Entertainment | ‘Le French May’ hopes to involve locals

Julien-Loïc Garin (left) and Andrew Yuen

The 24th edition of “Le French May” is set to commence in May and run until June with more than 120 programs in Hong Kong and Macau.
In a press conference yesterday at the Mandarin Oriental Macau, Andrew Yuen, chairman of the board of Le French May, presented the highlights of the event.
The event’s extension to Macau will include a showcase of a collection of 74 bronze sculptures by Edgar Degas in “Edgar Degas: Figures in Motion”. There will also be treasures and realistic paintings of southern China in “Auguste Borget: A Painter-Traveller on The South China Coast,” a piano recital by Michel Dalberto, and the cinema program entitled “Dream of Another World – Utopias.”
“I believe our festival has become a major player in the growing arts arena of Hong Kong and Macau.  ‘Le French May’ continues to play an important role in nourishing our local artists as well as promoting art appreciation among the general public,” said Andrew Yuen.
Meanwhile the Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, Eric Berti, stressed to the Times that the event aims to involve local people in the French cultural event.
“The festival was created in Hong Kong and it grew […] so we expanded to Macau and Shenzhen, but now there is a specific demand in Macau, so we want to address that […] The new idea is to create more exhibitions and performances in Macau.”

Auguste Borget’s painting depicts A-Ma Temple, Macau

This year, Le French May has again collaborated with the Macau Arts Festival to bring “Disabled Theater” to the territory. In addition, dedicated menus and wine pairings featuring the refined cuisine and wine from the Alsace region will be presented by various Macau restaurants, Michelin-starred chefs and wine merchants in the “GourMay” section of the event.
Mr Julien-Loïc Garin, CEO of “Le French May,” emphasized the uniqueness of the Edgar Degas exhibition, which will be exclusively presented at MGM Macau, and expressed the hope that it will help increase tourism interest in the city.
“We dedicate some important projects to Macau every year. For this edition of ‘Le French May,’ we are presenting unique artworks in Macau, such as sculptures by Edgar Degas and paintings by Auguste Borget,” he said. Staff reporter

over 1m visitors per year

Established in 1993, Le French May is a cultural event that “attracts over 1 million visitors each year,” according to the organizers. The festival aims to “explore imagination of new rules, new stories and new worlds through paintings, sculptures, design, music, theatre, cinema and gastronomy under the theme of ‘Dreams and Wonders,’” according to a press release.