French ambassador Michel Miraillet on the importance of the Femis Summer School

Michel Miraillet, the French Ambassador to the UAE in Abu Dhabi. Christopher Pike / The National

For French ambassador Michel Miraillet, the Femis Summer School is much more than movies – the programme is a cultural exchange.

“For the first time they find themselves alone with others and there is no family with them,” he says.

“There’s that sentiment that the doors are open and there’s a new life out there.

“Just the simple pleasures like having dinner together on the terrace at 10pm, exploring the parts of Paris that don’t make the tourist pages, having dinner with a typical French family, and seeing the similarities and differences to home. I don’t mean we’re just sending people to have fun in Paris for two months, but it’s the whole package.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly for an ambassador, Miraillet also sees the programme as a form of soft diplomacy.

“It’s a two-way thing. They are the best ambassadors imaginable. They project the nature of Emirati society, which is possibly the opposite of what French people expect,” he says.

“There are still so many misconceptions in the world and among French people.

“Thanks to these ambassadors, people can see that Emiratis have an intellectual life and a refinement in their personalities and natures, that they possess creativity. For us education is crucial, and this is not the solution on its own, but it is one brick in the wall. That’s why we’re happy to finance this programme, and why French companies such as Total are happy to assist with financing, even though the economic outlook isn’t great right now,” says Miraillet.

He also concedes that promoting such an initiative is a welcome respite from the usual diplomatic duties.

“For me personally, as an ambassador, dealing with film is like a breath of fresh air,” he admits.

“To sit here talking to you about film is a welcome break from the trade deals and the military discussions, and I love that.”