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French honour for Adoor

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI OCT. 18. It might have been an evening to honour one of the leading lights of Indian cinema, but even the "best moment for the French Ambassador'' was soured by the shadow cast by the criminal assault of a Swiss diplomat this past Tuesday. With the French Ambassador claiming that he would be embarrassed if he did not mention the incident despite the bright lights and music, the award-ceremony of conferring the "Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres'' on noted Malayalam film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan turned into a sombre affair.

"No occasion should be wasted to say what is important in this time and age. Rape is terrible, it is aggression against mankind. We are all thinking of the lady who had to leave. It is time to reflect and look at what is at the root of this sort of crime,'' said the French Ambassador, Dominique Girard.

Though it was an occasion to recognise a film-maker who drew his inspiration from the French New Wave, it was a homecoming with a difference for Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Conferred on people who have made their presence felt all over the world in the field of art and culture, "Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres'' is the highest honour bestowed in France in this field. "Adoor Gopalakrishnan has a strong connection with France and he is a celebrity there. His energy, passion, desire and sense of poetry are rooted in his soil. His films are very local but universal at the same time. We in France have very high value for art and culture. We believe that films are the best way to talk about issues of identities and culture and are very glad that India has supported our stand of preserving cultural diversity,'' added the Ambassador.

"Overwhelmed" by the award, the director said: "It is a great honour and by honouring me you are honouring new Indian cinema. When the Film Institute of India was started in 1961, the French New Wave cinema was at its height. It had influenced Europe, East Europe and even the Soviet Union. The earlier generation was influenced by neo-realism in Italy, my generation was owes a lot to the French.''

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