The challenge of surtitling at the Avignon Festival
Introduced in Avignon under the creative direction of Olivier Py (2013-2022), surtitling became standard practice with the arrival of his successor, Tiago Rodrigues, who has championed ever-greater linguistic diversity. With a multilingual program, performances in foreign languages – and in French – are surtitled. In 2023, the festival created a dedicated position to "oversee the surtitling process from start to finish," explained Clara Moulin-Tyrode, deputy production director of the festival.
While companies presenting work at the festival are asked to provide their own surtitling solutions, the festival itself allocates "€60,000 to €70,000" to supplement these efforts. The process is coordinated with other venues on tour. France's national performing arts agency (ONDA) and France's international cultural agency offer their support, while partnerships are formed with specialized organizations such as Panthéa, a leading European surtitling company for live performance.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
13 hours ago
- LeMonde
Retracing James Baldwin's footsteps in Istanbul, the city that saved his life
First, there are his hands, slender and delicate, moving slowly over a long rosary, with the slow, light movement of someone who has learned to savor every second of existence. There is a bare room, where he lies on his back in the middle of a large bed. The windows and the stool topped with a pack of cigarettes highlight a minimalist decor, white as a blank page. And then, suddenly, there is his voice, as quick as it is relentless: "I suppose that many people do blame me for being out of the States as often as I am. But one can't afford to worry about that, because one does, you know, what you have to do, the way you have to do it." James Baldwin gets up. Wearing only underwear, he lazily scratches his back and opens the curtains before the camera's eye glides over the Bosphorus, following the boats crossing between the European and Asian shores of the vast city of Istanbul, which is just waking up. This footage, from the 11-minute black-and-white documentary James Baldwin: From Another Place, directed by Turkish photographer Sedat Pakay, was shot in May 1970. Until two years ago, it was impossible to find – except for a brief excerpt on YouTube – and it reveals one of the most important and creative, yet still relatively unknown, periods in the North American writer's career. At the time the film was made, Baldwin was 45 years old and at the height of his powers. Known for his incisive and often dazzling writing, recognized as one of the most important authors of his era, an openly gay man and pioneer for gay rights, as well as a leading voice of the civil rights movement, he had been living in Istanbul intermittently for nearly 10 years. That Turkish decade, filled with parties and friends, self-questioning and struggle, would come to an end a few months later, marking the beginning of a long and unique period of exile that, as he would often repeat to those close to him, "saved [his] life."
Local France
21 hours ago
- Local France
IN PICTURES: France's scene-stealing Tour de France fans
Tour de France spectators are known for their enthusiasm – which can border on the excessive as they've been known to get too up close and personal with the riders. But it's their funny, over-the-top and often downright eccentric get-ups and banners that sometimes steal the show. Whether it's 'simple' head-to-toe polka dots à la jersey awarded to the King of the Mountains to various furry animals, an out-of-season Santa Claus, the Pope and even, um, genitalia, those watching like to get creative. These are some of our favourites from this year's race. A spectator in costume (presumably Celine Dion from the helpful sign) looks on along the race route. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) READ ALSO: 7 reasons to watch the Tour de France (even if you have no interest in cycling) Spectators in polka dots and, yes, inflatable genitalia costumes cheer the riders on. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) A group of spectators sport matching skintight pink all-in-ones line the race route on the ascent of Mont Ventoux. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) The 'pope' was in attendance this year, too. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) A spectator dressed up as Santa Claus – because why not – rings a bell along the race route. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) It all makes dressing up as a panda look pretty normal. This panda was watching the race on July 20, 2025. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) Advertisement And sometimes people want to just let it (almost) all hang out. A man in a fluorescent Borat-style mankini steals the show. (Photo by Bernard PAPON / POOL / AFP) Bare feet, kilts, and pants: does it get any more Scottish? (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) Hats are also a big deal among those watching. A spectator wearing a hat adorned with miniature cyclists looks on at the finish line area on the summit of La Plagne. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) READ ALSO: How to watch the Tour de France climax in Paris Another spectator sports a hat decorated with mini cyclists. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) Umbrella hats cover all weather eventualities. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) Sometimes only traffic cones will do when supporting the riders. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) And, at other times, it's a different kind of riding you need. A man on horseback rides alongside the peloton. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) And let's not forget the banners. A spectator in a stormtrooper mask holds a placard to spur riders on. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) Spectators with a placard which reads "You're a skilled bastard, get over the hill and think of Ricard [French liquor]" gather near the finish line area at the summit of Col de la Loze. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) But sometimes it all goes a bit too far. Like when one brazen prankster actually tried to cross the finish line before the riders, earning himself an eight-month suspended sentence in the process . A French Republican Security Corps officer tackles an individual attempting to cycle across the finish line minutes before the final sprint between Bollene and Valence, southern France, on July 23, 2025. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) Advertisement
LeMonde
a day ago
- LeMonde
At Musée d'Orsay, a Courbet painting gets a new life before visitors' eyes
Artisinal precision and unwavering patience: In the main gallery of Paris' Musée d'Orsay, a side arcade has become a sensation. Visitors crowd between the signs "Poitiers" and "Limoges" (western French cities) to witness an unusual spectacle. Behind plexiglass panels, a small team of restorers is hard at work breathing new life into this celebrated painting by Gustave Courbet (1819-1877): Un Enterrement à Ornans (A Burial at Ornans). Since early June, the monumental canvas – 6.68 meters long and 3.15 meters high – has been restored in public view. Every Thursday morning, three groups of 12 people each enjoy a guided visit that brings them up close to the work. Inside the restorers' area, scaffolding, spotlights and renovation tools surround the realistic painting. During half an hour, the professionals explain the history of the work, the nature of their craft and the various stages in the restoration process. This free visit is open to all by reservation. "It's fascinating. I didn't realize how many scientific skills were required for restoration," said Sylvie, a retired sales manager, as she left the visit. "It made me want to come back in the coming months to see how the project is progressing." The visits will pause in August and resume in September.
