“Jean Vanier, the Sacrament of Tenderness” for the closing of the Voilah! French Film Festival
Our film “Jean Vanier, The Sacrament of Tenderness” was given the honor of closing the Voilah! French Film Festival, which was held from November 4th to 17th in Singapore. As producer and director of the film, Frédérique Bedos was invited to present it to a very enthusiastic audience: in just 2 days, every seat for the screening was sold out!
Among the guests were His Excellency Mr. Marc Abensour, Ambassador of France in Singapore, Mr. Anthony Chaumuzeau, Advisor for Cooperation and Cultural Action at the Embassy, Mr. Kelvin Koh Chi Wee, CEO of MINDs, and Mr. Sherman Ho, Director of Partnerships of the Singapore Film Society. As further proof of the interest shown in this film, we also noted the presence of members of the Ministry of Education.
At the end of the screening, our founder was able to have a prolonged exchange with the audience. The attendants were particularly receptive to the story of the great man, as well as to the singular philosophy of L’Arche, where empowerment of disabled persons is at the very heart of the organization. In Singapore, the expression used is “self-determination”.
A Privileged Screening with French Citizens Overseas
The film was also shown at a special viewing for French Citizens Overseas, with the support of AFS (an organization that welcomes French nationals in Singapore) and UFE (Union of French Citizens Overseas). Once again, it was a very moving moment!
These special moments with the Singaporean audience that came in large numbers to discover our film were an excellent opportunity to convey the message of this great man far beyond our borders. And this is also a good sign as concerns the international distribution of the film, which should begin very soon. We will let you know.
Le Projet Imagine on the BBC
During her stay, Frédérique Bedos had the opportunity to respond to various media requests. She was interviewed by the famous Asian journalist Sharanjit Leyl for BBC Asia Business Report and BBC Newsday.
On the strength of her intuition regarding the urgency of using media power for better purposes, Frédérique was led to give a lecture at the FCA (Foreign Correspondent Association) and Club 1880. The debate was moderated by Sharanjit Leyl, BBC journalist and CFA President, on the topic of the role of the media and the power of hope. Founded in 1956, the Singapore Foreign Correspondents Association is one of the oldest and most important foreign media organizations in Asia.
As always, enriching exchanges followed! This moment of sharing also earned Frédérique a standing ovation (a rare occurrence for conferences organized at Club 1880, despite this venue being specialized in inspiring debates). This event also enabled us to build relationships with other NGOs, such as Women on a Mission or Her Planet Earth.
Our team of volunteers based in Singapore rallied to participate in the launch of the Edenred Heroes Challenge 2020, building awareness in Edenred teams about the values of our NGO.
