How does it feel to ‘arrive in’ an unknown language? How does your own name feel like when you pronounce it weirdly? How do you get used to the new vowels and consonants? And what is the difference between ‘fühlen’ and ‘füllen’ in German?

In ‘Forever’ (Visam) German intermingles with Lithuanian, thus inviting the listener to reconsider one’s views on personal and national borderlines.

It is a coming-of-age story of four pieces, reflecting on questions of identity and language. The author explores her own and her family’s history of migration. Digging through her past, she finds mysteries, filled pancakes and parallels to her grandfather’s life, which make her reconcile with the long-standing narratives of belonging. 

‘Forever’ by Jūratė Braginaitė is a part of the podcast project ‘Voice Versa: Two Languages, One Story’, a joint production of Deutschlandfunk Kultur and the Goethe-Institut.