Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
The Drôles de Zèbres (Funny Zebras) humor festival in Strasbourg has been hosting top French artists, comedians, and a few newcomers for the past twelve years. Among the acts at this year's festival is Laurent Chandemerle, the man with a thousand voices, who can impersonate celebrities to perfection. This video will give you a taste of French humor and, no doubt, a few chuckles!
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Hardcore techno musician Manu le Malin [Wild Manu] is one of the oldest regulars at the Astropolis Festival in Brittany, which just celebrated its twenty-year anniversary. Its attendance has swelled from two thousand to ten thousand participants, but the rave-like spirit of the festival remains the same, and it keeps drawing big crowds every year.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
"Un Petit Noir" (or "A Small Black," a slang term for a small black coffee) is the bookstore café in Lyon specializing not only in gourmet coffees, but also in detective novels and thrillers. Besides crime fiction and caffeine, the store also serves some great jazz concerts to add to the "noir" ambiance.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
If you're a crafty person, consider attending the "Salon des métiers et activités de la création" (Jobs and Creative Activities Trade Show), which features a large number of hands-on workshops related to fine arts, framing, needlework, and more. In this video, Alessandro interviews a workshop instructor who explains an interesting sewing technique called the counted cross-stitch.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Belgium
Singer-songwriter Stromae walks us through his personal creative process and the many choices he has to make to create his beautiful songs, such as the one you will hear in the background called "Papaoutai" (Dad, Where Are You?). Knowing what goes into the complex process of making music only deepens our appreciation of his work.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Marion walks us through the Buttes Chaumont, a former limestone quarry transformed into a magnificent park, complete with an artificial lake, a grotto, dramatic cliffs, and even a Roman-style temple. On a more tragic note, the park is also home to a bridge that the poet Louis Aragon once called a "mecca for suicides." Luckily, the bridge is now protected by a wire fence.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
In "Inch'Allah" (Arabic for "if God wills" or "God willing"), French slam poet Grand Corps Malade and Algerian singer Reda Taliani team up to promote a message of love and acceptance of people of all cultures and colors. In the video, two people are lucky enough to have the song performed at their wedding!
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
Canada, France
Corneille reflects on his fifteen-year career as a hip hop variety singer. Born in Germany but raised in Rwanda and now residing in Canada, Corneille absorbed various musical influences, which resulted in an eclectic and interesting mix of genres that he will explain in this video. You will also hear short music clips, one of which is from his latest album Entre nord et sud [Between North and South].
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Alessandro goes to the flea market to interview the owners of a charming vintage boutique specializing in clothes and accessories from the 1880s to the 1980s. The owners even dress the part in their gorgeous costumes.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Some Alsace residents take Christmas decorating very seriously. From two men who go all out with phantasmagoric light displays to a woman who opts for a subtler, 1940s décor, you'll find some different takes on what it means to be in the "Christmas spirit" in this video.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Discover a unique instrument called the ondes Martenot, a precursor to the synthesizer named after its inventor, Maurice Martenot. This electronic piano-like instrument, once a musical sensation in the 1930's, quickly fell into disuse, but is experiencing a revival thanks to Christine Ott, a talented pianist who adopted this unusual instrument and has worked alongside such musical greats as Radiohead and Yann Tiersen.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
The Marseille-based rap group IAM is back after a six-year hiatus with their new album, Arts Martiens (Martian Arts), which is already topping the charts in France. Check out a preview of their song "Notre Dame veille" (Our Lady Watches) in this video.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
A menu for 8 euros... in a Zen decor! Not only has Joan Schmitt turned an old Alsatian bistro into a chic restaurant with a modern, minimalist style, but he also cooks for his clientele with local and worldwide produce, which he describes here with great gusto.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Parisian duo Julien Boulfray and Brieuc Carnaille sing a colorful song, "Hey, tu ne me manqueras plus" ("Hey, I won't miss you anymore") from their album "Vertiges." Enjoy their quirky retro pop/rock/electro style of music.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Lauren continues her tour of Lyon's Croix-Rousse neighborhood, a favorite haunt of artists and students who go there to live, work, and shop. The neighborhood also maintains its heritage as a center for craftsmen.
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