Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API (Chirp) + Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking. Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:04:47to a successful underground ballroom scene? It's a space where
00:04:51queer people gather to connect, feel accepted, and
00:04:54dance like there's no
00:04:56tomorrow.
00:05:00What's left when your family doesn't love you, when because
00:05:04of your skin color or queer identity you feel like you don't
00:05:07belong anywhere, when you get death threats because of who
00:05:11you are? I couldn't
00:05:13even imagine accepting myself, it seemed impossible, that was all I
00:05:17wanted.
00:05:22The ballroom scene is a safe space for Black and queer
00:05:25people.
00:05:28Paris is the epicenter of the European ballroom
00:05:31scene.
00:05:34Hanabi has been part of this scene since
00:05:352016.
00:05:43It's really hard to be Black in France, especially in
00:05:46Paris. They just have some image, some idea of what
00:05:50Black people are like. I've been beaten because of my skin color, I've experienced
00:05:53all sorts of things because of my skin color, but I never give up because I don't care.
00:05:57I'm beautiful, Black is beautiful, and I also have a triple culture. I'm French,
00:06:01Mauritanian, and Senegalese.
00:06:04Tired of racism and hostility. Queer, Black
00:06:07Latino people built their community in the late 60s in New
00:06:11York and called it: Ball room scene. At balls,
00:06:14they celebrate themselves, participants show their talents in front of an audience
00:06:17in categories such as voguing, fashion, and lip-syncing.
00:06:21In the early 2000s, Paris built its own ballroom
00:06:24scene. Outside of this community, we can be
00:06:27stigmatized and marginalized because we are
00:06:30Black or transgender people. That's why it's important
00:06:33for us to gather.
00:06:39It is estimated that Black people in France make up between six and nine percent
00:06:42of the total population. Although there are no official data, in Paris
00:06:46African and Afro-Caribbean culture shapes entire neighborhoods, and
00:06:50Château Rouge and Château D'eau are widely recognized as
00:06:53traditional centers of the Black community. So you have to be here,
00:06:57we are in Château, you see there is
00:07:00Strasbourg, Saint-Denis, there is Gare du Nord, so this
00:07:03is the center, here you get everything you need, you can find
00:07:07African beauty products, buy wigs,
00:07:10actually everything Africans
00:07:12need.
00:07:18Many faces, one identity. France sees
00:07:21itself as a republic that makes no distinctions based on skin color,
00:07:25where origin or skin color should not matter, but is
00:07:29that really
00:07:30true?
00:07:33I completely agree with that, if you at least somewhat understand biology and
00:07:37differences in skin color, you will understand that first and foremost we are all
00:07:41human beings. What are our values, how much are we
00:07:44willing to share who we are as individuals? I believe
00:07:48we have something to offer each other. Racism still
00:07:51exists, we experience it daily through
00:07:54microaggressions.
00:08:00In Paris, everyone lives as one family, white, black,
00:08:03everyone does things together, so in my opinion everything is
00:08:07fine.
00:08:10The city's diversity is also connected to France's colonial
00:08:14past. Many people of descent from former colonies have lived here for
00:08:18generations. For Hanabi, it's time to get ready for
00:08:21tonight's Lavandix Ball, he's going with his house,
00:08:25unbottered cartiers. In the ballroom
00:08:27scene, a house is much more than just a dance crew. I see
00:08:31my house as a kind of gang. We are here, we are
00:08:35a team. We will go to the Ball and present ourselves. Houses bear the names
00:08:39of high fashion brands such as Mugler and Gucci. Fashion is a great
00:08:43inspiration for us, so we strike poses from magazines.
00:09:00For many, the ballroom scene represents a chosen family because
00:09:03it provides support to those who were rejected by their biological
00:09:06family. For three years I was away from my
00:09:09family, but now everything is fine because I managed to reconcile with them.
00:09:13I am happy that I managed to maintain that relationship because I was starting
00:09:17to lose them. I was ready, no matter what, to choose myself,
00:09:21and in the end I got
00:09:22everything.
00:09:32The ballroom scene may be a competition, but it is primarily
00:09:35a community.
00:09:43Are you planning a visit to the German capital? Euro Max reporter
00:09:46Hannah Hummel has lived in Berlin for over 10 years and has
00:09:50some tips for you.
00:09:53Berlin is a city where you need to know not only what is worth
00:09:56seeing, but also what is better to skip. First
00:10:00on the list is Alexander Platz. There are always
00:10:03tourists in this square, but honestly, it's not one of my favorite
00:10:07places. It's just a square, full of shops,
00:10:11fast fashion restaurants, fast food, noisy,
00:10:14dirty,
00:10:18and very tiring to be in.
00:10:21The only thing it's good for, at least in my opinion, is the view of the TV
00:10:25Tower, the tallest building in Germany, 368
00:10:28meters high. It was built by
00:10:31the East German government in the 60s, and it opened in
00:10:341969. The idea was to show the world, and
00:10:38especially West Berlin, that the GDR was a modern
00:10:41and capable state. Do I think it should be completely
00:10:45avoided? No, it's part of history that you should
00:10:48at least stop by. A ticket costs
00:10:51around 25 euros, queues can be long,
00:10:55especially in summer, the view, although good, is not
00:10:58dramatically better than what you'll get for free elsewhere.
00:11:02I advise you to head west and walk
00:11:06down Unter den Linden. This street is full of German
00:11:09history. The walk takes about 25 minutes and
00:11:13costs you nothing. First you will pass by Museum
00:11:17Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are
00:11:20five world-renowned museums,
00:11:22including the New Museum where famous
00:11:26artifacts such as the bust of Nefertiti and treasures from Ancient
00:11:29Egypt are kept. If you want to spend money on this walk,
00:11:33spend it on a day ticket for Museum Island. Keep walking
00:11:37and you will reach the Brandenburg
00:11:40Gate. The Brandenburg Gate has been the backdrop to some
00:11:43of the most important moments in history. Napoleon passed
00:11:47through it. The Nazi regime held
00:11:50parades beneath it. And then in
00:11:521989, a crowd of people gathered here
00:11:56when the Berlin Wall fell. Admission is free, and
00:12:00the gate is also a great place for photos. It's often
00:12:04very crowded here because it's a popular stop for tour guides, so
00:12:07I wouldn't recommend lingering, but you definitely must
00:12:10see the gate. Now
00:12:13let's turn left, because just a few minutes from here is
00:12:17one of the most poignant memorials I have ever
00:12:20seen. The memorial is dedicated to the murdered Jews of
00:12:23Europe, about 6 million of them. It was designed by
00:12:27architect Peter Eisenman, and consists of a field of
00:12:302,711 concrete blocks of different
00:12:34heights. There are no names, no faces here.
00:12:37The abstract design has its
00:12:39purpose.
00:12:42The only thing I want to say about this place is to make sure
00:12:46you don't take inappropriate photos or selfies
00:12:49here, be respectful. This is not just
00:12:52a work of art, but also a memorial.
00:12:55The last stop on this walk is the German Parliament building
00:12:57(Reichstag). The glass dome at the top
00:13:01was designed by Sir Norman Foster, and was added after
00:13:04the reunification of East and West Germany. You can
00:13:08go up to it for free, just register online
00:13:11beforehand. The view is incredible, and through the transparent
00:13:14dome above the Bundestag, the German federal parliament,
00:13:18citizens can literally look down on their representatives.
00:13:22The symbolism of transparent democracy here is very
00:13:25clear.
00:13:29Next on my list of places you might not need to
00:13:32visit is Checkpoint Charlie. It's in every
00:13:35Berlin tourist guide. To be honest, I understand its
00:13:39historical significance. It was the most famous crossing point between
00:13:42East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Many
00:13:46daring attempts to escape by people who wanted to cross to the West
00:13:49happened here. It was here
00:13:51in 1961 that a tense standoff
00:13:55between American and Soviet tanks occurred. Today, there's
00:13:58a McDonald's, a fake guardhouse, and a souvenir
00:14:02shop. That's not exactly the image of the Cold War you'd
00:14:05expect. Instead, visit the East Side
00:14:08Gallery, a 1.3 km long section of the original
00:14:12Berlin Wall, this is the longest remaining section of the wall
00:14:15that has been converted into an open-air art gallery. After the fall of the wall
00:14:19in 1989, over a hundred
00:14:23artists from all over the world came to paint it.
00:14:27I have one more local tip for you: spend some time by
00:14:31the water. Berlin is surrounded by lakes, so if you have time,
00:14:34hop on a train and visit one of them,
00:14:38say, Wannsee. And if you'd rather stay in the city,
00:14:41come to the Café am Neuen See in the middle of Tier
00:14:44Garten Park. There's a huge outdoor beer garden in the very
00:14:48heart of the largest park in central Berlin. This is what Berlin
00:14:51looks like when you scratch below the surface of the tourist
00:14:55checklist of sights. Walk around the city for a bit, and when you're done, stop for a
00:14:59drink by
00:20:23later it becomes a topic of conversation. That's why we asked young people across
00:20:27Europe how they bring up the topic when they start
00:20:30dating.
00:20:31Money,
00:20:35money, money.
00:20:38It can be awkward, generally speaking, it's a taboo. Money can
00:20:41become an issue on the very first date, who pays or
00:20:45do you split the bill? Is it awkward to talk about money? If
00:20:48European couples manage? We looked for answers from the couples themselves and
00:20:52an expert. Let's start with the basics. Do
00:20:55you know how much your partner earns?
00:20:58Yes, I have a pretty clear
00:21:01idea.
00:21:02Yes, I would openly talk about my
00:21:05salary. Me too, I think
00:21:09I know. Not on the first date, but it's good to know
00:21:12later.
00:21:13It seems simple.
00:21:18how much their partner earns, maybe it's not
00:21:22a taboo. I don't think it's
00:21:24an overly important thing. The less you talk about it, the bigger
00:21:28the problem will be, it becomes more
00:21:29awkward. It can be an important topic,
00:21:33a little
00:21:34awkward.
00:21:38Yes, in a previous relationship I had problems because of
00:21:40money. So, it's not that
00:21:43simple after all. We showed these answers to psychologist
00:21:46Gülcihan Korkmaz, as a marriage therapist, she is well
00:21:50aware of conflicts over money.
00:21:53Interesting, but I don't think it's a taboo topic when
00:21:57financial problems don't exist. Communication is
00:22:00key, you need to talk, because when conflicts
00:22:03related to gender or nationality arise, it all
00:22:07comes down to
00:22:08expectations.
00:22:12It is
00:22:14no coincidence that money is an important topic, especially between
00:22:17genders, because women on average earn less than
00:22:20men. In the European Union, the gender
00:22:24pay gap is about 12%, and one British
00:22:28study showed that men who earn more than their wives
00:22:32are happier. Interestingly, what if the woman earns more, is
00:22:36that okay? Even
00:22:39better?
00:22:41Yes, of course. If two people have different incomes, it's hard to
00:22:44reconcile. In a previous relationship, my partner
00:22:48earned much more than me.
00:22:51Sometimes your ego kicks in and you want to pay, but mostly everything is
00:22:55fine.
00:22:58And what does the expert say?
00:23:02Interesting, but completely
00:23:03inaccurate.
00:23:07From birth, we are strictly shaped into gender roles, we grow up in
00:23:11a system where the man is dominant. Money
00:23:14means power, it's the same
00:23:16everywhere.
00:23:20When there is a shift in power in a relationship, or when a woman wants
00:23:24to work and her partner stays at home and takes care of the children,
00:23:27then
00:23:28problems arise.
00:23:33So, money and gender roles are very closely related, but
00:23:36according to this psychologist, money is less of a problem for same-sex
00:23:40couples. When I think about it, financial topics
00:23:43are less often mentioned among them. According to
00:23:47surveys, about three-quarters of German couples avoid conflicts over
00:23:50money, some feel uncomfortable asking for a
00:23:54refund, so more than a third of Germans avoid the topic and never
00:23:58ask their partners to return amounts between 10 and 100
00:24:01euros. How do European couples decide who
00:24:04pays? I think the one who earns more should contribute
00:24:08more. I think it's okay for it to be half
00:24:11and half. If someone earns significantly less, I would like
00:24:15to take care of them and spoil them
00:24:16a little.
00:24:20"It's important for me to be independent, mostly we
00:24:23share everything 50/50. It seems that splitting costs 50/50 is
00:24:26quite common in Europe, but Gülcihan Korkmaz doesn't think
00:24:30that's necessarily fair.
00:24:33Yes, that's stupid, sorry, you can't just split
00:24:3750/50. People are never 50/50. You will have
00:24:40relationships 60/40, 70/30,
00:24:43we have to be flexible.
00:24:46And what is your opinion on money in relationships?
00:24:50With
00:24:53that in mind, we're reaching the end of the show. For more interesting
00:24:56and inspiring stories from all over Europe, don't forget to follow us on
00:25:00social media. As always, thank you for being with us and we'll see
00:25:04you next week. Until then, goodbye!
00:25:22I don't think waving flags is my job,
00:25:25nor is it to please everyone, my
00:25:28job is to convey facts and tell the truth, however
00:25:32unpleasant it may sometimes be to hear, because journalism is not PR,
00:25:36it's not politicking, it's not a reality show,
00:25:39journalism is a public service, because
00:25:43to give up asking difficult, uncomfortable questions,
00:25:46seeking difficult answers means giving up
00:25:50democracy in a time of shaken trust in institutions
00:25:53and fragile credibility, journalism must not
00:25:57be silent. I am Hrvoje Krešić and watch me on N1
00:26:01Television. AI is changing the rules of the game, or has
00:26:05it already changed them? In AI Central Point, we discover
00:26:08innovations that push boundaries, from smart algorithms to
00:26:11technologies that are already shaping our future. Who is leading
00:26:15the race, who is lagging behind, and what does it mean for
00:26:18humanity? Don't miss AI Central Point, the place
00:26:22where the future begins. Thursdays at
00:26:248 PM, only on N1
00:26:27Television.
00:26:33They are the creators of our digital space, an image of a civilization that
00:26:37is yet to come, they are geeks,
00:26:39YouTubers, influencers, and Facebook stars. I'm
00:26:43Dragan Petric, the most interesting people from the internet will be my guests on Tech
00:26:46Radar every Sunday on N1
00:26:48Television.
00:26:51Innovations, tests, news, old and
00:26:54new. Every second and fourth Friday of the month,
00:26:58we bring you everything relevant from the automotive industry.
00:27:01I introduce you to new models, technologies,
00:27:04we advise you on how to buy a car and we talk about
00:27:08problems that plague all road users. Follow us and
00:27:10stay up-to-date with everything that the future holds for us on four
00:27:14wheels. Automobiliana, Fridays on
00:27:17N1 Television.
00:27:19Faster, better, and
00:27:23more precise. The same rules apply to success in sports
00:27:27as in news. The combination of news has
00:27:31always inspired me. From the
00:27:34heart of events, I bring you the latest sports
00:27:37news. I am Antonio Baković, watch me
00:27:41every day in the sports review only on N1
00:27:43Television.
00:27:46I don't think waving flags is my job.
00:27:49Nor is it to please everyone. My
00:27:52job is to convey facts and tell the truth. However
00:27:56unpleasant it may sometimes be to hear, because journalism is not PR,
00:28:00it's not politicking, and it's not a reality show.
00:28:03Journalism is a public service, because
00:28:07to give up asking difficult, uncomfortable questions, seeking
00:28:11difficult answers means giving up democracy,
00:28:14in a time of shaken trust in institutions and
00:28:18fragile credibility, journalism must not
00:28:21be silent. I am Hrvoje Krešić and watch me on N1
00:28:25Television. AI is changing the rules of the game, or has
00:28:29it already changed them? In AI Central Point, we discover
00:28:32information that pushes boundaries, from smart algorithms to technologies
00:28:36that are already shaping our future. Who is leading
00:28:39the race, who is lagging behind, and what does that mean for
00:28:42humanity? Don't miss AI Central Point,
00:28:45the place where the future begins. Thursdays at
00:28:498 PM, only on N1
00:28:51Television.
00:28:54Novelties, tests, news, old and
00:28:58new. Every second and fourth Friday of the month
00:29:01we bring you. Everything relevant from the automotive industry.
00:29:05We introduce you to new models, technologies, advise
00:29:09you on how to buy a car, and talk about the problems that
00:29:12trouble all participants in traffic. Follow us
00:29:15and stay up to date with everything that the future on four
00:29:19wheels brings us. Automobilia on Fridays on N1
00:29:23television.
00:29:27Faster, better and more precise.
00:29:31The same rules apply to success in sports as in news,
00:29:34the combination of news from sports has always inspired me, from
00:29:38the center of events I bring you the latest sports
00:29:40news. I am Antonijo Baković, watch me
00:29:44every day in the sports review only on N1 Television.
00:30:19Take some time for yourself find yourself in the role you have