Tunisia reclaims lost voices of WWI riflemen from German archives

Germany has returned hundreds of sound recordings of North African soldiers who were held as prisoners during World War I, helping to fill a major gap in Tunisia’s war archives.


Issued on: 01/02/2025 -  RFI

A military band of soldiers from the fourth North African Rifle Regiment on 1 September 1915. © Wikimedia/CC

During the French protectorate in Tunisia, thousands of soldiers were conscripted to fight in World War I as part of the African colonial riflemen – the tirailleurs. But little remains today in terms of archives or recordings documenting Tunisia’s role in the 1914-1918 conflict.

Now, a joint effort between the Lautarchiv of Humboldt University and the phonotheque of Tunisia’s Centre for Arab and Mediterranean Music has helped recover these lost voices.

Funded by the German Lost Art Foundation, the project marks a step towards restoring a missing chapter of Tunisia’s wartime history. Of the 445 recordings returned, 111 feature soldiers from across North Africa.

The discovery of the recordings came by chance in the 2000s, when Mounir Hentati, cultural advisor and former director of the Centre for Arab and Mediterranean Music, visited Berlin.

"One day, I was a bit tired, so I went to the library. Really, that's how it happened. I asked if there were any recordings related to Tunisia, and that was the turning point. I discovered a real treasure, and I dedicated myself to studying these documents and listening to them," Hentati told RFI.

Among the earliest recordings is a song expressing the hardships of war and exile, sung by a Tunisian soldier.

Grammophone pour écouter le matériel d'archives au Humboldt Forum, Berlin, le 26 mars 2023. © Stefan Klenke - Humboldt Forum, Berlin

One of the soldiers, Sadok Ben Rachid, was held in a camp south of Berlin with nearly 4,000 prisoners when German researchers began recording them using gramophones and phonographic cylinders.

The project was part of an ethnographic study of North and Sub-Saharan African soldiers.

"Some were both poets and musicians, and they set words to old melodies to convey messages. Other prisoners were asked to recite the Quran or sing a melody from their region of origin. It’s a very varied material. For me, it’s very moving because it’s like sound archaeology," Hentati said.

"As part of a review of their colonial heritage policy, more and more researchers and voices in Germany have called for these archives to be released, to bring these voices back to life and, in a way, to resocialise them."

After 25 years of discussions, the archives have finally been returned to Tunisia.

► This report was produced by Lila Blaise for the RFI podcast Reportage Afrique.

Funding for dinosaur fossil digging falls, as French interest rises

France’s varied geology makes it fertile ground for dinosaur fossil hunters, but many finds have only been unearthed in the last 20 years, with French palaeontologists only recently becoming interested in dinosaurs – and now funding is becoming harder to secure.

03/02/2025 - RFI

00:52 A dinosaur skeleton on display at the Eiffel Tower.

 REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

By: Sarah Elzas

Caletodraco cottardi, a carnivorous dinosaur that lived 100 million years ago, was first discovered on a beach in Normandy, northern France, in 2021.

Nicolas Cottard, a science teacher and amateur palaeontologist, was scouring the chalk cliffs around where he lives in Saint-Jouin-Bruneval, and found a large piece of stone with bones in it.

He and a another amateur fossil collector worked on preparing it – cutting out the bones using specialised chisels and micro-pneumatic hammers.

“They knew they had something interesting. So they contacted me and asked me, what do you think? And I said it's difficult to say what it is,” recalls Eric Buffetaut, a palaeontologist with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

Two years later Cottard found another piece of stone with more bones – vertebrae, part of a tail and pelvic bones – that fit with the first, and also included a tooth, which sealed the deal: it was a dinosaur.

Listen to an interview with Eric Buffetaut on the Spotlight On France podcast here:

Spotlight On France, episode 122 © RFI

”The tooth was very, very clearly that of a carnivorous dinosaur. I spent quite a long time making comparisons and discussing it with colleagues in other countries as well,” explains Buffetaut, who determined it was a new species – one that belonged to the Furileusauria clade of dinosaurs, which until then had only been found in South America.

At the time Caletodraco cottardi lived, the Normandy cliffs would have been in the middle of the proto-Atlantic ocean. In the paper Buffetaut published about the discovery, he hypothesised that the dinosaur's body had likely been washed out to sea and floated several hundred kilometres offshore, where its carcass was eaten by a prehistoric shark, because a shark tooth was found mixed in with the bones.

French scientists find giant dinosaur's toe

Why this discovery was made in France is not yet understood, because even though the continents were not in the same position 100 million years ago, there was still water separating Europe and South America. The discovery could therefore shed new light on the evolution and migration of dinosaurs.

“That is what makes it really exciting. It's not just because it's a new dinosaur, but it raises a lot of questions about the geography of the time, about how these animals travelled around and so on,” said Buffetaut.
Palaeontology revival

Caletodraco cottardi is just one of several dinosaur fossils found in France over the last 20 years. Many were discovered at a dig in Angeac, in the south-west, where last year a new species of sauropod which lived 140 million years ago was identified.

Buffetaut says such finds are the fruit of an interest in dinosaurs that bloomed in the 1980s and 90s.

Discovery of dinosaur thigh bone in France thrills scientists

The 19th-century French anatomist Georges Cuvier was one of the first people to identify dinosaurs, or the concept of ancient, extinct species. He described vertebrae found in northern France as belonging to an ancient crocodile.

“He thought were peculiar crocodiles, but in fact, they turned out to be dinosaurs,” Buffetaut said.

But, subsequently, interest in dinosaurs waned in France.

“There was a long period when apparently French palaeontologists were not that interested in dinosaurs, but more interested in mammals or human evolution,” Buffetaut said.

“There was really a renewal of interest at the end of the 20th century, when a few palaeontologists in France said, we have dinosaurs in France, so why don't we look at them in more detail? They have been there all the time, but nobody cared very much.”

A fossil of a Compsognathus, a small bipedal carnivorous dinosaur that lived 140 million years ago, found in Canjeurs, southern France, in the 1970s. 

© Michel Royon via Wikimedia Commons

Amateur collectors

France’s geological variety means there are dinosaur traces in its soil from all three periods of the dinosaur age, from around 252 million years ago to 66 million years ago.

“Of course, not all these geological formations have yielded dinosaurs, but quite a few have,” says Buffetaut.

One area particularly rich in dinosaur traces is the Jura mountain range in eastern France, on the border with Switzerland. The Jurassic era – 201 million to 145 million years ago – was named after the mountain range.

But fossils can only be studied if they are unearthed, and in France, as in many areas, this is thanks to amateurs, like Nicolas Cottard.

“Professional palaeontologists can't be in the field all the time, everywhere, in a country like France. So you must rely on cooperation with people who are able to go and collect fossils in the cliffs along the sea every weekend, who keep a constant watch,” says Buffetaut.

”Without those people, many, many important fossils would remain undiscovered.”
Lack of funding

Professionals such as Buffetaut are called in to analyse, compare and confirm finds. But the number of experts dwindling, with fewer positions for palaeontologists studying dinosaurs in France today.

“When I first got my position in palaeontology, I thought it was really hard to find a job. But it was easy in comparison with what it is now,” says Buffetaut.

Palaeontology, unlike applied research, is not a lucrative field and as such, especially in a period of budget cuts, is not a priority.

“Palaeontology is not considered really something important,” says Buffetaut. “It has no economic importance.”

And yet, there is interest. He receives calls from students interested in digging up dinosaurs, although he tells them not to get their hopes up.

“I try to tell them if they are interested they should try but they should know it will be very, very difficult, and there is absolutely no guarantee of a job,” he says.

“But if you're really motivated and interested, I don't want to discourage you. I'm trying not to be discouraging.”

FRANCE

Superman and Spanish artists lead the charge at Angoulême Comics Festival

The Angoulême International Comics Festival is in full swing, with a major Superman exhibition, a spotlight on Spanish women cartoonists and three dedicated manga showcases.

Issued on: 01/02/2025 - 

Visitors look at placards as part of an exhibition during the 52nd Angouleme International Comics Festival in Angouleme, on 30 January, 2025. 

AFP - ROMAIN PERROCHEAU

By:Ollia Horton with RFI

Now in its 52nd year, the four-day event celebrates the "ninth art" with nine major exhibitions, special guests, dozens of talks and a bustling publishing marketplace.

The festival officially kicked off on Wednesday with the Grand Prize going to French author Anouk Ricard.

The 54-year-old is only the fifth woman to receive the award since it was created in 1974. It is also the second consecutive year a female artist has won, following British writer Posy Simmonds in 2024.

"I’m definitely seeing more women authors and that’s a good thing," Ricard told the press, adding that she was "overjoyed" and "proud" to be chosen by her fellow cartoonists.

French author Anouk Ricard won the Grand Prize during the 52nd Angouleme International Comics Festival in Angouleme, on 29 January, 2025. 

AFP - ROMAIN PERROCHEAU

Ricard, who first made herself known in children's publishing with her series Anna and Froga, was in the running against fellow French author Catherine Meurisse and the American Alison Bechdel, a key LGBTQ figure.

Britain's Posy Simmonds wins top prize at Angoulême Comics Festival

British cartoonist Posy Simmonds poses with her book "Cinq Contes" (Five Tales) in a library during the 52nd Angouleme International Comics Festival in Angouleme, on 30 January, 2025. AFP - ROMAIN PERROCHEAU

The super power of comics

One of this year’s biggest draws is Superman: The Hero with a Thousand and One Lives, running until 10 March. Created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster at the height of the rise of Nazism, the superhero's story reflects decades of social and political change in the United States.

"In an era where everything feels more sinister, it’s easier to promote Batman, who has a darker view of society," exhibition curator Yann Graf told AFP. But he insisted Superman is "more relevant than ever" amid social unrest and climate concerns.

The festival is also showcasing emerging talents and has a dedicated pavilion for school students, complete with its own awards.

For artistic director Marguerite Demoëte, the event’s success lies in its inclusivity. "It represents all genres of comics for all age groups," she said.

She noted that France’s comic book industry attracts readers from all backgrounds.

"There is no contradiction between the popular aspect and the literary aspect of these works," she told France 24.

Comics can tackle serious topics with satire and humour while bridging generational gaps. Demoëte pointed to Mortelle Adèle, a rebellious schoolgirl created by Antoine Dole, alias Mr Tan, as a book that has inspired many children to start reading.

Young talents paint a bright future for vibrant comic book business

Olé Olé!

Spain is the guest country of honour this year, with its own pavilion and a focus on Spanish authors, with the exhibition "Constellation Graphique".

The collection includes works of nine women avant-garde authors such as Barbara Alca, Marta Cartu and Roberta Vazquez.

Ernest Urtasun, the Spanish Minister of Culture present at Wednesday’s awards ceremony, welcomed the inclusion at the Angouleme festival as a “historic opportunity” for his country.

"Most countries look at Angoulême as the central point of dialogue around comics," he told AFP.

Emilio Gonzalo, general secretary of the Spanish Comic Sector told RFI’s Spanish service that many Spanish authors had made their mark in the competitive world of comics.

"Almost 200 Spanish authors currently work in the United States in the superhero market, both in Marvel and DC Comics," he said.

Japanese manga is also a major feature this year, with three key exhibitions.

Vinland Saga: A Quest for Identity explores Makoto Yukimura’s cult series from the 1990s, while Gou Tanabe X H.P. Lovecraft: Hallucinated Visions dives into cosmic horror.

The third exhibit, Kamome Shirahama’s Sorcerer’s Workshop, showcases the enchanting universe of the Witch Hat Atelier creator.

How rebel singer Mariem Hassan galvanised Western Sahara’s fight for freedom

A powerful new documentary at France's Fipadoc festival reveals Western Sahara's fight for independence through the story of Mariem Hassan, whose music became the voice of her people's resistance until her death in 2015.


Issued on: 01/02/2025 - RFI

Singer Mariem Hassan has played a leading role in the struggle for a free and independent Western Sahara. 

© Anna Klara Åhrén / Brahim B. Ali / Alex Veitch / Mohamedsalem Werad

The film Haiyu – Rebel Singer Mariem Hassan and the Struggle for a Free Western Sahara, chronicles Africa's last colony. This resource-rich territory of 266,000 square kilometres, with valuable phosphate deposits and fishing waters, is home to 600,000 inhabitants.

Since Spain ended its colonial rule in the mid-1970s, the region has remained caught between Morocco and Mauritania's territorial claims, while Sahrawi independence fighters backed by Algeria continue their push for sovereignty.

At its premiere in Biarritz's elegant Casino theatre, half the audience admitted they had never heard of Western Sahara. By the end, all applauded the film's rare archival footage presenting an unprecedented Sahrawi perspective on the conflict.

RFI interviewed Mohamedsalem Werad, co-founder of the online platform Saharwi Voice and one of the film's four directors, about the challenges of making the documentary and the story it tells.

RFI: Why is Western Sahara considered Africa's last colony?

MW: Western Sahara remains colonised because superpowers like France and the United States provide Morocco with the support it needs to maintain occupation. Morocco does their dirty work in return for military and political protection at the UN Security Council. At the same time, they exploit the region's natural resources for their benefit.

RFI: What was the goal of the documentary?

MW: The purpose of the documentary is to tell the story of Mariem Hassan and, through her, the story of the Sahrawi people and their fight for a free and independent Western Sahara.

Film director Mohamedsalem Werad, co-founder of the online platform Saharwi Voice, at Fipadoc 2025 in Biarritz. © Siegfried Forster / RFI

RFI: Was Mariem Hassan the main symbol of Sahrawi resistance?

MW: Mariem Hassan was one of many figures in our struggle – and I insist on "one of". There are many other legendary Sahrawis, from politicians to artists, who dedicated their lives to our cause. If we must speak of a Che Guevara for Western Sahara, it would be El Ouali Mustapha Sayed, the Polisario Front founder. He launched our revolution at 23 and was killed at 27.

RFI: How did music and culture play a role in Sahrawi resistance?

MW: We have a slogan: "Culture and music in service of liberation". During Spain's 90-year colonial rule, they deliberately limited Sahrawis' access to education. Only a handful of people could read or write, so our nation relied on oral traditions like poetry and song. Music was essential for communicating messages of freedom, touching people's hearts and strengthening their convictions.

From her refugee camp, Hassan sang against occupation, forced displacement and Morocco’s 2,700-kilometre defensive wall, built with American and Israeli expertise and known to Sahrawis as the "wall of shame". Her song Arrabi al Arabe became an anthem for peace and unity.

Macron renews French support for Moroccan rule in disputed Western Sahara

RFI: What were the challenges of making this documentary?

MW: The film represents 10 years of work. We had no budget and faced enormous challenges. I worked from a refugee camp, another director was in Spain, and two others were in Sweden. We handled everything ourselves, from archive research to production, travelling only when we could raise funds.

RFI: Why are Sahrawi artists largely unknown outside the region?

There are so many barriers. We're a small, divided nation, and even in the refugee camps, we only received electricity in 2015. We spent 40 years without development, making it impossible for our voices to be heard outside. Major powers have no interest in amplifying Sahrawi artists. It would expose their role in Morocco's occupation and their exploitation of our resources.

RFI: What is Mariem Hassan's legacy?

MW: When Sahrawis face difficult times, they find refuge and renewal in her music. She left us an extraordinary musical legacy that we must preserve.

In her final recorded message before her death in 2015, Hassan urged her people to continue to keep and develop our culture and arts. Through her music, she continues to inspire new generations to carry on the struggle.

We fight not just for her and past generations but for those to come," Werad said, "so they won't endure the same suffering she witnessed.

This story was adpated from the original version in French by Siegfried Forster

REST IN POWER

How London wild child Marianne Faithfull found her soul in Paris

British singer and actress Marianne Faithfull, who died at the age of 78, had deep connections to France and particularly Paris – where she had lived for over two decades.


Issued on: 31/01/2025 -  RFI

British singer Marianne Faithfull performs at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris on 25 November, 2016. © AFP - François Guillot

Faithfull, who inspired the Rolling Stones to compose the iconic "As Tears Go By" in 1964, moved to the French capital in the 1990s.

She was a vocal fan of Édith Piaf and Juliette Gréco.

Faithfull was managed by François Ravard, who later became her partner. He produced her live album "20th Century Blues", recorded at the New Morning club in Paris in 1997.

By the 2000s, she had settled in the first arrondissement, near the chic rue Saint-Honoré. About 10 years later, she moved to the Left Bank, living in Montparnasse.

Marianne Faithfull - Broken English. 1979 [Long Version] (Extended Music Video
([Dir by Derek Jarman]

'Music saved my life'

Faithfull endured many health struggles, including alcoholism, drug addiction, hepatitis and breast cancer. In a 2011 interview with RFI’s Imogen Lamb, she reflected on the role of music in her life:

"[Music] really saved my life. I always thought it might. I had great faith in that."

"I often think that it’s the vibrations in the sound that are so healing [...] Certain chords are very healing. I know that."

Tears gone by as Marianne Faithfull tours again

Speaking about "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan", the hit from her album "Broken English", which marked her comeback in 1979, she said: "It’s a song written by Shel Silverstein. He can write beautifully about women and what they’re feeling and thinking and the situation they’re in."

Faithfull could identify with Lucy Jordan.

"I know I’m not a housewife in a white suburb somewhere, cleaning the house all day... I never was. But I do understand Lucy Jordan and I put my heart into it," she said.

'I ended up in this life by mistake'

In 2016, French news agency AFP interviewed Faithfull after she recounted her life in the documentary Marianne Faithfull, Fleur d'âme, directed by French actress Sandrine Bonnaire. The film won awards at the Biarritz Audiovisual Festival in 2018.

"I always tell myself I ended up in this life by mistake because of Andrew [Loog Oldham] and the fascination with the Rolling Stones," Faithfull said.

In this interview, she also talked about "They Come at Night", inspired by the 13 November, 2015 Paris attacks: "I was at home, so shocked that I had to write a text immediately."

Yet, she would perform at the Bataclan on 24 November, 2016.

In 2020, after recovering from a severe case of Covid, Marianne Faithfull crossed the Channel back to London.

 

Troubled waters: French government under pressure over Nestlé revelations

According to an investigation conducted by journalists from Le Monde and Radio France, the French government allowed food and beverage giant Nestlé to continue selling mineral water that did not comply with health regulations. President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday denied the accusations of a wide-reaching cover-up.


Issued on: 04/02/2025 - RFI

Brands of mineral waters sold by the Nestle Waters Group, 21 February, 2024.

 © JOEL SAGET / AFP

"I am not aware of these things. There is no understanding with anyone, there is no collusion with anyone," President Emmanuel Macron told journalists on the sidelines of a trip to the Gustave Roussy cancer institute near Paris on Tuesday.

Macron was addressing the controversy surrounding new revelations in the Nestlé Waters purification scandal.

The subsidiary of the Swiss agri-food giant has been accused of using illegal processing methods on its bottled water brands to bypass stringent health regulations.

The group is the owner in France of brands like Perrier, Vittel, Hépar and Contrex mineral waters.

On Tuesday, investigative journalists from Le Monde and Radio France revealed that the services of former prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, and the French presidency allowed Nestlé to market these waters, despite the health authorities' recommendations for a ban from 2023.

No improvement

Citing "exchanges of emails and ministerial notes", the journalists accuse the French government of having "privileged the interests of Nestlé to the detriment of consumers" by granting exemptions for the company's practices.

At the beginning of 2024, Nestlé Waters, admitted to having used prohibited techniques such as ultraviolet light and active carbon filters "to guarantee food safety" of its mineral waters.

Nestlé admits to treating bottled mineral water in breach of French regulations

The company said it "lost track of the importance of conforming to regulations" but stressed that all the brands concerned now fulfil French requirements.

The group also reported it alerted the French authorities of the issue in 2021.

At the time, the government asked the national regional health agency (ARS) to organise some 32 inspections and found that a third of bottled water brands did not comply with regulations.

But the investigation by Le Monde and Radio France found evidence that the water quality of the products did not improve.

Journalists said they found a note dated 20 January, 2023 from the Director General of Health (DGS), Jérôme Salomon, who recommended "immediately suspending the authorisation" for Nestlé products from the Vosges area as well as the Perrier bottling site in Vergèze, in the Gard.

Salomon cited a report from the National Health Safety Agency (Anses) on the use of microfilters smaller than 0.8 micrometers, which concluded that the water leaving wells was "not microbiologically healthy".

When asked for details by the French news agency AFP, the president's office at the Élysée indicated that "the matter had been brought their attention" and that it had "referred those interested to the competent state services."

The DGS and Nestlé did not immediately respond to the request for information.

Nestlé and Alma face renewed legal action in France over water fraud

French consumer rights group Foodwatch filed a complaint in February 2024, alleging unlawful practices in the purification of Nestlé's bottled water.

Nestlé in September, reached a settlement known as a judicial public interest agreement (CJIP) which saw them pay a fine of €2 million to avoid a trial.

But Foodwatch said the multinational needed to be "held accountable" for "decades of fraudulent" actions and launched two more legal complaints, on 25 September.

One of the complaints targeted the company Sources Alma (St-Yorre, Vichy Célestins, Chateldon et Cristaline), accused of using the same illegal purification practices as Nestlé.

For Ingrid Kragl, director of information at Foodwatch France the "lack of transparency" between the companies and the French authorities surrounding the case "raises serious questions".

"For a year and probably years, products which do not comply with water regulations have continued to be marketed in France and around the world without companies being worried. And we, consumers, are left in the dark," she was quoted as saying on the Foodwatch website last Tuesday.

"Foodwatch demands that a trial establish responsibilities and that exemplary sanctions be imposed," the NGO said.

The NGO was due to be heard by a Senate commission inquiry on 29 January.

(with newswires)

A little girl sparkles in Oscar-nominated film – and shines a light on child labour

“Anuja”, a film directed by Adam Graves, was nominated for a 2025 Oscar in the live action short film category. The film, starring a former street child from New Delhi, examines the complex problem of child labour in India in a story packed with warmth, laughter, suspense and a hard look at the resilience of minors forced to work to survive.


Issued on: 01/02/2025 
By: Leela JACINTO

Sajda Pathan (L) and Ananya Shanbhag between takes during the filming of "Anuja" in Delhi, India. © Handout, Graves Films


Two sisters in a New Delhi slum giggle as they read the matrimonial ads in the classifieds section of a crumpled newspaper picked up from the streets.

Palak, 17, holds a rusty old torch for her kid sister, Anuja, while the nine-year-old slowly reads the Hindi text.

“Gainfully employed man…” Anuja bites her lip as she struggles with a difficult word.

“Seeks,” supplies her big sister.


“Seeks an equally suitable bride... ” the little one carries on with the informal reading exercise.

“The eligible girl should have fair skin,” little Anuja enunciates the imperative dramatically. She’s turning up the fun quotient of this unorthodox slum-study programme.

“Does my skin look fair?” asks Palak, turning the torch on her face in the dilapidated, candlelit hut, where a leak in the roof is used to collect water by night and irrigate a potted plant by day.

“Not fair enough,” she pronounces as the sisters crack up.

The literacy-via-matrimonial-ads class continues.

“Girl should not be too ambitious in terms of work,” reads Anuja.

Now her wise older sister is genuinely confused. “Should not be ambitious? If the girl is not ambitious, then who will be?” asks Palak. “Do the boys ever get any work done?” she asks with a face-splitting grin.

“Of course not,” comes the reply as the girls collapse laughing.

In their world, women of all ages – grannies, mothers, pre-teens, teenagers – work. It’s low-paid, unskilled, grinding work in one of the innumerable garment factories found in countries offering cheap labour for global markets driven by relentless consumption cycles.

The two sisters are the main characters in “Anuja”, an award-winning film, which was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year in the live action short film category.

Days after the Academy Awards nomination ceremony, Netflix announced a global release date for the 22-minute film. “Anuja” will be available worldwide on the streaming platform on February 5.

"Anuja" is nominated for the 2025 Oscars in the live action short film section.

 © Handout, Graves Films

An Oscar ‘rollercoaster ride’

For director and scriptwriter Adam Graves, the past few weeks have been overwhelming. A philosophy professor with an academic oeuvre in scholarly books and periodicals, Graves first took a stab at filmmaking during the Covid pandemic. The extra downtime meant he could shoot on location, which happened to be the family living room during lockdown.

From home movie-maker to Oscar-nominated debut director, Graves has had a “rollercoaster ride” over the past few weeks, he admitted in a phone interview from Los Angeles. “I don't think I’ve had time to process it, to be honest,” he confessed. “When we were filming, I knew the story was special. I knew the performances were incredible – it was like capturing lightning in a bottle. I was so proud of the film that we put together. But I just didn't think it would be nominated alongside other great films – and it’s soon to be on Netflix. We didn't realise the film would have such a large audience. It’s really incredible.”

Adam Graves on location with sound mixer Prasanjit Das during the shooting of "Anuja" in New Delhi, India. © Handout, Graves Films

Graves worked on the film project with his wife, Suchitra Mattai, a Guyanese-born American visual artist whose work often explores her family’s roots in northern India, from where her ancestors were shipped as indentured labourers to work on British colonial plantations in the Caribbean.

“That history of indentured labour is something that she's been doing a lot of research into because it's kind of a repressed aspect of her family history,” explained Graves. “So, we were thinking a lot about labour, and we happened upon this statistic that one out of ten children globally is engaged in child labour. That stood out as a really shocking statistic.”

Along with Mattai, who is one of the co-producers of “Anuja”, Graves started researching child labour. India was a logical place to go since, in addition to Mattai’s South Asian origins, Graves had also spent considerable time in the country as an undergrad and graduate student, including a university stint, doing research projects and studying medieval Sanskrit literature.
Sisters, together, in a cruel world

The Sanskrit literature background imbues the opening sequence of the film, which features Palak, the teenage elder sister played by Ananya Shanbhag, telling kid sister Anuja, played by Sajda Pathan, a story.

It’s a familiar tale for Indian children about a child, a mongoose and a snake, from the Panchantantra, an ancient collection of animal fables originally written in Sanskrit.

As the fable unfolds, in barely two minutes, the audience is provided the background and context for the next 20 minutes of the story. The sisters are orphans. Palak remembers the Panchantantra story recounted by their late mother. Ananya doesn’t – she was too young. The two girls are now on their own in the Indian capital, New Delhi, where they work in a back-alley garment factory owned by a boorish small businessman and run by a stern, cane-wielding supervisor.

In a teeming, unforgiving city where scarcity haunts the underclass, Anuja and Palak have something precious: each other.

The bond between the sisters – a relationship nourished by warmth, laughter, loyalty and sacrifice – is the central theme of “Anuja”. It will be put through a terrible test as the suspense-packed story unfolds, when the underage characters face choices that children should never have to make.


Anuja Trailer
From the streets, a child actor with 'raw talent'

Child labour is a persistent problem in India despite government efforts over the decades to eliminate its worst forms. Indian law defines anyone below the age of 14 as a “child” and prohibits any employment of this age group. Children between the ages of 14 and 18 fall in the “adolescent” category and can be employed – except in hazardous sectors such as mining and flammable industries, including matchstick and firecracker factories.

India is a signatory to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of eliminating child labour by 2025 and has numerous NGOs working on the issue, including organisations founded by 2014 Nobel Peace Prize-winner Kailash Satyarthi. But with roughly 60 percent of India's 1.3 billion people living on less than $3.10 a day, the World Bank's median poverty line, an estimated 10 million children below 14 years are forced to work for sustenance.

The Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation was among the handful of NGOs that Graves and Mattai contacted on a research trip to New Delhi. While they were all helpful in providing the US couple an on-the-ground understanding of the problem, the biggest breakthrough came from the Salaam Baalak Trust.

The NGO was founded in 1988 by activist Praveen Nair, shortly after her filmmaker daughter, Mira Nair, released “Salaam Bombay”, her acclaimed feature film set in the slums of India’s commercial capital.

The Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT) has a robust arts programme, and given its institutional understanding of the power of cinema, the NGO was able to introduce Graves to his main actor, the film’s show-stealer.

Sajda Pathan, a Delhi street child, was a beneficiary of the SBT and was enrolled in the NGO’s theatre programme in one of their shelters. When the NGO put Graves and Mattai in touch with young Pathan, they were floored. “We were totally blown away, she had raw talent,” explained the film director.

Anuja, played by Sajda Pathan, makes a difficult choice in the final minutes of the film.

 © Handout, Graves Films
Joy and ‘magic’ in difficult circumstances

Pathan’s electric portrayal of Anuja, a gifted child surviving the streets of Delhi, has an authenticity that enables global audiences to grasp the complex socio-economic issues covered in a short, 22-minute film. These include poverty, patriarchy, income disparities, corruption, and above all, the power of a resilience borne out of necessity.

“We are really, really proud of what Sajda has achieved,” said Shikha Maini, an SBT executive council member. “Frankly, knowing her, we’re not really surprised because we know that she's a great artist. But it’s also for our other kids, it’s quite motivating for them. Our girls and boys in the other homes [SBT shelters] are also feeling very, very proud. It's a boost for all of us here because the arts are a difficult field to make a living.

 There's a lot of insecurity, especially in India.”

A psychologist and certified arts-based therapist, Maini chuckles as she recounts how Graves, a father of two, has been anxious about the effect of the film’s success on his lead actor. “I spoke to Adam. He was quite concerned that, you know, Sajda must be getting a lot of attention. I said, yes, she is getting a lot of attention. But I feel she is enjoying her childhood as it should be. She's pretty okay, pretty much the way she used to be. She’s very grounded and fame hasn’t changed her. She’s a very balanced child.”

While the film does not appear to have radically changed the lead actor, it has certainly affected the director. “I learned, in meeting the kids that were formerly working or are still working, and I was surprised, I'll be honest,” said Graves. “I was just surprised by how much joy they managed to create within these very difficult circumstances and how much fun, and kind of magic they seem to have.”

Ananya Shanbhag (L) and Sajda Pathan star in "Anuja". © Handout, Graves Films

The academic-turned-director is philosophical about the content and form of his debut film. “I think we understand that in an ideal world, child labour wouldn't exist. But I wanted to humanise the decisions that contribute to the problem or contribute to its perpetuation,” he explained. “There are always decisions that take place within the context of very complicated circumstances, usually involving poverty. But I didn't want to tell a sob story because I don't think stories about victims who are defined by their past and have a passive victimhood are all that interesting.”

Regardless of whether “Anuja” wins an Oscar at the March 2 gala awards ceremony in LA, a world away, in one corner of New Delhi, a short film has touched the life of one little girl and inspired her friends and shelter mates by helping to give them agency in an imperfect world.

Why were so many Thai nationals taken hostage by Hamas?

Five Thai farmers were released by Hamas on Thursday, meaning nearly all of the 31 Thai hostages seized during the October 7 attack on Israel have been freed. How did so many Thai nationals end up being taken hostage that day?


Issued on: 31/01/2025 - 
FRANCE24/AFP
By: Joanna YORK

Thai hostages who were freed from Hamas photographed in Israel on Thursday, January 30, 2025. © The Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv via AP


In a photo taken shortly after their release by Hamas, five men looking weary and a little dishevelled hold up Thai flags for the camera.

After more than 15 months being held hostage, five Thai nationals – Sarusak Rumnao, Watchara Sriaoun, Sathian Suwannakham, Pongsak Thaenna, and Bannawat Saethao – were released on Thursday under the terms of a ceasefire deal between the militant group and Israel.

The handover in Gaza’s Khan Younis was chaotic as hundreds of people flocked to witness the five men, along with three Israeli hostages, leave the Gaza Strip.

But as the five Thai hostages stepped off a military helicopter and entered a hospital outside Tel Aviv, doctors and nurses cheered.


“Soon they will return to their families,” read a social media post by the Thai embassy in Israel.

Thousands of miles away in Thailand, their families wept tears of joy. “I was so happy that I could not eat anything. His father brought some food to me but I did not want to eat at all,” Surasak’s mother Khammee told The Associated Press, adding she thought that her son looked pale and puffy.

"It is confirmed, my son did not die. Thank you, God," Watchara’s mother Sriaoun told AFP. "I will hug him when I see him. I want to see if his health is OK, I am worried about his health," she added between sobs.

Watch moreThai hostages released by Hamas: A diplomatic success story

Doctors on Thursday said the men, all in their 20s and 30s, were in “fair” health, but had vitamin D deficiencies as they had been largely held underground and were not exposed to sunlight for extended periods of time.

During their time as hostages, they were fed “mainly pita bread and little protein dishes and vegetables”, and experienced some periods of extreme hunger, the director of Shamir Medical Center, Dr. Osnat Levtzion-Korach, told Israeli news source Haaretz. "Despite the hardships they endured, their mood is fine," he added.

The five will now spend a few days undergoing medical tests and recuperating.
Foreign labour

Of the 31 Thai nationals taken hostage by Hamas in their October 7 attack, 23 were released in November 2023, one is still being held hostage, and two died, bringing the total death toll for Thai nationals during the Israel-Hamas conflict to 46.

All belonged to a community of around 30,000 Thai agricultural labourers working in Israel on short-term labour visas.

Many of these workers come from Thailand’s poorer regions, such as the northeast, and move to Israel for financial reasons. There, working on farms such as banana plantations they can earn around $1000 USD per month compared to less than $200 at home.

But most still earn relatively low wages by Israeli standards and often work in poor conditions, as they are unable to speak the local language.

A 2015 report from Human Rights Watch said Thai workers were often “paid salaries significantly below the legal minimum wage, forced to work long hours in excess of the legal maximum, subjected to unsafe working conditions and denied their right to change employers”.

Many also unwittingly work in danger zones. A 2020 report from Israeli labour rights organisation Kav LaOved noted that, near the Gaza Strip, Thai labourers could be “sent to work in the fields during times of conflict in the area, even when working in the fields is prohibited. They are not aware that they are not supposed to work as the Home Front Command's local guidelines are published only in Hebrew.”

At the time of the Hamas attack, many Thai workers were living in compounds on the outskirts of southern Israeli kibbutzim and towns that were overrun by militants. Dozens were killed, despite not being Israeli targets.

“The Thai workers are innocent. They are not involved in politics, they have nothing to do with anyone’s conflict… they were just there to earn a living,” said Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara.
Returning to work

In the wake of the attack, around 7,000 Thai agricultural workers were quickly repatriated, but numbers have since crept back up again. Israel is keen to welcome back its Thai workforce – which it used to replace its reliance on Palestinian labour after the 1987 Intifada – and pledged in January to open up visas for thousands more workers.

In July 2024, the Thai government also gave the green light for 309 workers to travel to Israel and work in designated safe zones, with the expectation that numbers would grow to 10,000 over the next year.

As of Thursday, there were more than 38,000 Thai workers in Israel, Thailand's ambassador to Israel said.

Some, such as Jakkrit Noiphoothorn, also known as Thon, returned to Israel despite witnessing the October 7 attacks in person.

His employer Michael Huller, who also survived the attack, told The Times of Israel: “Thon came back because he has to make money and he still has his five-year visa. The king paid for a ticket home, so he went home to visit. And then he came back.”

'Cowboy Carter': Beyoncé's big win at the Grammys and its political weight

FRANCE24

Issued on: 03/02/2025 - 

In this edition of Entre Nous, we take a look at Beyoncé’s big win at the Grammy Awards. Not only did she finally take home Album of the Year, she also became the first Black woman to win Country Album of the Year. We discuss how her winning album, "Cowboy Carter", is widely seen as a political record, one that both embraces and thumbs its nose at country music. Finally, we look ahead to what's next for the music icon.

Watch more

Grammy Awards: 'Cowboy Carter' finally earns Beyoncé Album of the Year

By: Solange MOUGIN

Beyonce crowned queen at 2025 Grammys with country album 'Cowboy Carter'

Beyoncé won her first Album of the Year Grammy for "Cowboy Carter" at the 2025 awards, making her the first Black woman this century to claim the honor. Previously snubbed, she joins Lauryn Hill, Natalie Cole, and Whitney Houston in this historic achievement.


Issued on: 03/02/2025 -
FRANCE24
By: NEWS WIRES

01:35

Beyoncé accepts the Best Country Album award for "COWBOY CARTER" onstage during the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2025, Los Angeles. © Kevin Winter, AFP

Beyoncé has won album of the year for “Cowboy Carter” at the 2025 Grammys, delivering her — at last — the show’s elusive top award.

The superstar, who is both the most awarded and nominated artist in Grammys history, has been up for the category four times before and many feel she has been snubbed by its top honors.

In winning album of the year with “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé has become the first Black woman to win the top prize in the 21st century. The last was Lauryn Hill with “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” 26 years ago. Before her was Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston. That means Beyoncé is only the fourth Black woman to win album of the year at the Grammys.

Members of the Los Angeles Fire Department presented Beyoncé with the trophy Sunday, one of several times the show reflected the recent wildfires that burned thousands of homes.

“It’s been many, many years,” Beyoncé said in her speech. “I want to dedicate this to Ms. Martell,” she said, referencing Linda Martell, the performer who became the first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry.

“We finally saw it happen, everyone,” host Trevor Noah said, nodding to the long overdue achievement for one of music's transcendent artists.

Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, and Genesis Ali Dean are seen onstage during the 67th GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. © Amy Sussman, AFP

Kendrick Lamar won song and record of the year for his diss track “Not Like Us” at the 2025 Grammys, taking home two of the night's most prestigious awards.

“We're gonna dedicate this one to the city,” Lamar said before shouting out Los Angeles area neighborhoods.

It is the second hip-hop single to ever win in the category. The first was Childish Gambino’s “This Is America."

The Weeknd has mended his fractious relationship with the Grammy Awards with a surprise performance of his new single, “Cry For Me” and “Timeless” with Playboi Carti.

His decision is a direct reflection of the changes the Recording Academy has made to diversify its voting body, CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in his introduction. The Weeknd has been openly critical of the Grammys organization, dating back to 2020 when he wrote on Twitter: “The Grammys remain corrupt.”

It was just one of many pleasant surprises Sunday night. Chappell Roan was named best new artist at the 2025 Grammys.

She read a speech from a notebook, speaking directly to major labels and the music industry, instructing them to “offer a living wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists.” She described getting signed as a minor, getting dropped and entering the workforce during COVID-19 with no work experience and no health care. She asked them to treat artists like "valuable employees.”

“Labels, we got you," she concluded her speech. "But do you got us?"

In one of the biggest moments of the evening so far, Taylor Swift presented the award for best country album at the 2025 Grammys to Beyoncé. She became the first Black woman to ever win in the category.

“Genre is a cold word to keep us in our place as artists," she said in her speech. "I'm still in shock. Thank you so much for this honor."

Beyoncé entered the night as the leading nominee.

A little bit of the wild west, a little bit of West Hollywood. Roan brought a rocking version of her “Pink Pony Club” to the 2025 Grammy stage. Joined by a posse of dancing clown cowboys, she sang from atop a giant pink horse.

In incorporating the wildfires throughout the show, the Grammys put the spotlight on the city’s resiliency.

Noah's opening speech was dedicated to those affected by the fires, promising a show that not only celebrates them, but one that also celebrates "the city that brought us so much of that music.” The Grammys have also allotted ad time to be used by local businesses affected by the fires.

As the show neared its end, Noah announced that viewers had contributed $7 million to relief efforts Sunday night so far.

On a stage set up to look like the mountains of Los Angeles, the LA born-and-raised Billie Eilish and her brother/collaborator Finneas performed her hit “Birds of a Feather.” It was one of a number of ways the show seeks to salute the city. “We love you LA,” she told the crowd at the end of the set.

The show kicked off with a powerful opening performance of Randy Newman's “I Love L.A.” by Dawes — whose members were directly affected by the Eaton fire — backed by John Legend, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent.

The first televised award went to Doechii for best rap album for “Alligator Bites Never Heal.”

The tears were immediate. “This category was introduced in 1989. Two women have won, Lauryn Hill —” she said, correcting herself. “Three women have won. Lauryn Hill, Cardi B and Doechii.”

Will Smith introduced a tribute to the late, great, legendary producer Quincy Jones. “In his 91 years, Q touched countless lives, but I have to say he changed mine forever,” he said. “You probably wouldn’t even know who Will Smith was without Quincy Jones.”

American rapper Kendrick Lamar during the 67th Grammy Awards on February 2, 2025 in Los Angeles © Frederic J. Brown, AFP

Jones died in November at age 91. Kicked off by Cynthia Erivo, accompanied by Herbie Hancock on piano, the “Wicked” star sang Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon.” Then came Lainey Wilson and Jacob Collier with “Let the Good Times Roll,” followed by Stevie Wonder and Hancock busting out “Bluesette” and “We Are The World.” For the latter, they were joined by student singers from two schools that were lost in the LA-area fires.

Then, Janelle Monae with an inspired rendition of “Don’t Stop 'Til You Get Enough," channeling Michael Jackson in a sparkly tuxedo and an effortless moonwalk.

The Beatles’ “Now and Then,” which used AI technology, took home best rock performance. Sean Lennon accepted the award on behalf of his father John Lennon. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best band of all time,” he said of the Beatles.

First time winners were abundant. They included Carpenter, Roan, Doechii, Charli xcx, songwriter Amy Allen, Música Mexicana star Carin León, French metal band Gojira and country folk artist Sierra Ferrell.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith led the crowd in a short singalong of their hit “Under the Bridge,” reminding the crowd to “support their friends and neighbors as they rebuild their lives,” said Kiedis. Then they presented the best pop vocal album award to Carpenter for “Short n' Sweet.”

“I really wasn’t expecting this,” she said. “This is, woo, my first Grammy so I’m going to cry.” (She’s now won two, but the earlier award was handed out a pre-telecast ceremony that many artists don’t attend.) She also performed.

Shakira won Latin pop album for “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” and gave a powerful, short speech. “I want to dedicate this award to all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country,” she said.

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars teamed up for a cover of “California Dreamin’.” Later, SZA presented them with the award for best pop duo/group performance for “Die With A Smile.”

“Trans people are not invisible. ... The queer community deserves to be lifted up,” Gaga said in her speech.

Alicia Keys was awarded the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award “DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift,” she said in her speech, referencing diversity, equity and inclusion programs that have been scrapped recently by the US government and several major corporations.

(AP)

Kenya's Sengwer community refuses to leave Embobut Forest

Issued on: 03/02/2025 - 

Kenya's Sengwer community is one of the last to live in the Embobut Forest, in the North Rift Valley. But the government accuses this Indigenous people of damaging the forest and has asked them to leave. Hundreds of families have been forcibly evicted. The Sengwer, whose ancestral way of life is under threat, accuse the authorities of deliberately burning down their homes and are refusing to leave. Our correspondents Olivia Bizot and Bastien Renouil report.

05:15

FOCUS © FRANCE 24