10 March 2010 - 17H58  

France honours Japanese film maker Takeshi
Japanese film director and artist Takeshi Kitano (L) poses after being awarded Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by French culture minister Frederic Mitterrand (R) on March 9 at the Fondation Cartier in Paris. Takeshi is a huge television personality in Japan and renowned worldwide for his films and cult gameshow "Takeshi's Castle."
Japanese film director and artist Takeshi Kitano (L) poses after being awarded Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by French culture minister Frederic Mitterrand (R) on March 9 at the Fondation Cartier in Paris. Takeshi is a huge television personality in Japan and renowned worldwide for his films and cult gameshow "Takeshi's Castle."

AFP - France awarded one of its highest artistic honours on Tuesday to the Japanese screen star and film maker Takeshi Kitano, director of bizarre and violent cult movies such as "Battle Royale".

Takeshi was made a Commander of Arts and Letters by French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand at the Cartier Foundation, a top Paris contemporary art venue where paintings by Takeshi are on show until June.

"You are not a man of one single film nor one single style, much less one single face," Mitterrand told Takeshi, presenting the medal to the star.

Takeshi is a huge television personality in Japan and renowned worldwide for his films and cult gameshow "Takeshi's Castle", in which members of the public perform humiliating and spectacular stunts.

"This exhibition shows that more than ever that you are not a man of one single art form," Mitterrand added.

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