SanSebastian

The French Ministry of Culture names the Director of the San Sebastian Festival Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et des lettres

José Luis Rebordinos places this honorary distinction within the context of his links to the French culture and filmmaking

The French Minister of Culture, Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, informed the Director of San Sebastian Festival by letter of his appointment as Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et des lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Lettres of the French Republic). This is an honorary distinction given since 1957 by the French Ministry of Culture, one of the four highest ministerial orders bestowed by the French Republic.

The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) recognises “eminent artists and writers, as well as people who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world”. The order has three ranks: knight, officer and commander. The rank of knight, or chevalier, goes to artists, writers or intellectuals with a background spanning at least three decades.

In her letter, the French Minister of Culture stresses José Luis Rebordinos’ “contribution and commitment to culture”. For his part, Gautier Lekens, Minister Councillor at the French Embassy in Spain, thanked Rebordinos for having helped “to project the French culture with his actions”.

 "France and its culture have been very important to me all my life. As a teenager, in the mid 70s, when Spain was coming out of the long night of fascism and the dictatorship under Franco, I was able to access a number of literary authors, like Henry Miller for instance, thanks to the books I would buy in the French Basque Country. I was also able to watch some of the films by directors who have left their mark on me on French TV in original version, with French subtitles: films by Jean Renoir, Yasujirô Ozu, Ingmar Bergman, Carl Theodor Dreyer... Thanks to my work for years at Donostia Kultura and now as Director of the San Sebastian International Film Festival, I have had the opportunity to take a much closer look at French cinema, at those who make it and those who distribute it worldwide. Both myself and the Festival consider French filmmaking to be one of the most important in the world. I would like to express my gratitude for this recognition I feel honoured to receive and to confirm my efforts to keep French cinema at the forefront as a guiding light in our country"

San Sebastian Festival Director, José Luis Rebordinos