedom to love. A recognised artist during her lifetime, she has since fallen into a regrettable obscurity.

Laélia Véron, linguist and stylistician, analyses and explains the lyrics of some of today's French-language songs to discover the meaning behind the words themselves.

"Objectif Monde" proposes special reports and investigations into societal or geopolitical issues, taking the time to analyse the situations thanks to different specialist opinions. This TV5MONDE programme is produced with French-speaking partners (RTBF, RTS, Radio-Canada, France Télévisions) and the support of the public French-speaking media.

Fashion, design, gastronomy and art de vivre... Lifestyle experts chat with Katherina Marx, an enthusiastic ambassador for French style.

Born in French-speaking Switzerland they are a riverboat captain, freight checker, professional diver, yacht preparer, wakeboard coach, fisherman and invite us to discover the behind the scenes world of their profession linked to the lakes. Whether they work on or under the water, they are all true enthusiasts!

Patrick Simonin hosts the stars in the headlines, culture, music, film, books, an unmissable rendezvous with all those who light up our times.

From a quirky, fun, and decidedly modern angle, "Quèsaco" is a joyous accompaniment to the discovery of paintings.

We discover the work of the Intervenants de Première Ligne (IPLs or "Frontline Workers") in prison environments. These men and women talk to us about their jobs, which involve working exclusively with prisoners. An activity which has changed significantly over the last 20 years and which can be hazardous.

What's new in the Arab worlds? Journalist Mohamed Kaci hosts those making the cultural headlines in Tunis, Algiers, Rabat, Beirut, Alexandria, Dubai...

It might not be able to change the world, but art can change a life. "Faire Oeuvre Utile" showcases individuals touched by the work of an artist, at a particular moment in their life. Émilie Perreault sets out to meet them and puts them in touch with the creators.

Classic interviews with cinema celebrities, from the RTS archives, conducted by the "Mr Cinema" of the day, Christian Defaye.

In town or in the countryside, day or night, Jérôme Colin, the presenter-taxi driver leads his prestigious customer on a four-wheel journey conducive to secrets.

Often bilingual, or even trilingual, they learnt English when they first started to speak, mainly listen to music from the English-speaking world, watch films and series in English, use anglicisms... For young Quebeckers aged 18-24, the language of Shakespeare is second-nature. But what is their relationship with that of Molière?

Thierry Bellefroid invite us to get to know a literary personality, the programme's guest. Their news, their life, their work and... all their little secrets when writing.

France has long been one of the centres of artistic creation responsible for the major art movements that revolutionised painting. The masterpieces of its visionary and flamboyant artists are displayed in the greatest museums around the world. We take a closer look at some of them...