When do you first visit a country?
Is it when you walk through the airport and join the line at passport control? Or is it when you fall in love with a book or a film and decide that someday, somehow, you'll buy a ticket to the place where that story began?
The language platform Babbel exclusively shared a new survey in which they asked foreign ambassadors in the US about the books and films they would recommend to visitors to their countries.
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Twenty ambassadors, from Bhutan to Jamaica, shared their cultural favorites.
Their picks range from world-famous classics (such as Austria's choice of Carol Reed's "The Third Man," filmed in Vienna) to quirky new releases like Malta's "Limestone Cowboy," about a family coping with the father's delusional ambition to become prime minister.
"One of the themes we noticed was an attention to nature," says Julie Hansen, the newly appointed US CEO of Babbel. The wildlife documentary "Colombia, magia salvaje" (2015), for instance, showcases the country's stunning landscapes for an international audience more used to seeing them in the context of crime dramas like Netflix's "Narcos."
"Another common thread among the recommendations was love," Hansen adds, "a theme that has inspired stories in nearly every human culture throughout history."
When you immerse yourself in a new culture, a nation's works of fiction (the stories it tells about itself) offer insights every bit as valuable as the ones we can draw from its nonfiction.
"Nonfiction does a great job of depicting the history that shaped a country, and the unforgettable sights a visitor should see," Hansen says.
"Fiction is wonderful at bringing together the experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and characteristics of a country and its people. It often captures the spirit of the times better than nonfiction does."
The full list of recommendations is below, and you can read more about the project here.
The ambassadors' picks:
Austria (Ambassador Wolfgang A. Waldner)
– Book: "The Tobacconist" (2012), Robert Seethaler
– Film: "The Third Man" (1949), directed by Carol Reed
Azerbaijan (Ambassador Elin Suleymanov)
– Book: "Ali and Nino" (1937), Kurban Said
– Film: "Ali and Nino" (2016), directed by Asif Kapadia
Bhutan (Ambassador Kunzang C. Namgyel)
– Book: "Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan" (2006), Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck
– Film: "Travellers and Magicians" (2003), directed by Khyentse Norbu
Canada (Ambassador David MacNaughton)
– Book: "In Faith and Goodwill: 150 Years of Canada-US Friendship" (2017), edited by Arthur Milnes
– Film: A selection of films from the Top 150 of National Canadian Film Day
Chile (Ambassador Juan Gabriel Valdés)
– Book: "The House of the Spirits" (1982), Isabel Allende
– Film: "No" (2012), directed by Pablo Larraín
Colombia (Ambassador Juan Carlos Pinzón)
– Book: "One Hundred Years of Solitude" (1967), Gabriel García Márquez
– Film: "Colombia, Wild Magic" (2015), directed by Mike Slee
Denmark (Ambassador Lars Gert Lose)
– Book: "Smilla's Sense of Snow" (1992), Peter Høeg
– Film: "A Royal Affair" (2012), directed by Nikolaj Arcel
Estonia (Ambassador Eerik Marmei)
– Book: "The Man Who Spoke Snakish" (2007), Andrus Kivirähk
– Film: "Lotte and the Moonstone Secret" (2011), directed by Heiki Ernits and Janno Põldma
Finland (Ambassador Kirsti Kauppi)
– Book: The Moomin books (1945-1959), Tove Jansson
– Film: "Tale of a Forest" (2012), directed by Kim Saarniluoto and Ville Suhonen
Germany (Ambassador Peter Wittig)
– Book: "Why We Took the Car" ("Tschick") (2010), Wolfgang Herrndorf
– Film: "Good Bye, Lenin!" (2003), directed by Wolfgang Becker
Greece (Ambassador Haris Lalacos)
– Book: "Freedom and Death" (1953), Nikos Kazantzakis
– Film: "Zorba the Greek" (1964), directed by Mihalis Kakogiannis
Iceland (Ambassador Geir H. Haarde)
– Book: "Independent People" (1934), Halldór Laxness
– Film: "Sigur Rós: Heima" (2007), directed by Dean DeBlois
Ireland (Ambassador Anne Anderson)
– Book: "TransAtlantic" (2013), Colum McCann
– Film: "Once" (2007), directed by John Carney
India (Ambassador Navtej Sarna)
– Book: "Freedom at Midnight" (1975), Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins
– Film: "Monsoon Wedding" (2001), directed by Mira Nair
Jamaica (Ambassador Audrey Patrice Marks)
– Book: "Selected Poems" (2003), Louise Bennett
– Film: "Cool Runnings" (1993), John Turteltaub
Malta (Ambassador Pierre Clive Agius)
– Book: "In the Name of the Father (and of the Son)" (2010), Immanuel Mifsud
– Film: "Limestone Cowboy" (2017), directed by Abigail Mallia
New Zealand (Ambassador Tim Groser)
– Book: "The Whale Rider" (1987), Witi Ihimaera
– Film: "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" (2016), directed by Taika Waititi
Norway (Ambassador Kåre R. Aas)
– Book: The Harry Hole series (1997-2017), Jo Nesbø
– Film: "Kon-Tiki" (2012), directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg
Slovenia (Ambassador Božo Cerar)
– Book: "I Saw Her That Night" (2010), Drago Jančar
– Film: "The Valley of Peace" (1956), directed by France Štiglic
Sweden (Ambassador Björn Lyrvall)
– Book: "Nordic Ways" (2016), András Simonyi, edited by Debra Cagan
– Film: "A Man Called Ove" (2015), directed by Hannes Holm
