One year after its release, the documentary film HONDAR 2050 by the Italian director Cesare Maglioni had its premiere in Brussels as a part of the URABN-WASTE Final Conference with its main protagonist Carlos Arrola Mares who came to tell the audience more about the project.
Cesare Maglioni made a documentary about the marine waste problem on the coast of Euskadi in the Basque country. In this documentary the audience gets to know the surfer and artist Carlos Arrola who doesn’t understand where the waste that appears on the coast when he goes surfing comes from. He tries to look for answers to the problem and we embark with him in a discovery trip, travelling the Basque coast with the Mater Museoa Association and also Surfrider Europe and Kosta Blue interviewing experts in the marine field and in the environmental protection. How and why does waste get to the sea? And why does it cost us so much to see the reality of things? So, the true science of the environment is put aside, and the fuilm digs into a less provable science called social psychology. The film analyses those so habitual human behaviours which leave an indelible print on our sensitive ecosystem. Along this trip the audeince meets men and women who have given a step and push others, who show as the way and work to solve the problem. Carlos’s role in the film was to help the audience realise that something can be done, in our scale, not only to solve the problem, but also to involve other people in this change of behaviour.
Left for the very end of the Conference, almost as an Annex, not being a part of the official agenda, it still atracted quite a lot of attention and sacrifice from the Conference participants as they stayed for even more after a full day of information, debates and presentations. In the end it tured out to be rewarding as the film featured not only impressive pictures and scenery of the coast but also the concern and engagement of the local community. Thanks to Carlos’ presence, the audience could join the very lively discussion which followed the film between the host Erneszt Kovacs and Carlos himself.
Carlos’ involvement in the marine litter issue didn’t stop with this film. He now has a travelling exhibition “Lowtide Expo” which features sculptures, mosaics and other pieces of art made out of marine litter. An exhibition not to miss.
You can see all the Final Conference photos here.
