Keen to impress expats and tourists alike with the best of what Belgium has to offer, the federal government has produced a 15-minute promotional DVD.

The video was produced in connection with this year's celebrations of 175 years of Belgian independence and 25 years of federalism.

The chief of the creative and distribution department at the Belgian prime minister's office, Monique Wylock, says the film replaces an older "obsolete" 45-minute film which had become too pedagogical.

"We needed something more lively and up to date," she says.

And the project is a success.

Light-hearted approach

The promotional video is fresh and easily consumable. Audiences need just 15 minutes to learn more about the country they are heading for — or already living in.

Starting with a foreigner's arrival at Zaventem Airport in Brussels, the video follows his discoveries of Belgium, moving from politics, to landscape, music, fashion, transport and education. It is fast moving and colourful.

The video is divided into four broad themes: the federal model of governance; landscape, national heritage and history; working in Belgium and lifestyle.

And while similar promotional videos flirt with the danger of becoming cringe factor, this one, 'Belgium … at first sight', manages to avoid the pitfalls with its light-hearted approach.

It does not overstate what it sets out to do and does not ensnare viewers with overwhelming facts and figures. Instead, it entertains and the images displayed are enticing.

Despite the lightness of its content, the video also offers surprising facts, revealing to this writer that the inventor of the saxophone, Adolf Sax, was Belgian.

"The film does not strive for comprehensiveness, but wanted to create an atmospheric picture of a land where life is good, where good eating and drinking and open heartedness are coupled with an age-old generosity and a know-how that people envy far beyond our borders," a government press release says.

The government says further that the philosophy of the 175-25 celebrations can be found in the video: the future, youth, coming together of people and hospitality.

"We wanted to give a general view of a country that is nice to live in from all points of view. It is certainly PR," Wylock says unabashedly.

Belgium a difficult sell?

Perhaps the promotional video reflects comments that Belgium is relatively unknown on the global scene.

Such an issue is taken up on the website www.175-25.be, set up for the anniversary celebrations taking place across the nation this year.

"'No, Belgium is not in Brussels, it is the other way round, Brussels is in Belgium,' Belgians sometimes have to tell people when travelling abroad," the website says.

"A capital that is also the capital of Europe naturally finds itself in the spotlight.  As a small country in the heart of Europe, Belgium is widely known and loved."

Asked then whether the new video was a response to a promotional problem Belgium faces, Wylock deflects the question with ease.

"Expats are always welcome. Investing and living in Belgium should be something that is good, that is okay. People need to feel at ease," she says.

However, Wylock admits the video was produced in response to ongoing requests from Belgian embassies to help answer questions about Belgium from possible investors.

In addition, she says the federal government will make another film focusing purely on economics. "It will be done by Foreign Affairs next year," she says.

Costing just EUR 60,000 to produce, Wylock says the introductory film was relatively inexpensive to make and the government will update it next year and in years to come.

It can be purchased on DVD for EUR 8 to cover government administration costs. It is available from the Infoshop, located online at www.infoshop.be.
 
It can be watched in five languages; Dutch, French, German, English and Chinese.

It is 15 minutes well spent.

To watch the video 'Belgium … at first site' on Expatica, click here.

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Infoshop
Regentlaan 54 Boulevard du Régent
1000 Brussels
Ph: +32 2 514 0800
Fax: +32 2 512 5125
Email: infoshop@belgium.fgov.be
Online: www.infoshop.be

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30 November 2005

[Copyright Expatica 2005]

Subject: Belgian welcome video, living in Belgium