Tag Archives: Belgium

Brussels: Meeting Eric Monami And The “Sans Chichis” Team

Posted on March 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

– I like to be in the inner cercle with the others, 

says Eric Monami, the producer of the TV program “Sans Chichi” played on the RTBF (the Belgian public television). Naïvely I thought making this interview during a shooting day was a great idea. It is, but I confess I lost a bit of my concentration. Many people go back and forth, chat, laugh and of course work, great atmosphere. Eric is calmy speaking again :

– The original idea of “Sans Chichis” was inspired by a TV progam of France 5 « Les Maternelles ».  But we couldn’t adapt the concept for Belgium. With François Tron, the TV programs director of the RTBF, we read many women’s magazines to conceive the contents of the TV program. It was really entertaining !

We wanted a TV program about real life, with the idea of real conviviality and closeness and useful news. Our advantage is we talk about Belgian things to the Belgian audience. The TV program speak not only to women, but also to men. 40% of men read women’s magazines. I don’t  feel uncomfortable to say it, I like women’s magazines. We realized a pilot program in June 2009. And the transmission started last Septembre 28, 2009.

In charge of the editorial line with Patrick Weber, Sandrine Graulich

is adding (picture above):

– “Sans Chichis”, it’s like a sitcom, with three main characters, Joëlle (Scoriels) – Adrien (Devyver) –  Gérald (Wathelet). They lead the life of the TV program, with every day, a different feature editor.

Stopping his checking with a technician, Eric is explaining me:

– We made a casting and choose Joëlle. She is really clever, serious and crazy. She is able to welcome Mrs X or a professor. For cooking with Gérard Wathelet, we need cool people. We try to have fun, comme like buddies.

Adrien Deviver is checking is computer before co-hosting the TV program.

And the entertainer Gérard Wathelet is appearing

to explain me more about his ecclectic career started as a couturier (picture above):

– And as a landscape gardener. And now as a radio host too, in a program where I can tell every things about dead writers (Laughs). It’s all about the same thing, I’ve always loved different worlds. I love what is good, and lasts, quality and humility. You have to be very very good and always expect more.

What is the Belgian food ?

– The basis of Belgian food came from the French bourgeoise food. Some examples : Carbonates flamandes, Boulets à la liégeoise, Petits gris de Namur (snails).

Eric’s recommends:

A museum : in the Musée d’Art Ancien, I have a paintaing I love, « Le Brailleur ». Place Royale 3, 1000 Brussels.

Gérald’s recommends:

A restaurant : the Archiduc, Antoine Dansaert 6, 1000 Brussels, Tel : 02 512 06 52, www.archiduc.net 

Thanks Eric, Sandrine, Coco, Gérald, Joëlle and Adrien !

Related posts :

Meeting Joëlle Scoriels in the backstage of « Sans Chichis » TV program  

INTERVIEWS & DESTINATIONS

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Joëlle Scoriels in the backstage of “Sans Chichis” TV program

Posted on February 28, 2010 | 1 comment

Here I am, between the back and forth of technicians and the laughs of the production team of the « Sans Chichis » TV program of the RTBF, one of the Belgium national channels. I follow  Joëlle Scoriels in her dressing room, a capsule bathroom refurbished in a cloakroom. Short time break, the shooting will start again.

– I am super lucky. I work.

Eyes suddenly serious, the spruce TV host of « Sans Chichis » is not another stupid bimbo. Joëlle is certified in “Philologie romaine” (classics literary studies) and in design at La Cambre :

– I can draw, I can write. I didn’t want to work in TV. It happenend by chance at a diner. I’ve never had any career goals, I just want to feel good.

– I’ve been six-seven years at MCM Belgique (a Music TV channel). I started at the Top 50 TV program.I was quite sad, I didn’t like the MCM’s flow. I really had to learn this « youngster » attitude.

Then she was a feature editor at « 50 Degrés Nord », the cultural TV progrm hosted by Eric Russon on Arte Belgique. But with « Sans Chichi », she is free to fully express her talent :

– It’s the first time I host a real big TV program, with a real content. I think being the same person. It’s my real me on the air. To be honest, I like to watch the TV program. Thanks to the team’s complicity, it’s fluid. They are all fantastic.

Showing me the outfits carrying, Joëlle takes the drink of wine served by Gérald Wathelet, the funny chief of the TV program :

– They take care of me (in a dazzling smile). Bouzouk is in charge of my stylism in the TV program. I am not a fashionista with a shopping addiction. And I’m not sad about it. In real life, I get dressed in Zadig et Voltaire and Diesel. But I really enjoy decoration : items, contemporary design full of colors, the sixties and mixes. I am a stay-at-home person. I have a seventeen months baby. It’s amazing. A wonder, the ecstasy! I am absolutely crazy about my little boy. And since he was born, I’ve been afraid of the death every second.

Sandrine Graulich, Mrs Production, enters and checks notes with Joëlle. Few weeks ago, I’ve met Bouzouk, a Belgian famous make-up artist. I guess he found me a bit crazy! Now they call Joëlle on stage. Favorite request : Brussels ?

– I’ve emigrated to Waterloo,unfortunately ! I am Brussels, I love Brussels. This town is a tangle, nineteen districts with an social coeducation for a long time. Ixelles district is a good exemple. I am from the Forest district, it’s a very mixed place. I love going in fancy dress of tourist. Brussels is a « new world » city, where I always know brasseries to go.

Last sentence?

– I feel highly happy! I just miss a Rochefort  10, it’s a smooth beer, avec a small note of caramel and banana. Wild !

Joëlle’s favourite :

The Walvis Café, “a trendy bobo bar and great location to meet friends in the Canal’s district”. Rue Antoine Dansaertstraat 209, 1000 Brussels, Tel : 02 219 95 32

Thanks Joëlle! 

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Interviews, Lifestyle & Destinations

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Brussels, Belgium: Eric Russon, the interview in Café Belga

Posted on February 16, 2010 | Leave a comment

Flagey under the snow, picturesque ponds:

I get in the café Belga. Puzzled I look at the numerous retro ceiling fans and the snow behind the big plate glass window.  Near to the TV studios, I have an appointement with the « Mr. Culture » of Arte Belgique. Eric Russon is the chief editor and TV host of « 50 Degrés Nord »,  the daily TV program about the Belgian arts news.

–  I am not cut out to be a TV host. We can have a vocation for sports jounalism for example, not for TV. It sounds a bit weird to me. I don’t know how journalists work. I have my press card. But I don’t feel like being a journalist. Maybe I have a too romantic vision of a journalist that crosses the world and takes risks. I am more a curious person and I try to arouse people’s curiosity.

On the table, Eric Russon’s manga cover agenda,

dazzling white light of winter sun. His carrer path is quite atypical  : law studies, two bachelors, plus an university diploma (for teaching), in Criminology at ULB (Brussels Universtity). 

–  When I was at university, I’ve worked in an  independent radio station for four-five years, till 1988. By chance, I started working as an Assistant Production of a movies TV program in Télé Bruxelles  (Brussels television). I was just found of culture. Then I started making cultural reports and in 1989 , I went on the air. After different TV programs,  I’ve hosted a daily cultural TV program  from 6 to 7 p.m. : one hour live with guests. I lived Télé Bruxelles in 2006. And since 2004, I’ve hosted the radio program « Culture Club », on La Première (RTBF).

Belgo belges (= the Belgians for the Belgians)?

– No. In the « 50 Degrés Nord » TV program, seven of the ten guests are Belgian. For many raisons, there are often foreign artists, interesting things can be exchanged. Most of the time, foreigners are more comfortable on a TV set than the Belgians, less trained to go on the air. And I don’t know why the Belgians have this  hang-up of inferiority. I don’t even understand.

Yet the Belgians are successfull abroad!

– Yes they are and they are good to promote themselves on television. TV is a show and we do news : telling a good story and a good casting of feature editors and guests. We create an atmosphere and a tension too. We set a series of themes. I choice the five subjects of each program. The team is composed of a producer, four journalists (for the reports) and feature editors. I am the only one journalist on the air. I prefer chatting than interviewing my guests, having a dialogue and sometimes criticizes. Chatting give you more options.

What about the audience measurement?

Eric Russon puts down his glass, looking his green mint tea. Almost the end of the meeting, let’s do the questions-answers way: what about the audience measurement?

–  I don’t pay attention. Belgium is a very small country, ten millions of inhabitants, including four millions of French-speakers. We don’t care about numbers. For each TV program, we have between sixty thousant and seventy thousand people. I compare a cultural TV program with subsidized theatre : culture is not her to be a smash hit of ratings. There is no equivalent of our TV program in the Flemish televisions. We have ten guests by program : one or two are flemish. They were very surprised at the beginning, when we asked them to come to the set. A long time ago, there was a cultural  coeducation between the Walloon and Flemish communities, but not anymore. The Flemish movies are successful in Flanders and the same in the French-speaking Belgium with the Walloon movies. For example: the movie « De Zaaak Alzheimer » (2003) – The Alzheimer Case (England) and  The Memory of a Killer (USA) – of the Flemish director Erik Van Looy was first successfull abroad,  before being played in Wallonie. Yet when we go to Cannes, for foreigners we are all the Belgians. We have two features editors : Nick Balthazar, director and Bert Kruisman who wrote a show in French, « Flanders for the no good », with a trash sense of humour..
 

Time to go. Last question : Brussels?

– A town with many different cultural events. It’s a very concentrated city that gets on my nerves! The snow and the traffic is stuck. Brussels was hottest before : no more nightlife. Le Belga is one of the very few bars opened late at night. It’s a stange city, not a partying city. It’s really polite.  

A district : the university district, near the Cimetière d’Ixelles, I’m not the kind of nostalgic who make a pilgrimage. There are many restaurants, bars and a nightlife.

Thanks Eric Russon.  
Related posts: DESTINATIONS & INTERVIEWS

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