France in focus

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. 

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 anti-Semitism. FRANCE 24’s Natacha Vesnitch and Jonathan Walsh report.

France in Focus shines a light on how Paris went from utter darkness to the illuminated city of today. The team meets a passionate group of electricity enthusiasts to discover some of the most famous lamps that have lit up the French capital. They also speak to the granddaughter of Fernand Jacopozzi, the engineer who famously illuminated the Eiffel Tower in the 1920s. Lastly, they explore how Paris's iconic monuments stay in the limelight today.

Eiffel Tower illuminations: © SETE Tour Eiffel. Lighting designer: Pierre Bideau.

Read more'Fin d'année' festivities: Exploring France's holiday traditions

More than a fifth of the French population is disabled. But for 80 percent of them, it doesn't show. Whether to disclose it or not is a delicate choice, given that disability is the leading cause of discrimination in France. Our team went to meet teenager Marc, who has a rare disease that means he has barely any intestines. They also met Joëlle, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and several other illnesses.

The Renaissance-era Villers-Cotterêts castle, in France's Picardy region, is now home to the first cultural site in the world dedicated to the French language, a project championed by President Emmanuel Macron. It's a story conveyed with words, art and architecture to pay tribute to a language spoken by some 320 million people across the globe. But is the influence of the French language still growing? We speak to Xavier North, Hassane Kassi Kouyaté and Barbara Cassin, co-curators of the museum.

The NBA's next season is set to kick off with the "Michael Jordan" of French basketball, Victor Wembanyama. All eyes are on the 2.24-metre-tall mega talent who joined the San Antonio Spurs in June. He follows in the footsteps of Tony Parker, who was inducted into the NBA’s Hall of Fame in August. France in Focus takes a look at the players who have made it into the American league, past and present. We also head to the French mecca of sports, INSEP, to see the rigorous training French athletes follow. Lastly, we look at what it means for French clubs and France when they lose their star players to the NBA.

Wine lovers will be familiar with Bordeaux, Bourgogne and Beaujolais. These wines are all symbols of French culture, celebrated worldwide. Yet over the past 60 years, wine consumption has dropped by 70 percent in France. Reds, in particular, have been given the cold shoulder – even abroad. So why are consumers changing their habits? How can winemakers in south-western France survive? Some are even forced to tear up their vineyards and seek compensation from the French government and EU. Our team reports.

A secondary school in southern France embrace of social diversity programming a few years ago is now bearing fruit. Launched five years ago, the initiative aims to welcome students living in the the disadvantaged neighbourhoods of the city. It allows them to grow academically and socially, making a positive impact in the classroom. Noemie Roche and Aurore-Cloe Dupuis report.

It's a monument that is synonymous with France. The Eiffel Tower is more than just a wrought iron landmark, its very existence represents an architectural feat taken on by the man who gave it its name: Gustave Eiffel. This year marks 100 years since the engineer died. During his lifetime, Gustave Eiffel fought against all odds to make his dream come true, building a 300 metre high iron tower in the heart of the French capital.  

Guests:

Savin Yeatman Eiffel: Curator of the exhibition "Eiffel, higher and higher"

Valentin Delplanque: Wind tunnel test engineer