Starting July 8 the nine-part television series Surprising Europe will be broadcast on Dutch public television (Nederland 2) by HUMAN and from August 8 by the international news channel Al Jazeera English. Over 220 million viewers worldwide will get to watch various portraits of Africans that show the real life of immigrants in Europe. The series shows a different image than the one most African migrants usually present to their family and friends back home. For Surprising Europe Africans in ten European countries show the reality of their lives.
Surprising Europe portrays stories of hope, opportunities and possibilities, as well as culture shocks, the struggle for survival and strange European traditions. Musicians put their views on Europe into words in an eclectic soundtrack. African ‘guest reporters’ zoom in on topics such as mixed marriages, discrimination and health care. They talk to the naive newcomer, the successful entrepreneur, the homeless job seeker, the ambitious student and the disillusioned prostitute.
Unique migrant guide for Africans
Ugandan photo journalist Ssuuna Golooba, initiator of the project, is amazed by European luxuries when he successively visits a dog hotel, a session of laughter therapy and retirement homes. Via Skype he communicates with others in Europe. They all believe that the people they left behind in Africa should be aware that life for their brothers and sisters here is not always rosy.
Kenyan rapper K-Nel presents the series from different European countries. Serious portraits, humorous on location reports and music are combined into a varied magazine-style television series.
Surprsising Europe on Al Jazeera English
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