French ambassador Jerome Bonnafont. (Pabitra Das)

Prepare to wake up to an all-pervasive French aroma as the Festival of France in India, Bonjour India, docks in Calcutta next week, bringing to town artists and architects, dancers and authors, films, photographs and installations. The flurry of activity will continue till the Book Fair.

The programmes are all part of a grand affair called Bonjour India, organised by the French Embassy and CulturesFrance, in 18 cities. “But we had to be careful about what we would bring to a culturally demanding city like Calcutta,” said Jerome Bonnafont, the ambassador of France in India, at a press meet in the city.

India, he said, would be aware of France as a classical country of art and literature. “The festival now aims to familiarise India with the transformations France has undergone in the last generation.”

While the festival will be inaugurated in Delhi on November 28 with the opening of a show of autochromes on early 20th century India, in Calcutta the first event will be an exhibition on sustainable architecture at Birla Academy from December 5. “We are getting top French architects to interact with local architects and students of architecture through three weeks of seminars,” said Sandip Ghose of event sponsor Lafarge India.

Bonjour India will then spread out to different venues. “Look out for Telespectateurs (from December 22 at ICCR). Olivier Culmann has clicked people watching TV. The idea may sound banal but it brings out how passive we are before this instrument of rumination,” said Alexandre Martinez, director of Alliance Francaise du Bengale.

Nandan will host a French New Wave film festival in January. Calcuttans having their walls besmirched would especially be interested to check out graffiti artist Speedo Graffito’s work at Government College of Art and La Martinere School for Boys and Girls.

Rukmini Chatterjee will present fusion dance at ICCR. MTV host and singer China Moses will perform at Tolly Club. Titi Robin will follow with French rock inspired by gypsy music. A host of writers will be here in December and later for the Book Fair.