The projectt

" Berlin est à nous " (www.berlinestanous.com) is an experimental project based in Berlin aiming at offering an interactive platform to the French-speaking expatriates in various cities of the world (New York est à nous, Tokyo est à nous...). It´s a community and integrative project. By community, we mean all which gathers us in Berlin; the French language and our situation of expatriates or tourists.

In this sense, we propose usual broadcasts and issues, forums, events and services. By integrative, we mean all which facilitates the integration in Germany through our broadcasts, issues and events which confront us, decipher and make us embrace the Berlin life.

Captureecran-berlinestanous

Broadcasted on the Internet, Berlin est à nous addresses all the French speakers, Berliners, tourists or curious who need Berlin under an intimist day and alternative nights. The www.berlinestanous.com platform is endowed of:

✦ a Web TV which proposes 6 different programs:

"French Touch" : Reports on places, products or french specificities in Berlin.

Reports realized by Nat, reporter.

Nat2

"Ich bin ein Berliner" : Talk-show: Portraits of French-speaking persons, also celebrities living in Berlin.

Interviews realized by Guillermo, presenter.

Guillermo

"Ça, c´est Berlin !" : Reports on unusual or symbolic places and practices of Berlin.

Reports realized by Lise, reporter.

Lise

"La vidéothèque idéale" : Intimist cinema chronicle.

Chronicles realized and presented by Christelle, columnist.

Christelle

"Langue de bois/Langue de vipère" : Society and german politics debates livened up by a heterogeneous team. Debates realized and moderated by Alexandre, presenter-moderator.

Alexandre

"Les yeux plus gros que le ventre" : Culinary programs dedicated to the German regional specialities.

Programs realized by Niko, presenter- amateur cook.

Niko

✦ an interactive community plateform :

Commentezlesemissions

- Forum

- Chats

- Blogosphere

- Classified ads

✦ events :

Soiree-berlinestanous - - -

- Clubbing

- Business dating

- Treasure hunt...

The story

I arrived to Berlin 5 years ago without speaking a word of German (I joined my partner). Although the adventure of the expatriation is exciting, I took a lot of time to feel myself as at home and to appropriate myself the Berlin life which is nevertheless very rich. With hindsight, I realized what had been the main obstacles:

- The language: not to speak the language of the host country slows down the integration, it is obvious. But, in fact, I realized that most annoying was that I continued to listen to french channels) and that I knew nothing of the German current events or the political affairs of Berlin or the life of the other Berliners.

I also realized what had allowed me not to isolate me: - The language: the French language, by a human community reflex allowed me paradoxically to jump in this city and especially to meet German. And this thanks to the French-speaking community (French, Swiss, Belgian, Beninese, Senegalese, from Quebec..), to blogs, to French-German tandems...

And then I wanted to make the synthesis of this experience by creating Berlin est à nous, a platform as I would have liked finding one when I arrived, completely lost. But also a platform for the woman whom I am today, well integrated but always eager for discoveries on the city and for the tourists also who will find an inside look on the city.

If this project works, I would like to create identical platforms in other cities with important French-speaking community: Tokyo, New York... so that every French speaker which travels or emigrates in these cities finds this community platform there.

Berlin est à nous - Web TV

The publications