October Events: Month of Reunion Island

A Month Dedicated to Reunion Island at the Alliance Française de Pondichéry

Through concerts, talks, literary encounters, workshops, and exhibitions, the Alliance Française de Pondichéry invites you on a journey to Reunion Island. This French territory in the Indian Ocean, located next to Mauritius, is home to volcanic landscapes, vibrant music, and living traditions shaped by the meeting of Africa, Europe, and India.

The bond between Pondicherry and Reunion Island is deep and enduring: generations of Réunionnais have kept alive their Tamil roots, visible in language, rituals, cuisine, and festive traditions. To discover Reunion Island is also to rediscover a familiar part of India—transformed and enriched by cultural blending.

For one month, come and experience the creativity of Reunion Island, where Indian heritage meets other influences to give life to a truly unique culture.

 

 

 

“Cilaos & Dig-Dig”: A Photographic Journey into Reunion Island

Discover Reunion Island through two striking photographic series at the Alliance Française de Pondichéry.

“Cilaos: A Circus, A Spirit” by Laurent de Gebhardt captures the remote village of Cilaos, blending its dramatic volcanic landscapes with the daily lives and spirit of its inhabitants.
Link: https://laurentdegebhardt.com/serie-artistique-cilaos

“Dig-Dig” by Ysabelle Gomez celebrates Reunion’s Creole culture through vibrant images and proverbs, inviting viewers to feel the joy and richness of the island’s traditions.
Link: https://www.ysabellegomez.com/portfolio/dig-dig

Together, these exhibitions offer a unique window into the landscapes, culture, and soul of Reunion Island.

 

Screening La Kourmétragerie – “Cinema, heritage of Réunion”
4 screenings ‧ 76 minutes

THEMES: DRAMA, FAIRY TALE, COMEDY

– “Reine Kayanm” by Nicolas Séry (21’06 , Creole with subtitles)
– “La Vérité sur Alvert, le dernier dodo” by Nathan Clément (16’45, Creole with French subtitles)
– “Adieu les copains” by Lawrence Valin (12’53, French and Creole with French subtitles)
– “Tangente” by Julie Jouve & Rida Belghiat, (26’33, French and Creole with subtitles)

 

 

“Le Petit Piaf”: A Reunionese Tale on Screen

Le Petit Piaf is a charming comedy-musical that captures the warmth, humor, and vibrant spirit reminiscent of Reunion Island’s culture. Through its playful storytelling and colorful characters, the film evokes the island’s sense of community, joy, and resilience, offering audiences a glimpse of the everyday life and local traditions that make Reunion Island so unique.

Screened at the Alliance Française de Pondichéry, this film is a delightful way to experience a slice of Reunionese culture from the big screen.

 

“Edmond Albius: The Boy Who Revolutionized Vanilla”

Discover Edmond Albius, a 12-year-old enslaved boy from Reunion Island who, in 1841, invented the hand-pollination technique that transformed vanilla cultivation worldwide. His method, still in use today, enabled the mass production of vanilla. Thanks to his innovation, Reunion Island became a leading producer of vanilla, and its Bourbon vanilla is now celebrated as one of the finest in the world.

Opening with the reunionese historian Gilles Gauvin.

 

Conferences and Book Talks with Gilles Gauvin

Historian from Reunion Island, Gilles Gauvin is both an engaged researcher and a passionate pedagogue, moving between academic scholarship and cultural outreach. His work sheds light on Reunion’s history while making it accessible to a wider audience.

During his stay in Pondicherry, he will lead a series of events exploring key moments of Reunionese history and memory:

• Conference (in French) – The commemoration of December 20 in Reunion Island: from denial to recognition
  📅 Tuesday, Oct. 14 | 🕖 7:00 PM | 📍 AF Pondichéry

• Book Talk – Writing the history of Reunion Island through the destinies of Reunionese women
  📅 Wednesday, Oct. 15 | 🕠 5:30 PM | 📍 AF Pondichéry

• Conference – The history of slavery in Reunion Island through comics
  📅 Thursday, Oct. 16 | 🕒 3:00 PM | 📍 University of Pondicherry

• Screening & Discussion – Slavery in Bourbon (with English subtitles)
  📅 Thursday, Oct. 16 | 🕖 7:00 PM | 📍 AF Pondichéry

• Panel – Engagism (with Gilles Gauvin, Kafmaron, Gaëlle Belem, Judith Misrahi-Barak, and Jenni Balasubramanian)
  📅 Friday, Oct. 17 | 🕖 7:00 PM | 📍 AF Pondichéry

Workshops & Concert with Kafmaron

Kafmaron, singer-songwriter from Reunion Island (France), fuses maloya, the island’s traditional music rooted in African and Malagasy rhythms, with reggae influences. His songs explore love, identity, and social struggles, while remaining deeply anchored in Reunionese culture.

Back in Pondicherry after a triumphant first concert last year, where he performed to a packed hall and received a standing ovation, Kafmaron promises once again to enchant the public. His music carries the memory of enslaved and indentured workers, many from South India, and celebrates the enduring cultural ties between Reunion Island and India.

Workshop “974”
📅 Wednesday, Oct. 15 | 🕑 2:00 PM
📍 Pavillon de France, Multimedia Center, Town Hall, Auroville

Concert
📅 Saturday, Oct. 18 | 🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Alliance Française de Pondichéry, 58 Suffren Street, Pondicherry 1

Workshop “Mix”
📅 Sunday, Oct. 19 | 🕕 6:00 PM
📍 École Française d’Extrême-Orient, 19 Dumas Street, Pondicherry 1

No registration required. Events in Reunionese Creole, French, and English.

Screening & Discussion – Slavery in Bourbon

Join us for a documentary about slavery in Reunion Island, a powerful film that uncovers a little-known history of the Indian Ocean. Through rare archives and the voices of specialists, it explores the cultural, social, and economic legacies of this crime against humanity, including the enduring influences of Indian indentured workers and their contributions to Reunionese society. The film also paves the way for the future Historical Museum of Slavery in Saint-Gilles-les-Hauts.

The screening will be followed by a discussion in French with Reunionese historian Gilles Gauvin.

 

Exploring Reunionese Stories with Gaëlle Belem

Gaëlle Belem, the first Reunionese novelist published by Gallimard, translated into several languages and available in Folio pocket editions, brings her rich literary voice to Pondicherry this October. Her work explores Reunionese identity, culture, and history, weaving together personal and collective stories.

Her series of events in French includes:

• Musical Reading – Friday, Oct. 17 | 5:00 PM | AF Pondichéry
  Gaëlle Belem will be accompanied by a Reunionese musician, creating a unique blend of literature and music.

• Writing Workshop – Wednesday, Oct. 22 | 10:00 AM | Pavillon de France, Auroville
  Introduction to Writing – an interactive session for aspiring writers.

• Panel – Friday, Oct. 17 | 7:00 PM | AF Pondichéry
  Engagism – a discussion on artistic and social engagement.

• Conference – Thursday, Oct. 23 | 2:30 PM | University of Pondicherry
  The influence of India on Reunionese society from the 19th century to today: spices, indentured labor, religion…

• Book Talk – Thursday, Oct. 23 | 6:00 PM | AF Pondichéry
  A conversation around a work selected and presented by the author.

 

Exhibition – The Strange Story of Furcy Madeleine

Discover the remarkable story of Furcy Madeleine, a slave in Reunion Island whose mother was Indian, and who bravely demanded his freedom. This French-language exhibition, at the Alliance Française de Pondichéry from October 28 to November 9, highlights his courage, resilience, and the Indian roots that shaped his identity and struggle.

Through documents, images, and narratives, the exhibition sheds light on the history of Indian indentured and enslaved people in the Indian Ocean, offering a compelling glimpse into their fight for dignity and justice.

📅 October 28 – November 9 | 📍 Galerie, Alliance Française de Pondichéry

 

Film Screening – Shivers Down the Spine

Experience a spine-tingling journey through Reunion Island’s short films at the Alliance Française de Pondichéry. On Thursday, October 30, at 7:00 PM, five captivating films showcase the island’s creativity and storytelling in French and Reunionese Creole, with French subtitles:

• Culpabilis by Pierre Erudel – 2’57’’

• Zékli Fanal by Stan Araboux – 9’51’’

• Somin lo sor, Kourmétraz directed by Aurélie Filain – 13’

• Tropikal Monsters by Pierre Erudel – 9’37’’

• Cassandre by Joffrey Renambatz – 21’33’’

📅 Thursday, October 30, 2025 | 🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Auditorium, Alliance Française de Pondichéry, 58 Suffren Street, Pondicherry 1