Encore!

The manga megahit "One Piece" was a global hit when the first season of its small screen adaptation was released on Netflix in 2023; TV critic Dheepthika Laurent tells us why the second season is set for similar success. We also discuss Steve Carrell's comic turn in "Rooster", a new HBO comedy set on a college campus from the makers of "Ted Lasso".

In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with Mariana Da Cruz from the band Da Cruz and rising star Morenike. Da Cruz make contemporary world music with a message, often about the political and social situation in Brazil. Their latest album "Son Sistema" is an exploration of Mariana's African and Brazilian roots through sound, and also looks at the future of Black club music. The genres range from South African amapiano to Brazilian baile funk and Caribbean shatta.

Her photographs of celebrated personalities, from Toni Morrison to Tupac Shakur, have become iconic images. Dana Lixenberg tells us about three decades of providing her unique perspective on the United States and the evolution of a society she first started documenting in the 1990s. As her major, monographic exhibition "American Images" opens at the Maison Européenne de la Photo in Paris, the Dutch photographer tells us about being surprised by the enduring success of her beautiful black-and-white image of Tupac, how a small community in South Central LA crystallised her love of image-making and why artifice in photography is all right in very small doses.

You'll hear its unmistakable sound in tiny islands of the South Pacific, bustling capitals in West Africa and chilly ports in the northeast of the Americas. The French language is spoken by more than 390 million people all over the world, and that linguistic community is celebrated by the International Organisation of Francophonie. French content is also increasingly popular on social media, with lifestyle, culture and education influencers sharing linguistic tips online.

French director Xavier Giannoli's latest film sees Jean Dujardin embody the moral slide from pacifism to collaboration, as the Academy Award-winning actor helms the historical drama "Les Rayons et les Ombres". Film critic Manon Kerjean tells us why the complexity of its characters gives the film a powerful sense of nuance and why – at over three hours long – it's still a compelling watch.

Dancer, choreographer and singer Ralph Beaubrun has built a global following with his joyful dance classes and infectious energy online. Now the Franco-Haitian artist is stepping further into music with his new EP "ID.2", blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms, shatta and pop while singing in Creole, French and English.

From vampires and car chases to K-pop and Shakespeare, this year's Oscars showcased the range and creativity of contemporary cinema. The clear winner of the night was "One Battle After Another" from director Paul Thomas Anderson. The satirical epic took home six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, confirming its status as one of the year's most acclaimed films. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the film blends action, comedy and political satire, exploring themes such as authoritarianism, immigration tensions and the rise of extremism.

She's played the blushing bride in "Mamma Mia!" and the sidekick to the high-school bully in "Mean Girls". Now Amanda Seyfried takes on the role of Ann Lee, the 18th-century religious leader who founded the Shaker movement in the United States. Eve Jackson hears from Seyfried about the role at the Paris premiere of The Testament of Ann Lee. We also check in with ambassadors of Tuareg culture, Tinariwen, as they return with their 10th album and embark on a European tour. And, we hear from the team behind a powerful new animation telling the story of a child soldier travelling through Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia in "Allah Is Not Obliged".

Winners of a Grammy Award in 2011, Tinariwen are back with their 10th album, "Hoggar", marking a career that spans 45 years. The album is a return to their roots for these passionate defenders of nomadic culture and their people. Sonia Patricelli and Aurore Dupuis report.

As he takes on the presidency of PEN America, Dinaw Mengestu explains why defending a plurality of voices is crucial at a time of censorship and revisionism. He also discusses how the organisation is working to rebuild its credibility after criticism over its failure to condemn the war in Gaza in 2023. The award-winning author's fourth novel, “Someone Like Us”, has just been published in France, and Mengestu tells us about the personal elements he has woven into this story of an Ethiopian-American grappling with his identity. We also discuss the immigrant experience in the United States and why notions of “us” and “them” remain such divisive forces in public debate.

Jessie Buckley takes the title role in Maggie Gyllenhaal's 21st-century retelling of a 1930s silent movie, and film critic Emma Jones explains why her performance alone is worth the ticket price. We also discuss some of the criticism the film has received for its feminist stance and assess Christian Bale's turn as the lab-made monster. Actor-director Andrea di Stefano offers a very personal story in "Il Maestro", plunging us into the Italian tennis scene of the 1980s, with Pierfrancesco Favino as a troubled, charismatic coach. Meanwhile, Cherien Dabis' sweeping epic "All That's Left of You" sees the actor-director weaving her own family story into eight decades of Palestinian struggle. And Ryan Gosling pulls out all the stops in the blockbuster "Project Hail Mary", as he attempts to save the Earth and ends up befriending an alien ally.

“The Bechdel Test” started as a joke in one of her comic strips before becoming one of the most famous measures of gender representation in film. Now, acclaimed American cartoonist Alison Bechdel has joined forces with French critic Iris Brey for their new essay, “La Véritable Histoire du test de Bechdel”. FRANCE 24's Charli James speaks with Bechdel about the true story behind the test, how it feels when your name becomes more famous than you, and how she uses humour to empower the queer community in the Trump era.

As the conflict in the Middle East engulfs Lebanon, with air strikes and evacuation orders once again shaking the foundations of society, we hear from Wissam Charaf and Zeid Hamdan, two Lebanese artists grappling with this moment of crisis. Filmmaker Wissam Charaf joins us by video link from Beirut to reflect on the past seven years and how they have driven many artists to flee the country.

As war shakes their home country, Iranians of the diaspora in Paris have raised their voices, calling for peace, solidarity and a sustainable transition from autocracy. 

Ben Croll and Dheepthika Laurent look at the all the winners – and losers – from the César awards ceremony in Paris, including Richard Linklater's "Nouvelle Vague" and the moving family drama "The Ties That Bind Us". Ben takes us through the highlights of the evening, including a lifetime achievement award for actor Jim Carrey and Iranian-French actress Golshifteh Farahani's tribute to Iranian protesters.

After four decades away from French stages, the Dance Theatre of Harlem is back in Paris – and making history once again. On arts24, Eve Jackson sits down with dancers Alexandra Hutchinson and Lindsey Donnell as they bring the company's groundbreaking legacy to the Palais des Congrès de Paris. Born in 1969 in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr's assassination, the company was founded on a belief: ballet belongs to everyone.

In this edition of our film show, critic Emma Jones talks to Eve Jackson about the latest film releases, including "The History of Sound" from director Oliver Hermanus. It stars Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor as two men who fall in love in the shadow of World War I. The film premiered in competition at Cannes to lukewarm reviews, but Emma argues its quiet, repressed portrayal of a gay relationship shaped by its era is exactly what gives it emotional force.

In this episode of arts24, we mark four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine with powerful films from the frontlines. The BAFTA-winning documentary "Mr. Nobody Against Putin" exposes how Russian schools have been used for propaganda, while Ukrainian filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov captures frontline courage in "2000 Meters to Andriivka", which follows soldiers during the 2023 counteroffensive.

In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with British artist Jamie Woon, who is back with new music for the first time in a decade. He emerged from London's fertile post-dubstep scene of the early 2010s with his debut album "Mirrorwriting" and his Mercury-nominated follow-up "Making Time". His lyrics are vulnerable and introspective, blending R'n'B, neo soul and electronic sounds. After a decade away from the spotlight, Jamie is back with his album "3,10, Why, When" and is heading out on a European tour.

Where many filmmakers might have made a conventional biopic about George Orwell, Raoul Peck chose instead to use the British author's own words to craft an urgent documentary – one that serves as a warning about the dangers of totalitarianism today. The Haitian director joins us to discuss his new film, “2+2 = 5”, which explores how fragile democracies can be in the face of “alternative facts,” mass surveillance and media monopolies. Peck explains how Orwell's warnings are playing out across the world – and why the resilience of civil society may be our only hope.

In this episode of arts24, Eve Jackson speaks to Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Touzani, whose intimate and quietly powerful cinema continues to explore love, identity and the tensions within Moroccan society. After "Adam" and "The Blue Caftan", she returns with her most personal film yet, "Calle Málaga" – a story of memory, mixed identity and belonging set in Tangier's historic Spanish community. At a time when debates around migration and identity feel increasingly polarised, Touzani brings the conversation back to something deeply human. The film is also a tender and rare meditation on ageing and desire – celebrating vitality, intimacy and dignity later in life in ways cinema seldom dares to portray.

Of the three major European film festivals, Berlin's annual event has often featured political films and commentary. Yet this year's jury president Wim Wenders stirred up controversy when he said that artists should "stay out of politics", prompting Indian author Arundhati Roy to cancel her appearance at the festival. Film critic Emma Jones brings us up to date on this heated debate and flags up the movies making headlines at the Berlinale so far.

As Iran faces growing international outrage over its violent crackdown on protesters, Iranian-French actress Mina Kavani is bringing a story of exile and resistance to the Paris stage.

Iceland's award-winning Ásgeir rose to fame over the last decade thanks to his stunning falsetto voice and intricate guitar melodies. He popped by the FRANCE 24 studios to tell Marjorie Hache about his fifth album "Julia", which is the first he has composed fully in English. We also hear from Australia's Chet Faker and take a look at electroclash queen Peaches' new release "No Lube So Rude".

February is delivering a packed slate of must-watch television. Critic Dheepthika Laurent reviews the French release of "Heated Rivalry", which brings a steamy, taboo-breaking hockey romance to new audiences, as well as the Netflix show that revisits the legacy and controversies of "America's Next Top Model". Legal drama fans can dive into a high-stakes new season of "The Lincoln Lawyer", with Mickey Haller facing his toughest case yet – his own.

In this episode of arts24, we meet Ghanaian-Dutch visual artist Joel Quayson, who won the 2025 Dior Prize for Photography and Visual Arts for Young Talents, one of the most closely watched awards in contemporary photography. Born to Ghanaian parents and raised in the Netherlands within a devout Christian household, Quayson's work is shaped by the tension between faith, cultural heritage and queer self-expression. That deeply personal conflict lies at the heart of his prize-winning video "How do you feel?", now on view at Paris's Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP).

In this episode of arts24, film critic Manon Kerjean reviews several new French releases: Alice Winocour's "Coutures", starring Angelina Jolie and Louis Garrel in a backstage drama about women navigating illness and industry pressures during Fashion Week; Anthony Marciano's "Le Rêve américain", featuring Raphaël Quenard and Jean-Pascal Zadi as two unlikely French NBA agents; and Pascal Bonitzer's "Maigret and the Dead Lover", with Denis Podalydès investigating aristocratic secrets in early 2000s Paris.

She topped the charts with the planetary hit "New Soul" in 2007 and her stirring voice and irresistible melodies have filled concert halls, radio waves and headphones ever since. Yael Naim tells us why reaching a personal and artistic crossroads led her to experiment with a new minimalist sound and new production techniques, and why embracing optimism is a political choice today.

On today's Arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim is joined by artists whose music reflects their multicultural upbringings. Franco-Haitian singer–songwriter Naïka grew up across the Caribbean, Kenya, South Africa and the United States. Singing in English, French and Créole, her music mirrors this global upbringing. She is set to release her debut album, Eclesia – ancient Greek for “the coming together of people” – a theme that her music embodies.

FRANCE 24's Charli James previews a big weekend in arts and entertainment. Bad Bunny promises a "huge party" for everyone at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Also, Mariah Carey sings in Italian at the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Plus, a new light show opens in Bordeaux featuring the colours of Henri Matisse and Frida Kahlo.

After a four-year hiatus for military service, the boys of BTS are coming back and Netflix is streaming it worldwide. Plus: Timothée Chalamet feels the love from fans in Paris at the "Marty Supreme" premiere and we look at how AI is being used to produce popular vertical drama series even quicker and cheaper.

From "Babygirl" with Nicole Kidman to Cannes Palme d'Or winner "Triangle of Sadness", Harris Dickinson is one of Britain's most compelling actors and now one of its most exciting new directors. His debut film "Urchin" is a raw and tender portrait of a homeless addict in London. As the film is released in France, he talks to Laura Di Biasio about filming the London he knows, acting versus directing, and his upcoming role as Beatles icon John Lennon.

Film critic Manon Kerjean speaks to Eve Jackson about the latest French cinema releases, from the modern, socially savvy comedy "LOL 2.0" with Sophie Marceau, to Valérie Donzelli's poignant drama "At Work" and a major retrospective celebrating documentary master Raymond Depardon. They also look at the family-friendly adventure "Marsupilami", highlighting a week of films that mix laughter, reflection and visual spectacle.

Forging a singular path as an independent filmmaker whose minimalist, bucolic style has impressed the critics at the Berlin and Cannes film festivals, Kelly Reichardt shows us another America: a land of wondering outsiders and protagonists plagued by doubts. For arts24, she discusses her latest film, "The Mastermind", a timely heist movie starring Josh O'Connor as the unsuspecting orchestrator of a robbery in an art gallery.

In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim is joined by co-presenter Marjorie Hache to talk about the biggest night in music: the 68th Grammy Awards. It was a night of musical milestones, mishaps and sharp commentary on the political situation in the United States. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny became the first Spanish-language artist to win Album of the Year for his critically acclaimed "Debí Tirar Más Fotos". He dedicated his award to immigrants, and called out the US administration's current immigration crackdown.

Paris is in full glamour mode as Haute Couture Week takes over the fashion capital and arts24 is front row for every defining moment. From headline-making celebrity appearances by Dua Lipa, Demi Moore and Dakota Johnson to historic turning points for the world's most powerful fashion houses, we unpack a season where style, culture and legacy collide. Fashion critic Samantha Tse joins us to break down the standout looks, the significance of Victoria Beckham receiving one of France's highest cultural honours and the renewed star power surrounding Couture Week.

As protests over the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents sweep the US, the outrage has spilled into the cultural world – reaching the red carpets of the Sundance Film Festival and igniting fierce criticism of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement policies. At Sundance, stars including Natalie Portman and Elijah Wood donned "ICE OUT" pins and joined calls for justice following the deaths of Pretti and Renee Good at the hands of ICE and Border Patrol agents.

Emma Jones takes us through the nominations for France's upcoming "Césars" cinema awards, with American filmmaker Richard Linklater picking up 10 nods for "Nouvelle Vague". In this week's film releases, Emma tells us why the Russell Crowe-led Nazi courtroom drama "Nuremberg" is worth checking out. Emma also reviews Kelly Reichardt's offbeat drama "The Mastermind", in which Josh O'Connor shines as a clueless art thief in the 1970s.

Born in lockdown and watched by millions, the Orchestral Qawwali Project is transforming a 700-year-old sacred tradition for a global stage. Led by singer Abi Sampa and composer Rushil Ranjan, the project fuses the ecstatic poetry and trance-like repetition of Sufi qawwali with the sweeping power of Western orchestral music.

Rhizomes are a five-piece based in France who have spent the last few years carving their psychedelic rock with oriental sounds. They popped by the arts24 studio to tell Marjorie Hache about their debut eponymous EP on which they sing in French, English, Arabic and Hebrew and whose aim is to unify and grow the same way as the subterranean horizontally growing roots that inspired their name. We also check out new releases by Californian pop metal artist Poppy, British rapper-producer Labrinth and Japanese-American indie darling Mitski.

Award-winning Malaysian author Tash Aw kicks off a sprawling family saga with coming-of-age novel "The South". He tells us about returning to the Malaysia of the 1990s and reflects on a society within which homophobic laws existed, but small queer communities were relatively visible. We also talk about how climate change has been driving waves of migration in Southeast Asia and why embarking on an ambitious literary project is a risky but rewarding business.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have announced the nominees for the 98th Academy Awards, with Ryan Coogler's vampire horror "Sinners" leading the charge. Racking up a record 16 nominations in various categories, "Sinners" is followed by Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another", on 13 nominations. FRANCE 24's Olivia Salazar-Winspear takes us through the movies and the movie stars who could be in line for a gold statuette on March 15.