What we wanted more than anything on our show was, still is, and will be for as long as we’re on air, to demonstrate that diversity is at the heart of everything francophone.

Diversity of culture is first. We covered artists from everywhere - Benin musician Angelique Kidjo, Québécois filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, French Star Isabelle Huppert, the guitar player from Mali Vieux Farka Toure, Louisiana artist Simon From New Orleans, Johnny Hallyday… as long as they speak French, they are more than welcome on our show.

During the 8 years of our show, we have valued a diversity of expression across almost every art form possible: painting, acting, modern music, classical music, cinema, TV series, street art, sculpture, Broadway musical, theatre, haute cuisine, stand-up comedy, sports, haute couture, fashion, opera, ballet, contemporary dance, oenology and even the circus. I’m pretty sure we covered every art form there is, and if we missed one, check out our next shows…

Through this diversity, we wanted to show that francophone culture is part of our lives here in the USA. Among TV5MONDE’s programs, Rendez-vous d’Amérique has left me amazed at how much francophone culture is in every way anchored in the heart of the American culture itself. The number of events coming from France, Canada, Africa, French-speaking countries in Europe and in the Caribbean’s have always amazed me. At first, I didn’t know if we’d have enough material to feed our show, but we have so much stuff that we can treat them all. It’s amazing and kind of comforting to see how America is open to francophone culture.

At a time where some people are trying to play on our differences to separate us, it’s kind of reassuring to see that it will never ever work. Doing this show, I know now that we are using each other’s cultural differences to enrich our own and to feed our need of culture in order to understand each other.

In the 8 years of Rendez-vous d’Amérique, and, I hope, in the several more to come, I will just try to show as best as I can that the francophone and American cultures have never been so close.

Rendez-vous d’Amérique is a program on TV5MONDE USA, which follows cultural news that takes place throughout the United States. Click here for more information about the next episode!

From famous French actors and actresses like Gerard Depardieu and Marion Cotillard to film festivals and stimulating discussions with entrepreneurs and artists, Rendez-vous d’Amérique covers it all. Your host on this cultural experience is Didier Allouch - reporter, cinephile, and a familiar face interviewing celebrities on the red carpet at events such as the Oscars, Golden Globes, and the Cannes film festival. Click here to find out how you can subscribe to TV5MONDE and tune into Rendez-vous d'Amérique!