Encore!

An exhibition venue, event space and meeting point for Afro-descendant cultures in all their diversity: its founders call MansA an open house, where a world of art and artists are welcome. As the centre launches a bilingual magazine, we hear from its editor Sebastien Thème on celebrating Black excellence, on the French legislation being debated that should eventually see thousands of looted treasures returned to their countries of origin, and on the cultural figures continuing the work of intellectuals like civil rights activist Angela Davis.

On today's Arts24 Music Show, Jennifer Ben Brahim speaks with Ulysse Cottin, one half of French indie duo Papooz. The band is celebrating ten years of music with a new album, "Papooz and Friends" – a sunny journey featuring some of their favourite collaborators. We also hear from British multi-hyphenate Wesley Joseph, who has just released his much-anticipated debut album, "Forever Ends Someday". The record is steeped in nostalgia, with much of it written in his childhood home of Walsall, in the West Midlands.

Aïda Asgharzadeh was widely praised for her powerful exploration of dissidence and exile in Persian Dolls, weaving her own family's story into a drama spanning Iran and France. Her deft use of history as a backdrop to intimate, personal narratives is once again in focus with her latest play, The Last Cedar of Lebanon, which examines how individuals respond to the pressures of war and violence – and how geopolitical upheaval can echo across generations. Speaking to FRANCE 24, she explains how creating an emotional landscape lies at the heart of her work, and why, as an Iranian, she struggles to see a hopeful outcome amid the current turmoil of war.

Film critic Ben Croll joins Eve Jackson to break down this year's Cannes lineup – from the biggest names to the early buzz, and what it reveals about the state of global cinema. The 2026 Cannes Film Festival is already shaping up to be one of the most talked-about editions in years. Major directors including Pedro Almodóvar, Steven Soderbergh and Ron Howard are set to premiere new work on the Croisette. They are joined by a host of international stars – among them Javier Bardem, Michael Fassbender and Kristen Stewart – underlining Cannes' enduring global appeal.

Critic Emma Jones tells us why “Dead Man's Wire” plays to the director's strengths, with Bill Skarsgard and Colman Domingo mixed up in a chaotic kidnapping inspired by a true story which took place in the 1970s. We discuss the BAFTA-winning performance from Robert Aramayo, as he plays campaigner John Davidson, a man suffering from Tourette's syndrome. Director Gore Verbinski returns with his riff on AI and technological dystopia, with Sam Rockwell and Juno Temple leading the charge. And the “Ready or Not” horror scenario returns for a sequel, bringing in Sarah Michelle Gellar and Kathryn Newton for a blood-soaked caper.

Japanese manga star Ito Ogure aka Oh! Great takes centre stage in Paris this season, as the celebrated creator of Air Gear unveils his first graphic novel “Smoke” at the upcoming Festival du Livre de Paris. It's a rare chance to discover a new side of one of Japan's most influential artists – just one of the cultural highlights lighting up the French capital right now.

This week on Arts24, we explore new releases from major music stars like rapper Snoop Dogg and U2, who continue to tease their upcoming album after dropping their second EP of the year. We also chat with French electro-pop band Camp Claude about their new album Never Say Never and why music video aesthetics remain so important to them. Plus, we take a look at a track from rising Brighton indie band Lime Garden, who are gearing up to release their debut album Maybe Not Tonight.

Filmmaker Ilker Catak explains how his political thriller – exploring authoritarianism and the artistic process – grew out of a desire to examine the complexities of marriage. "Yellow Letters", which won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival, serves as a cautionary tale. Catak says the story is not confined to Turkey – where his characters' lives are upended by creeping censorship – but offers a broader warning about the fundamental freedoms that must be defended.

Nabil Nahas has been painting for seven decades. From his childhood in Lebanon to his career in New York, he is now presenting his latest monumental work in Venice as his country's representative at the 2026 Contemporary Art Biennale. The artist speaks to us about his connection to the ancient civilisations of his homeland, and why he believes politicising international platforms is the wrong approach.

The weight of tradition bears heavily on Marianne, the protagonist of the new film "Mrs", played by Mélanie Thierry as a seemingly perfect wife and mother. Film critic Manon Kerjean explains how director David Roux's minimalist approach draws on the legacy of bourgeois drama master Claude Chabrol – and why Thierry's performance carries the film.

The rumours turned out to be true: Céline Dion will return to the stage in the French capital in September and October at the La Défense Arena. As fans gear up to get their tickets, FRANCE 24's Olivia Salazar-Winspear takes a closer look at the Canadian superstar's love affair with Paris.

After dazzling crowds at the V&A in London, the "Africa Fashion" exhibition has landed at the Quai Branly museum in Paris. Our reporters get an insight into this showcase of continental style, from the ancestral weaves of traditional dress to the African creations making a splash on contemporary red carpets.

This week on arts24 we welcome on set Italian electro pop artist Gaia Banfi, whose new album "La Maccaia" takes us to the Gulf of Genoa. We also have a chat with psych rock Breton band Komodor and check out Arlo Parks' long-awaited third album "Ambiguous Desire".

From teenage pub gigs in London to a number one album at age 66 with Rod Stewart, Jools Holland has spent more than five decades at the heart of music. He's best known as the bandleader of his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, co-founder of rock group Squeeze and host of Britain's longest-running live music show, "Later... with Jools Holland", where guests have included Taylor Swift and Paul McCartney.

Musicians from the world of jazz have been speaking out about the sexism and sexual violence that has long cast a shadow over their corner of the music industry. FRANCE 24's reporters went to meet the women who are now working to change that culture and are demanding justice and accountability.

The only person who managed to coax Daniel Day-Lewis out of his eight-year retirement was a certain Ronan Day-Lewis, whose début feature "Anemone" stars his father. Film critic Emma Jones tells us why a mesmerising Day-Lewis senior steals the show with the intensity of his performance.

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).