Beneath the surface of the sea, rivers and lakes lie stories that we don’t see every day. These days, Neum is discovering them through film at the sixth Neum Underwater Film Festival. Dozens of authors from all over the world have brought their underwater stories, many of which have their festival premiere in Neum. In addition to film, the festival also connects art, education and ecology.
Stories Beneath the Surface
Massimiliano Santoro from Italy is presenting two of his, as he says, completely different works at this year’s festival. One is based on the encounter between a man and a dolphin, and the other tells the story of a British cargo ship that sank in the Red Sea during World War II.
“When you dive to a wreck, you first concentrate on your safety, trying not to move things and not get injured, and then after a while you realize that this is a place where people died. Then you realize that when you dive to a wreck, it’s like diving into some of your own personal depths, wondering about your life and what will be left after you are gone,” Santoro pointed out.
A film about marine protection
The authors of the films, among other things, tell stories about the protection of endemic species, and some speak strongly about the problem of pollution of the underwater world.
“I tried to make an artistic film about a serious topic. In the film, I show the relationship between man and the ocean. The theme of the film is a dress made of plastic found during a clean-up in the sea,” said Amal en-Nabwani, the author of the film.
Awards in several categories
Today, awards will be presented in several categories: the Grand Prix for Best Film, awards for Best Domestic Film and Ecofilm, and the best cinematography and music will also be evaluated. The Neum audience will also give their opinion on the best film, along with the festival jury.
“This year we introduced an award for the best film poster because we realized that many authors are investing a lot of effort in this segment of art,” said Ivo Mikulić, founder of the Neum Underwater Film Festival.
The festival is also accompanied by workshops, talks with authors, and topics dedicated to film, the sea, and ecology, with the aim of drawing additional attention to the preservation of the underwater world through art, Federalna writes.
