In 1924, French poet André Breton wrote a short text with fellow poet and compatriot Louis Aragon that was to send ripples through the world of art and literature, providing a blueprint for the avant-garde movements of the 20th century. One century later, we take a look at how the Surrealist Manifesto prompted an intellectual and artistic revolution in 1920s Paris; a statement of intent that was to have repercussions far beyond the French capital in the years that followed ..read more

Exactly five years ago, the world watched in horror as Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral was ravaged by flames. Today, carpenters and artisans are hammering away to meet a December 8 deadline for the Gothic landmark's grand reopening. Spectators attending the Paris Olympics this summer will already be able to admire the renovated structure from the outside. Meanwhile, life has resumed on the Île de la Cité, the island that's home to Notre-Dame in the historical heart of the French capital. The square in front of the cathedral and its surroundings are even set for a makeover. FRANCE 24's team w ..read more

Nearly three quarters of French people eat chocolate once a week, consuming an average of 7 kilos per year. But what seems a simple indulgence has a dark side: cacao farming has resulted in massive deforestation. Reports of child labour and farmers who are often unfairly paid have tarnished the industry. Despite all this, chocolate has been considered a delicacy in France for centuries. In this show, we're focusing on an emerging new trend: ethical chocolate ..read more

The race for accommodation in Paris could be an Olympic sport in itself. The number of rentals is plummeting, whilst prices are soaring. Yet real estate agents are overwhelmed with demand. From short-term rentals to efficiency upgrades, prospective tenants are paying the price for the ongoing crisis. We take a closer look ..read more

Text, code, speech, image and even video: you can now create anything in a flash thanks to generative artificial intelligence. This world-changing innovation presents an opportunity for France, which hasn’t been a leader in tech since the dawn of the internet. The French government is currently investing 1.5 billion euros into AI, and has championed a so-called “open source” approach. FRANCE 24's Peter O’Brien explores the potential payoffs ..read more

It's an annual celebration of ruckus and revelry: carnival season has kicked off in France, bringing an explosion of colour to the grey months of winter. From the Latin "carne vale" meaning "farewell to meat", the ancient festival has evolved into a collective moment of excess ahead of the Christian period of Lent. From overseas in Guadeloupe, to down south in Nice, and even up north, France is letting loose. The France in Focus team reports ..read more

Paris is preparing to hold the Olympics this summer, but did you know that the last time the French capital hosted the Games was exactly 100 years ago? Much has been forgotten about the 1924 Olympics, but records were broken, champions were made and more women athletes took part than ever before. FRANCE 24's Stéphanie Trouillard and Claire Paccalin went to see what’s left of the 1924 Olympic stadiums and find out which ones will be used again in the Games this year ..read more

Located in the heart of the French Caribbean, Guadeloupe is best known for its beaches, rivers and waterfalls. But beyond the postcard image, more than 70 percent of wastewater treatment plants in the island are out of order – or nearly – despite significant funding, particularly from the European Union. The result is a health and environmental catastrophe that threatens all the bathing waters in this French overseas archipelago. FRANCE 24's Karina Chabour investigated years of poor management ..read more

It's a pastry that's synonymous with the month of January in France. At the start of every year the "galette des rois", or king cake, fills bakeries across the country and there's one to suit everyone's taste. In this show, we find out more about the origins of this French culinary tradition which, contrary to popular belief, doesn't date back to the Three Kings but to the Saturnalia feasts in ancient Rome. We also take you to the bakery that won this year's title for best galette in the greater Paris area. Yasmine Menacer, its head pastry chef, gives us some of her baking tips.  ..read more

Since the October 7 Hamas attack and Israel's crushing response in the Gaza Strip, more than 1,500 anti-Semitic acts have been recorded in France – three times as many as in the whole of 2022. For many French Jews, this outpouring of hatred has awakened a feeling of vulnerability. We went to meet Rachel Jedinak, a survivor of the World War II Vel d'Hiv' roundup; Jonas Jacquelin, a rabbi at a synagogue in Paris’s Copernic Street; Hanna Assouline, president and co-founder of the NGO Women Warriors for Peace; and Michel Wieviorka, a renowned sociologist and author whose research interests include ..read more