Perspective

A Ukrainian photographer has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the scars the war has left on his country, and how he tries to reflect them in his work. Vic Bakin's pictures feature Ukraine's youth, most recently as they relax away from the front lines. He spoke to us in Perspective.

One of Russia’s leading critics has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how Moscow uses its criticism of the west to justify the poor living conditions of its people and the need for constant repression. Dmitry Glukhovsky, who has been sentenced in absentia to 8 and a half years in jail after accusing President Vladimir Putin of invading Ukraine, spoke of his hope of how Putin’s power could unravel. His latest book is called in French “Journal sous Dictature : Comment j’ai vu la Russie Basculer”, or “A dairy under dictatorship: How I’ve seen Russia change”. He spoke to us in Perspective.

Our guest today on the programme is a distinguished and versatile conductor – widely recognised for his expertise in contemporary and French music.  His career spans numerous acclaimed projects for orchestras, ensembles, and stage productions. This year, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Pierre Boulez’s birth, Franck Ollu is leading Les Siècles in a series of concerts across Europe, with performances in Paris, Munich, Berlin, and Bucharest. Boulez himself died back in 2016.  

As the huge summit on artificial intelligence kicks off here in Paris, one of the world’s top experts has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the pros and cons of the technology, and how it needs to be used responsibly. It comes as France, and co-host India, try to claim some ownership of AI amid intense competition from the US and China. We spoke to Abeba Birhane, founder of the AI Accountability Lab at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

An author who spent his early life living in a refugee camp in Sudan, his early teens in Saudi Arabia and then arrived in London as an underage unaccompanied refugee speaking no English, has told FRANCE 24 how he turned his life around, and how his books reflect the situations he has found himself in. Sulaiman Addonia went on to earn degrees in development studies and economics. His latest book "The Seers" tells the story of a homeless Eritrean in London, and the sexual encounters she faces as she tries to negotiate a foreign land. He spoke to us in Perspective ahead of his appearance at the Paris bookshop Shakespeare and Company this Thursday. 

The maker of one of the most remarkable films released last year has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how he gained access to and followed the Taliban just after they retook control of Afghanistan in 2021. Part of the film follows the Taliban around a vast former US complex known as Hollywood Gate, which was full of some of the $7 billion worth of military equipment left behind by the Americans. That included tactical fighter jets and M16 rifles. The film has been shortlisted for Best Documentary Feature Film at the Oscars. Ibrahim Nash'at spoke to us in Perspective.

It's being called the lost music of Auschwitz. A British composer has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his chance discovery of pages of compositions by prisoners at the Auschwitz death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. The works were often put together by people who did not survive the camp's horrors. Leo Geyer has spent the last decade researching and documenting the compositions, amid his quest to ensure that the music lives on. He spoke to us in Perspective.

The head of humanitarian NGO the Norwegian Refugee Council is accusing the international community of turning its back on the Afghan people since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Jan Egeland is just back from a long visit to the country, where he focused particularly on the thousands of Afghans who are being sent back to Afghanistan every day from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan. He says both countries claim they can no longer continue to host Afghan communities after decades of support. But Egeland says those returning are facing a life of abandonment. He spoke to us in Perspective.

A mental health worker for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how the ceasefire has been a relief for the people of Gaza. Zahra Legris is now back in Dublin after spending two months in the south of Gaza working for the charity. She says the return of thousands of Palestinians to what remains of their homes will be the start of a very difficult healing journey for them. She spoke to us in Perspective.

It's a book that could well change your life. That's the claim from author Paul Ham, who says his life changed for the better as he wrote his latest book "The Soul: A History of the Human Mind" and in the process became more optimistic about humanity. The book aims to show how belief in the soul, and beliefs arising from the soul or mind, have animated and driven our history. He spoke to us in Perspective.