Episodes English

The documentary delves into the complexities of cultural identity and belonging through the lens of the narrator’s personal experiences as a member of the diaspora. It explores how orality, storytelling, and the concept of the “third culture” have shaped the narrator’s identity and worldview. Through intimate reflections and interviews, the documentary sheds light on the struggles and resilience of those who navigate the intersection of multiple cultures, inviting viewers on a journey of self-discovery and cultural exploration.

1. Orality and Cultural Identity: The use of oral traditions and storytelling has been foundational in shaping the narrator’s cultural identity and personal development.

2. Diaspora Experience: Growing up in a diaspora, the narrator faced challenges of identity and belonging, often feeling like an outsider in different cultural contexts.

3. Complexity of Third Culture: The concept of the “third culture” is not just a theory but a lived experience, representing the blending of two worlds and the construction of a unique identity.

4. Struggles and Resilience: Despite facing challenges, the narrator aims to empower others to share their stories, highlighting the resilience and strength of those who navigate the complexities of cultural identity.

[MUSIC – ABOVE CHIANGMAI]

[PILOT] Good afternoon and welcome to the New York City John F. Kennedy national airport.

[MOM] Hey my baby

[MOM] How are you?

[MOM] My baby

[DAD] Hey, 

How are you?

[MOM] You’re fine? 

Everything went well? 

Did you have a good day?

[DAD] Well, I hope that

Everything going well for you.

[MOM] Where are you, in school?

Or at home?

[DAD] I hope that

you had a great day too

Today it was my return to work

Well,

The way they made me drive

Anyways

I drove to 77 (a french deparment)

I came back to Paris

I drove all around Paris

Ah, I’m soo tired

I’m sad that my vacation is over.

[MOM] Well, if you have my text

If you have some times

Let me know or call me back

[DAD] Well,

I’ll leave you alone

Stay strong

[MOM] God keeps you safe there my baby

Take care

[DAD] Anyways, it’s 11pm here (in France)

There (in US) it’s

It’s 5pm

I think yes

I think that I will go back vacation

[MOM] I love you my baby

Ok

See you later.

[BEEP] The number you dial is either unattended or out of coverage area, please check the number and dial again. [BEEP]

[Tape Insertion]

[Chirping of birds and street noise] [MUSIC – Retire Final]

In my life, “enough” was a word that often seemed out of reach. I was told I wasn’t tall enough, pretty enough, or smart enough. I wasn’t French enough, but I wasn’t Congolese enough either. I constantly felt like I was lacking something, always falling short of expectations.

[BEEP] [BEEP] [BEEP]

[Tape Insertion]

[JESSIE] I remember that, for example in my case and in the case of many, many young people from immigrant backgrounds, I obtained French nationality when I was thirteen years old. It’s birthright citizenship. And I remember the scene, it was very brutal because, well, like I said, I didn’t have a special notion that I wasn’t particularly French, but I’m not particularly Congolese either. And so when you arrive in this office and they ask you why, why, well, what’s happening today? Why are you in this office, etc., and you’re just twelve, thirteen years old, honestly you have no idea, like for you, you’re French, on your papers it says you’re Congolese but you don’t really understand, so you say, well, what I replied to the lady. I remember I told her, yeah, well, for the papers, and she went into this thing like it’s not for the papers, it’s much more, it’s nationality. I was, I was looking at my parents like, yeah, I don’t understand why she’s shouting at me. I really don’t understand. I absolutely don’t understand the fact. Well, the fact that she’s telling me that the act I’m doing there is, in quotes, to become French when I’m French because I’ve always lived in France. Well, I think I’ve really, how should I say, I’ve really internalized the values of the Republic all my life. So it was still a shock and I think it’s quite representative of being a child of immigrants in this country, that you always have to prove that you deserve to be French.

[Tape Insertion]

[Chirping of birds and street noise] [MUSIC – Retire Final]

[NARRATION] All my life I always felt that I was lacking something. Diaspora, people that change countries, people that grew up in a specific country with an ethnic household. The laugh, the ridiculous, the shame. As a member of the diaspora, navigating different countries and cultures, I learned to compromise parts of myself to be understood. I behaved differently in different spaces, adapting to fit in, to be accepted. But even among my peers, I struggled to find true comfort.

In the bustling streets of the city, I often find myself lost in thoughts that echo the complexities of my upbringing as a child of immigrants. The concept of the “third culture” is not just a theory to me; it’s the fabric of my identity, woven from the threads of two worlds.

[GRACIA] So I am part of what is more commonly referred to as the diaspora because I am Congolese, descended from Congolese parents of origin and nationality, formerly of Congolese nationality who emigrated to France. So I was born French but Congolese origins still remain in the skin, in the blood, and even in the culture. So I really consider myself as a Congolese but of the diaspora because that’s clearly what I am, a Congolese abroad.

[NARRATION] Growing up, I faced a constant barrage of questions about my identity. “Do you feel French?” they would ask. The truth is, I’ve never quite felt like I fit neatly into any single box. Raised in a city that offered little in terms of opportunities, my parents made immense sacrifices to ensure my siblings and I had a chance at a better future. Despite their efforts, I often found myself feeling like an outsider in the halls of privilege, the only one who looked like me among peers who couldn’t understand my struggles.

Navigating language and cultural assimilation was a daily challenge. While fluent in multiple languages, I never felt fully at home in either. In my quest for acceptance, I found myself erasing parts of my cultural identity to fit into a mold that was never meant for me. But deep down, I yearned for more than mere tolerance; I craved a sense of belonging that transcended borders and boundaries.

[GRACIA] So yes, I have had the opportunity to discuss this with friends from other countries, but it is a quite recurrent and widely shared feeling to wonder where we ultimately come from. Are we not stateless, in a sense, in grand caricatures, so to speak? To think that we are not entirely French, we are black-skinned, we are constantly reminded that France welcomed us, welcomed our parents, but at the same time, we are not necessarily African either, no matter which country we come from because we do not live there, we do not know the realities. When we arrive there, we are French, we are white, despite your skin color may be very dark, but you will always be considered white because you come from Europe, you come from the outside. So there is still this identity confusion, this feeling of identity confusion, of loss of origins, of roots, is strongly felt, whether, I have already felt it, I have already had to feel it and experience it and even express it in real life with friends, and I have already heard people around me talk about it and testify to it, yes…

As I walked the familiar streets of my city, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of displacement, a longing for a place that felt like home. Yet, even in the land of my ancestors, I knew I would be a stranger, having given up parts of myself in pursuit of acceptance. I was caught between two worlds, belonging nowhere and everywhere, a perpetual outsider in my own life.

[Radio interference] [Tape insertion]

[GRACIA] I am close to my (Congolese) culture as I mentioned at the beginning, with the food, the music, the theaters, culturally…

[JESSIE] I think it’s still a richness and a chance to have this sort of double nationality which is not really one, I think it’s a chance to be able, in fact, I think there is a certain ambivalence, like we grew up with this French culture and we come home we have this Congolese culture waiting for us, and in the end, it makes a mix.

[Tape]

[Music – Massu Franco]

But amidst the struggle, I found solace in the shared experiences of others who, like me, were navigating the complexities of the third culture. Through my project, I aim to shine a light on these shared experiences, to open a dialogue about what it means to belong, and to celebrate the resilience and strength of those who, like me, walk this path.

My journey continues, a quest for identity and belonging that is as much about the destination as it is about the journey itself. And as I navigate the complexities of the third culture, I do so with the knowledge that my story is just one thread in the rich tapestry of the human experience, a tapestry woven with the threads of countless cultures and experiences, each contributing to the vibrant mosaic of our world.

So, as I look out at the city, I see not just buildings and streets, but a reflection of my own journey—a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the beauty of embracing a cultural identity that is uniquely mine.

So during this journey, I want us to grow together, unpack what we carry with us for so long and put words on what has been silenced forever. Come along with me in my journey of discovering myself. The main question we will try to answer together is “Am I my culture’s keeper?”

[Music – Massu Franco]

Cultural identity / Diaspora experience / Oral traditions / Third culture / Identity and belonging / Immigrant experience / Cross-cultural communication / Storytelling / Cultural heritage / Resilience and empowerment