This year, the theme of the Francophonie Days is freedom of speech and freedom of the media
Anne Durufle, director of the French Institute in Ukraine and advisor to the French ambassador for cultural and cooperation affairs, told RFI about Ukrainian Francophonie and shared her opinion on traditional culture.
– For most Ukrainians, the organization 'Francophonie' is countries where French is spoken. It is also member states of the International Organization of Francophonie, which share strong, historically established cultural ties with France. Ukraine became an observer of this organization in 2008. Since then, French has become the third most studied foreign language in our country. Where does this interest in France, its language and culture come from?
– Obviously, French culture is loved in Ukraine. But I am not sure that Ukrainians are as interested in learning French as, for example, English and German. But this year we are very glad that the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after the Year of English and German, proposed organizing the Year of French in Ukraine. You see, we are only third. Therefore, the main task of the French Embassy in Ukraine is to maintain interest in the French language. In my opinion, French opens new opportunities for Ukrainians. And International Francophonie Day today allows us and other French-speaking countries to talk about the richness of this language on all continents.
– Looking at the program of the Francophonie Days in Ukraine, one can notice that you are targeting young people. This year, the list of events includes a dictation, a tour of the embassy, and even a French lesson based on Hergé's comics. Is Francophonie today for young people?
– This year, the theme of the Francophonie Days is freedom of speech, freedom of the media. Therefore, we invited Harlem Désir, former French Secretary of State for European Affairs and OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, to Ukraine. By choosing this theme this year, we are also holding a round table with the participation of cartoonists from France, Belgium and Switzerland. For what? To talk about the relationship between caricature and freedom of expression. But you are right, first of all, we are addressing young people, as we believe that it is with their help that we can strengthen the cultural ties between France and Ukraine.
– What stage is the cultural cooperation between France and Ukraine at today?
– It is important to understand that cooperating means acting together. In this regard, we still have a lot of work to do. The problem is that most French people do not know what is happening in Ukraine today. But thanks to events like 'French Spring', for example, things are gradually changing. This year it will open with the street performance 'Air', which was worked on by Ukrainian director Vlad Troitsky, the Dakh Theater, and French artists. For me, such projects are a telling example of Franco-Ukrainian cooperation, which certainly needs to be developed. In the field of cinema, there is also noticeable progress. Overall, cooperation is moving forward. Thanks to our efforts, Vlad Troitsky and the DakhaBrakha group are now known in France.
– On March 21, the gastronomy festival 'Goût de France' will take place worldwide, created on the initiative of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the famous chef Alain Ducasse. How will this traditional 'French dinner' take place in Ukraine this year?
– This year, 21 Ukrainian restaurants are participating in this initiative. I recently visited Ivano-Frankivsk, a city in western Ukraine, where I visited one of these establishments. Restaurants in Indonesia, South Africa, Ukraine will hold this festival this year. The idea of 'Goût de France' is to introduce residents of different countries to French cuisine by offering our traditional dishes made from local products.
– In the democracy ranking of the British publication The Economist, Ukraine was classified as a 'hybrid regime', between flawed democracy and authoritarianism. Speaking about Ukrainian culture, what is it like? Which category would you place it in?
– If I were to describe Ukrainian culture in one word, it is distinctive, it strives to be truly Ukrainian. At the same time, traditional folk culture is still relevant here. We foreigners discover it with great pleasure. The most telling and famous example is the vyshyvanka. Seeing men in traditionally embroidered shirts is new for us French. The ability to preserve these traditions is, of course, incredible.
But France today is more interested in the development of contemporary Ukrainian culture. For example, the international book fair in Paris (Salon du livre) ended recently. I helped prepare the stand for Ukrainian literature. We also facilitated the arrival of writers Andrey Kurkov and Ivan Ryabchiy at the Paris fair. The French, the French public are just beginning to discover Ukrainian culture.
It is also important to note that Ukrainian authorities today understand that they, with the help of cultural institutions, can promote it abroad. The French would be interested, for example, in Ukrainian youth music. Also, there are many art galleries in Kyiv now. They are small but amazing. Ukrainian creativity is developing, it exists, and it is important that people in France and abroad know about it.