Music, cinema, theatre and dance
France > Basics > Entertainment
The best contemporary popular music in France is distinctly un-French, combining sounds from West, Central and North Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. However, the old chanson tradition is undergoing something of a revival, rap has taken strides, and just being French seems to give many of today's DJs the ability to influence electronic music worldwide, while jazz and classical music continues to thrive. The French have treated film as an art form, deserving of state subsidy, ever since its origination with the Lumière brothers in 1895, although today the greatest economic drive for French film comes from the pay television network Canal Plus. In theatre, the French have developed their own heavyweight brand of intellectual drama in which directors (not playwrights) dominate. Innovative dance can't compete with the US, but there are several excellent regional companies and festivals that bring in the best international talent.
Pages in section ‘Entertainment’: Music, Cinema, Theatre, Dance and mime.
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