Actor and politician, Desmond Elliot turns Santa Claus for Christmas

Prolific actor Gérard Depardieu takes on the role of iconic French inspector Jules Maigret in Patrice Leconte's latest take. FRANCE 24's film critic Lisa Nesselson tells us why she thinks Depardieu was born to play this role.

When fiction is portrayed as fact: a French film is hijacked to stir anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Chechnya. In this edition of Truth or Fake, we also debunk yet more claims that President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife have fled the country.

The head of the jury for the Series Mania television festival, Ukrainian producer Julia Sinkevych, speaks to Eve Jackson about the importance of festivals during times of conflict, how "culture is a powerful tool to stop aggression" and why Russian dissidents should not get help from the French government.

Ukrainian writer-director Maryna Er Gorbach and film critic Lisa Nesselson join Eve Jackson in the studio to discuss a timely tale that's all too real about a pregnant woman refusing to leave her home on the Ukraine-Russia border when faced with war. Er Gorbach's award-winning feature "Klondike" shows the toll of war on ordinary people amid the Donbas conflict in 2014. She explains why she's part of a group of seven Ukrainian directors calling for a complete boycott of Russian artists.

A new film paints a portrait of the woman known in South Sudan as the "mother of the nation". The film follows Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, who is the widow of revolutionary leader and national hero John Garang de Mabior, in her role as the country's vice president amid a fragile peace deal in the country. The portrait is remarkable for its intimate access as its director is also her daughter, Akuol de Mabior. She joined us for Perspective to tell us more about "No Simple Way Home".

Critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Marjorie Hache about the latest on the big screen and streaming platforms. We begin with the new adaptation of French verse play "Cyrano de Bergerac". British director Joe Wright has made a musical version starring Peter Dinklage as the would-be suitor. We also discuss the new super villain "Morbius", as well as French film "Petite Nature" or "Softie", the story of a 10-year-old boy who has a crush on his teacher.

In this edition of Encore!, we report on legendary US actor Bruce Willis's retirement because of his aphasia, a language disorder that robs people of their ability to communicate. The 67-year-old is perhaps best known for his role as New York cop John McClane in the "Die Hard" movies. We also take a trip to the 1920s to discover a new exhibition exploring an extraordinary generation of female artists. Plus, we bring you a report about women on the French rap scene.

Film critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Eve Jackson about the week's film news, including first-time director Omar El Zohairy's award-winning Egyptian feature "Plumes", or "Feathers". They also discuss iconic French director Cedric Klapisch’s ballet drama "En Corps", or "Rise", as well as Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz’s "Inexorable" and Jean Renoir's restored 1939 classic "The Rules of the Game".

Hot on the heels of the success of "Drive My Car" at the Academy Awards, Ryusuke Hamaguchi returns with a three-part feature that puts his talent for dialogue and visual storytelling in the spotlight. Lisa Nesselson extolls the charms of "Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy" and tells us why the prolific Japanese filmmaker should be receiving armfuls of awards in the years to come.

Cuba Gooding Jr. pleaded guilty on Wednesday (April 13) to a misdemeanor count of forcibly touching a woman at a New York nightclub in 2018, as part of an agreement with prosecutors that spares the Oscar-winning actor any immediate jail time.

We look at British papers' reactions to a "bold" UK plan to process and resettle would-be migrants in Rwanda. Also, there's soul-searching in Senegal after the death of a pregnant woman who was refused a caesarean. Finland and Sweden accelerate their decision on joining NATO in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finally, cult British film "Bend it Like Beckham" turns 20!

From getting a nomination alongside Angelique Kidjo for the 2022 Grammys Award for Best Global Album to being the mixing/mastering brains behind countless Nigerian hit songs and albums, such as Kizz Daniel – Barnabas EP including Lie, Pour Me Water, etc, Buju’s Sorry I’m Late EP, Adekunle Gold ft Davido – High, Wizkid, Adekunle Gold, Omah Lay, DJ Tunez – Pami – amongst many amazing projects, Victor Kpoudosu, better known as VTEK became the standard for making great music and guaranteed hit songs both in Nigeria and outside the shores of Africa.