“A beautiful entertainment program, with songs, artists, texts, and that there is meaning and content”, this is what announces Michel Field, Culture and Living Show director of France Television, about the show Freedom Day. Aired Tuesday evening on France 2, the show will be centered around the values of the republic, through founding texts set to music and performed by French artists of all generations (Patrick Bruel, Yseult, Joey Starr, François Berléand …) .
Presented by Daphné Bürki, this concept takes up the initial idea of Sébastien Boudria, music teacher (and present at the evening), who had set to music 19 emblematic texts of the French Republic in the album Jours de Gloire, released in 2020 The evening offered by France 2 is presented as an “extension” of his work, offering a spectacle that is both sound and visual. “Each of the interpretations and each of the texts will be the subject of a complete artistic picture, with the presence of musicians, dancers, and children’s choirs”, announces Laetitia Lamic, member of the production company Coyote.
“Reaffirm the values of the republic”
Two hours in prime time around the values of the republic, on paper, the bet seems risky. Nevertheless, the channel wants to believe in a craze: “We are on the eve of a presidential election, a very powerful marker of democratic life. We said to ourselves that the public service was there by reaffirming what fantasically is the common base of everyone, namely the values of the republic ”. Michel Field also reassures viewers, and indicates not wanting to give them “a lesson in civics”, but rather entertainment, whose words, he hopes, will resonate.
Secularism, tolerance, women’s rights, freedom… There are many values that France 2 wishes to honor during this evening. In total, around fifteen artists will perform both texts by Victor Hugo and Albert Camus, as well as variety songs such as The grenade by Clara Luciani, or Resists from France Gall. Public figures will therefore be present, but not only. “We also wanted to give a voice to citizens, nurses, teachers, students and even children, who will come and talk about their daily struggles.” Beautiful people for this evening hosted by Daphné Bürki, who will take the time to recontextualize each of the texts.
📺 🎵 Let’s go for 3 days of filming with France 2 & Coyote Live at @bataclan_ for the bonus “The Festival of Liberty” broadcast soon pic.twitter.com/9NWJFp1G2M
– Florence Jeux (@flojeux) November 6, 2021
An evening filmed at the Bataclan
To extend the symbolism, which seems to be the common thread of the show, it is at the Bataclan (with its audience!) That the evening broadcast on November 23 was recorded. A choice “not obvious”, but fully assumed by the chain. “We said to ourselves that it was extremely important that the hall continues to live. The simple fact of shooting the show there, it has a huge meaning, both civic and cultural, ”says Michel Field.
Although the location was “emotionally too strong or complicated” for some artists who actually refused to participate, the show is primarily intended to be a party, to which the channel hopes to attract as many people as possible.