Our podcasts
Frictions offers written content as well as podcasts: discover our testimonies, fiction, and other investigations for your listening pleasure.
22 episodes
Guinea, United States, France: the three lives of Abdel Camara
He was born in Guinea, studied in the United States, moved to France. Abdel is at the same time, Guinean, American, maybe soon French, and also, muslim. So he knows a lot about what it means to "be black" in this world.
The Color of Desire
Whether we met at a bar or via the soon-to-be-outdated Minitel one sentence was recurrent: “Sorry, I am not into Asians”. That's all I was to these people: “Asian” and apparently, this placed me on the bottom rung of the desirability ladder.
From the war in Syria to the protests in Paris : Itineraries of Syrian photojournalists
At the age of 17, they took their first photographs of the massacres in Syria. Abdul and Ameer grew up and learned their profession far too quickly.
Myriam, the sound of her soul
Like every morning, Myriam, 64, goes to the factory where she has been working for almost 30 years. A job where noise is constant. A painful symphony that follows the workers in their daily lives.
The Fly Trap
Claire is seeing Nicolas, an elegant, witty, enigmatic young man. But for a while, Nicolas has been obsessed with insects that invade his apartment. She observes this from a distance, used to his eccentricities. But for Nicolas, it becomes an obsession: he must exterminate these gnats! Claire sees the man she loves fall into madness, without being able to do anything.
Memory-City, Living-Memory
Justin wasn't born in Paris, but he feels right at home here. Blame it on the memories he's created there, perhaps?
A word for that
Caelainn takes us on a lyrical journey through language and landscape, tracing her ancestral roots in Ireland.
Jai Alai:The Joyful Game
Nicolas, proud of his Basque heritage, explores his identity quest through rock, meals at his abuela's, and political analysis.
Ingredients for belonging
From the rooftops of Kathmandu to the cornfields of the Midwest, Sarah and Wyatt explore what our food says about us.
Difficult images
Connie and Aaron find belonging in their ugliness. This audio essay is an interwoven exploration of the rejections they have faced as ugly disabled bodies and the refuge they’ve created.
Alphabet of Ch-arabia
Despite the linguistic distance between Lina and her father, who was born in Morocco, the lullaby he used to sing to her as a child in Arabic profoundly influenced her imagination and writing. It served as a foundation for crafting her own language, that of the "bastard children."
Kiruv: Exploring The Art of Welcoming
Why is it that entering an unknown space can feel like coming home or trying to sit at the cruelest and most fashionable table in a high school cafeteria?
The clippings
Céline finds memories of the Algerian war in her family's basement, confronting a long-concealed past.
Elpida Kokkota, “a survival kit to educate yourself”
Elpida describes herself as someone who carries a “scar”, but she refuses that this traumatic experience defines her.
Mary-Justine Todd, “resilience comes with the ability to regain hope”
After an inspiring encounter at the hospital, Mary-Justine launched Shamsaha to help women victims of violence in the Middle East.
Joséphine Goube, “treat everyone on their merits, not where they are from”
After a stay in the UK, Joséphine Goube created Sistech to help refugee women enter the European job market.
Jimena Garcia Cabello, “outside, no one talks about them”
Jimena, dedicated to fighting injustice in Mexico, helps women in prison to develop their skills and maintain family ties.
Noëlla Coursaris Musunka, “elevate young girls with education."
Ex-model, Noëlla founded Malaika, an organization in DRC to help girls become the leaders of tomorrow.
Sadaffe Abid, “Investing in women is critical”
In Pakistan, Sadaffe founded Circle of Women, an association focused on empowering women through digital literacy.