My dear francophiles, francovorous and francophageous friends, it’s time for me to wish you the best for the new year!
Yes, we know, the worst is always possible, we had a good taste of it last year, but never forget that the better is also a possibility. Let’s come together in hopes to make everything better in 2021. And cross our fingers, it works!
See, I live in Los Angeles, in Culvirus City, a little bit southwest of Covidwood, in what people like to call the epicenter right now. Which in a seismic city is pretty ironic, don’t you think? So I have no choice, things have to get better. We just have to wait for the vaccine and its effect. A few more months, maybe half a year… I know, we’ll have to be patient.
So while we wait, why not diving into a French-speaking cultural universe? It’s not that difficult, you just have to have a television set or a computer.
Of course, you could watch tons of movies, TV shows, entertainment programs and documentary on TV5MONDE. OK, it’s the network I work for but I still can say they are doing a really good job in supporting “Francophonie” all over the world and particularly here in the U.S. Forget for a moment that I work for them, and just imagine me as a soccer fan (yes, I am. My team : Montpellier… Go MHSC!). I can tell you the difference it makes to hear French commentary during a game. When I watch a “Ligue 1” game on BeIn Sports, I’m just watching the game. When I watch a “Ligue 1” game on TV5Monde (especially if Didier Roustan is commenting it), I’m living it. The language is important, the language changes everything.
Same with movies and TV shows… One of the most important reasons that I came to the U.S. is my love for American cinema. It’s still the same, that hasn’t changed. I just realized, through the years, that I also needed French cinema. It has always been a part of me. I just didn’t realize it until a few years after I arrived in L.A. So I subscribed to TV5MONDE. I wasn’t working for them at the time. It helped a lot. It became obvious that I needed stories told to me in French.
TV5MONDE is still doing the job today but they’re not the only one. In this week’s episode of Rendez-Vous d’Amérique, Omar Sy talk to us about his new TV Show Lupin, inspired by the Maurice Leblanc’s literary saga. There is nothing more French than Arsène Lupin. But it’s on Netflix. A big TV show in French on the biggest international streaming service… I know, it’s competition for TV5Monde but that’s OK. It’s a very cool show and tens of millions of people will watch it and listen to a great story told to them in French…
That’s also supporting ‘Francophonie”. We know. At TV5Monde, we’ve been doing that for 37 years now…
So yes, we can wait for a better world as long as we can wait “en français”.
To learn more about all things francophone from Omar Sy's latest film to Jane Birkin's new album, tune in to Rendez-vous d’Amérique on TV5MONDE USA. Click here for more information.
Exploring cultural diversity through TV, films, and beyond, Rendez-vous d'Amérique invites you on a journey to discover Francophone culture in America. Your host on this cultural experience is Didier Allouch - reporter, cinephile, and a familiar face on the red carpet. Click here to learn how you can subscribe to TV5MONDE USA and never miss an episode!