“Diversity Around the World”

The event was opened with the remarks of Mr. Bolivar L. Bao-Chargé D’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of the Philippines to Austria and with the documentary “Lessons for a Changed World: The Legacy of the Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines”, which celebrates different and numerous indigenous cultures in the Philippines. ICDO was privileged to honor 75 years of Austria-Philippines Diplomatic Relations and to observe 2021 as the Year of Filipino Pre-Colonial Ancestors. In the light of recent Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the Embassy nominated “Super-able” – a story about the life of Ms. Marites Burce, a victim of the polio outbreak in 1970’s. The story follows Marites who is preparing for her journey to represent the Philippines in ASEAN Para Games and to be qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics until the COVID-19 pandemic happens.

We are proud to mention that the Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica to Austria nominated two documentaries for this year’s event. “Waak an Danz” by Esteban Richmond explores the diverse Caribbean sensibilities and identities expressed through art, movement and the daily life of the people of Limón. “Un Orgullo para Costa Rica y el Mundo” by Luis Bruzón Delgado evolves around the importance of conserving heritage assets, while at the same time portraying ancient Southern Costa Rican settlements that are famous for their pre-Columbian stone spheres, declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2014.

One more documentary brings us to the UNESCO World Heritage Site placed in Andorra – “Vall del Madriu – Perafita-Claror, World Heritage”, directed by Àlex Tena and Jaume Riba. Apart from showing the natural beauty of the site, this documentary gives an interesting insight into how its inhabitants live in harmony with its surroundings.

KultEurasia from Vienna Austria nominated two documentaries by Armenian-Canadian director Armenian Hagop Goudsouzian who is diving into the question of identity and traditions. In a search for the soul of Armenia Music, Goudsouzian explores the ancient musical art tradition of “Armenian Minstrels” and stunned by the beauty of their music and their professionalism he embarks on an unprecedented musical journey and devotes a month filming them. Another documentary, “Uprooted” centers around the question of what today’s Armenian identity is and how it evolved over time. It is a personal work that colors the quest for identity, with interviews from unique and eclectic sources, which explore in parallel the lives of everyday people and their customs as he tries to define the critical elements of identity and transmitted cultural memory.

The award-winning documentary ‘The Untold story of Fatma Kayacı” by the Nurdan-Orhan Tekeoglu couple was nominated by the Yunus Emre Institute in Vienna and presented Turkey at this year’s event. The documentary centers around the themes of exclusion and loneliness by capturing the extraordinary lifestyle of Fatma Kayaci who decides to settle on a Karakisrak Plateau in the Turkish province of Trabzon after a traumatising experience. 

ICDO’s events are always supported by the Embassy of Colombia to Austria and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia who nominated two documentaries to be featured at the “Diversity Around the World” event. The documentary “Todo es un fragmento” by Carlos Osuna y Carolina Ortiz Triana is an interpretation on how insect sounds in the Cauca region in Colombia can be used to express the inhabitants’ life experiences that are marked by violence and abandonment. “Cita con la Trocha”, directed by Rubén Mendoza, captures a botanical expedition to previously inaccessible regions in Colombia and conflict zones-Serranía de las Quinchas and Páramo de Chiscas.

ICDO thanks all the directors, institutions and Embassies and emphasizes through this event the importance of film in promoting cultural and biological diversity in different regions, capturing extraordinary stories of individuals and groups. You can still check some of the documentaries on ICDO’s YouTube Channel until the end of September.