Her photographs of celebrated personalities, from Toni Morrison to Tupac Shakur, have become iconic images. Dana Lixenberg tells us about three decades of providing her unique perspective on the United States and the evolution of a society she first started documenting in the 1990s. As her major, monographic exhibition "American Images" opens at the Maison Européenne de la Photo in Paris, the Dutch photographer tells us about being surprised by the enduring success of her beautiful black-and-white image of Tupac, how a small community in South Central LA crystallised her love of image-making and why artifice in photography is all right in very small doses.

You’ll hear its unmistakable sound in tiny islands of the South Pacific, bustling capitals in West Africa and chilly ports in the northeast of the Americas. The French language is spoken by more than 390 million people all over the world, and that linguistic community is celebrated by the International Organisation of Francophonie. French content is also increasingly popular on social media, with lifestyle, culture and education influencers sharing linguistic tips online.

French director Xavier Giannoli's latest film sees Jean Dujardin embody the moral slide from pacifism to collaboration, as the Academy Award-winning actor helms the historical drama "Les Rayons et les Ombres". Film critic Manon Kerjean tells us why the complexity of its characters gives the film a powerful sense of nuance and why – at over three hours long – it's still a compelling watch.

Dancer, choreographer and singer Ralph Beaubrun has built a global following with his joyful dance classes and infectious energy online. Now the Franco-Haitian artist is stepping further into music with his new EP "ID.2", blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms, shatta and pop while singing in Creole, French and English.

From vampires and car chases to K-pop and Shakespeare, this year’s Oscars showcased the range and creativity of contemporary cinema. The clear winner of the night was "One Battle After Another" from director Paul Thomas Anderson. The satirical epic took home six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, confirming its status as one of the year's most acclaimed films. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the film blends action, comedy and political satire, exploring themes such as authoritarianism, immigration tensions and the rise of extremism.

She’s played the blushing bride in "Mamma Mia!" and the sidekick to the high-school bully in "Mean Girls". Now Amanda Seyfried takes on the role of Ann Lee, the 18th-century religious leader who founded the Shaker movement in the United States. Eve Jackson hears from Seyfried about the role at the Paris premiere of The Testament of Ann Lee. We also check in with ambassadors of Tuareg culture, Tinariwen, as they return with their 10th album and embark on a European tour. And, we hear from the team behind a powerful new animation telling the story of a child soldier travelling through Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia in "Allah Is Not Obliged".

Winners of a Grammy Award in 2011, Tinariwen are back with their 10th album, "Hoggar", marking a career that spans 45 years. The album is a return to their roots for these passionate defenders of nomadic culture and their people. Sonia Patricelli and Aurore Dupuis report.

As he takes on the presidency of PEN America, Dinaw Mengestu explains why defending a plurality of voices is crucial at a time of censorship and revisionism. He also discusses how the organisation is working to rebuild its credibility after criticism over its failure to condemn the war in Gaza in 2023. The award-winning author’s fourth novel, “Someone Like Us”, has just been published in France, and Mengestu tells us about the personal elements he has woven into this story of an Ethiopian-American grappling with his identity. We also discuss the immigrant experience in the United States and why notions of “us” and “them” remain such divisive forces in public debate.

Jessie Buckley takes the title role in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s 21st-century retelling of a 1930s silent movie, and film critic Emma Jones explains why her performance alone is worth the ticket price. We also discuss some of the criticism the film has received for its feminist stance and assess Christian Bale’s turn as the lab-made monster. Actor-director Andrea di Stefano offers a very personal story in "Il Maestro", plunging us into the Italian tennis scene of the 1980s, with Pierfrancesco Favino as a troubled, charismatic coach. Meanwhile, Cherien Dabis’ sweeping epic "All That’s Left of You" sees the actor-director weaving her own family story into eight decades of Palestinian struggle. And Ryan Gosling pulls out all the stops in the blockbuster "Project Hail Mary", as he attempts to save the Earth and ends up befriending an alien ally.

“The Bechdel Test” started as a joke in one of her comic strips before becoming one of the most famous measures of gender representation in film. Now, acclaimed American cartoonist Alison Bechdel has joined forces with French critic Iris Brey for their new essay, “La Véritable Histoire du test de Bechdel”. FRANCE 24’s Charli James speaks with Bechdel about the true story behind the test, how it feels when your name becomes more famous than you, and how she uses humour to empower the queer community in the Trump era.