Tag Archives: Culture

Cities, Culture, Short Films, Travel, Videos

Cinematic Short Films: ‘Watchtower Of China’

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Directed and Edited by Leonardo Dalessandri

Creating Watchtower of China was a labour of love. I say labour because we, meaning my crew and I, throughout three consecutive summers, visited over seventy cities and travelled countless thousands of kilometers. Everywhere we went, we found ourselves channelling the powerful energy of this great land to find the strength and inspiration to continue our quest along what became life-changing for all of us. When we initially gathered together we were a film crew. By the time we were done, three years later, we had become a family.

I say love, because what we have created is more than just a film. It is a declaration of our love for this Country.

When I set out on this project I wanted to create a visual tribute to China – an honest observation of daily life. Not a surface travelog, but a real and raw representation of the cultural history. An honoring of Chinese culture, identity, and the complex and varied way of living that spans the enormity of the Chinese territory. A window on the dedication and discipline, the craftsmanship and hard work of the Chinese people. They have an energy of moving forward together as they draw power and inspiration from a culture that looks back over thousands of years, yet rushes fearlessly towards a bold future.

I started to feel this intense energy, as though this cultural pride and determination were now moving through me and my camera. The experience of this film buried itself so deeply within me that I can still feel the hard day’s work in my muscles.

It couldn’t have come together without the help of my dear friends, especially Jolien Snyers and Ricky Choy (did you spot Ricky in the film? She’s in multiple shots and sings in the very last taxi shot!)

It is one of my proudest accomplishments.
I hope you love it.

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/leonardodalessandri
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/leonardolucadalessandri

MUSIC by Ezio Bosso
© Sony Music Italy – Buxus Edizioni
eziobosso.com

Art, Culinary Arts, Culture, Profiles, Travel, Videos

Italian Culture: ‘Mitico – Follow The Art Path’ (2022)

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For the 2022 season, Belmond has launched a partnership with internationally acclaimed art gallery – Galleria Continua – entitled MITICO, which celebrates the talents of four prominent artists, as they take the spotlight in some of Belmond’s captivating landmark gardens across Italy.

Evoking a feeling of inclusivity and community, MITICO embodies a new art philosophy: it is the reinterpretation of universal customs shared amongst different societies, such as cooking, painting, observing, and appreciating, and how these are consumed in their environments.

MITICO is a moment in time and history where cultures interact – ultimately it is a celebration of art de vivre. Deepening its long-standing connection to the arts, through MITICO, Galleria Continua and Belmond invite guests to see cultures through a different lens, tapping into each individual destination’s essence and beauty.

Culture, Food, Travel, Videos, Views

Views: Ancient Food In Merzouga, Morocco

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Ancient food in the Merzouga Region of Morocco. Merzouga is a small Moroccan town in the Sahara Desert, near the Algerian border. It’s known as a gateway to Erg Chebbi, a huge expanse of sand dunes north of town. West of Merzouga, Dayet Srji is a seasonal salt lake that’s often dry in summer. When full, it attracts a wide range of migratory and desert birds, including desert warblers, Egyptian nightjars and, occasionally, flamingos.

Restaurants: Dar Aytma Restaurant and Dar Gnaoua Bambara.

Business, Culture, Documentaries, Profiles, Travel, Videos, Views

Views: Snowdrops From The Caucasus, Georgia

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Khatuna Jakeli loves snowdrops. Not only because they’re pretty, but because they provide her with an income. Every year in April and May, she treks through the Caucasus mountains of Adjara and collects the wildflower bulbs. The bulbs are then sold to the Netherlands, from where they are shipped to flower stores throughout Europe.

The Caucasus delivers 22 million snowdrops to the Netherlands every year, including 15 million wild snowdrops. A lucrative business, from which little remains for Khatuna Jakeli. Yet it is her most important source of income. A report by Juri Rescheto.

Culture, Magazines, Previews, Stories, Tourism, Travel

Cover Previews: Britain Magazine – July/Aug 2022

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A TASTE OF THE JULY/AUGUST 2022 ISSUE

Big Ben: The time machine

Credit: PjrTravel / Alamy

Big Ben, the world’s most famous clock has been under wraps for four years, its iconic bell silenced. This year, restored to its former glory, Big Ben once again shows its face.

Read more here. 

Richmond: Down by the river

Credit: Maurizio Rellini

Between Richmond and Hampton Court is a storied stretch of the River Thames, whose banks are lined with grand houses, royal parks and Henry VIII’s favourite palace.

Read more here.

King Arthur’s Cornwall: Searching for Camelot

Tintagel Castle. Credit: Matt Jessop

The timeless legends of King Arthur and his brave knights live on in the magical landscapes of North Cornwall.

Read more here. 

Culture, Magazines, Previews, Stories, Tourism, Travel

COVERS: FRANCE-AMÉRIQUE MAGAZINE – JUNE 2022 ISSUE

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France-Amérique – June 2022

French Lands Adrift in the Ocean

Some 3 million people live in French overseas territories – islands like Guadeloupe, Martinique, Polynesia, New Caledonia, Réunion, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon, remnants of France’s colonial empire. We explore these distant lands that are regularly pushing for independence. Also in this issue, meet the French community of Hawaii, read about Alma de Bretteville Spreckels – the “great-grandmother of San Francisco” and a friend of Rodin – and discover our interview with U.S. historian Stephen Bourque on the “the Allied war against France” during the Normandy landings. Lastly, we bring you the story of Disneyland Paris, which revived fears of Americanization in France when it opened 30 years ago.

Culture, Landscape, Short Films, Travel, Videos, Views

Cinematic Travel: Colors And Cultures Of India

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Located in South Asia, India sits on a peninsula that extends between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The country, the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism, is the world’s second most-populous nation after China.

For many years of its long history, India faced incursions from the north by Turks, Arabs, Persians and others. By the 19th century, Great Britain became the dominant power on the subcontinent. After years of nonviolent struggle against British rule, India gained its independence in 1947.

Culture, Documentaries, Environment, Stories, Travel, Videos, Views

Rainforests Of Africa: The Protectors Of Gabon

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Gabon’s soul lies hidden beneath a thick green mantle, the source of most of the Gabonese traditions, medicines, spirituality, and resources. A precious heritage that a small number of men and women protect.

We meet Kombo, a Babongo hunter, and Juste, who is in touch with the forest spirits. In human cultures in general, and perhaps particularly in Africa, the landscape is the first shrine of tradition.

From the sand dunes of Mauritania to the currents of River Senegal, to the Lions of the Beninese savannah to the spirits of the forests of Gabon, this series explores the origin, the nature and the survival of deep links between several populations in West Africa and their habitat.

Culture, Documentaries, History, Tourism, Tours, Travel, Videos

Travels: History Of The Orient Express & Istanbul

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Gavin Stamp retraces the route of the old Orient Express, from London, via Paris, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest, to Istanbul, in search of the treasures of ‘Old Europe’. Stamp’s adventures on and off the train are punctuated by his candid, entertaining reflections on life, the world, and the strange and wonderful people he meets.

Culture, Documentaries, History, Stories, Travel, Videos, Views

Celebrity Culture: History Of The Côte d’Azur, France

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The Côte d’Azur stands for glamour and luxury, for film festivals and stars, for yachts and villas. The most famous personalities of the last century met here. The Côte owes its unique mythos to their loves and passions.

The Côte d’Azur boasts a breathtakingly gorgeous landscape. But its mythos is more than the sum of it beautiful parts. The whole world associates the narrow coastal strip on the French Mediterranean coast with sun, stars and scandals. In Saint Tropez, a former fishing town, a new and newly sensual art of living was popularized thanks to the young Brigitte Bardot.

On the eastern part of the coast, Oscar winner Grace Kelly conquered the principality of Monaco with her marriage to Prince Rainier. The matchmaker? The Greek shipowner Aristotle Onassis, who wanted to burnish the dwarf state’s image. One of the most glamorous film festivals in the world was established in Cannes. After that, it seemed everyone came to the Côte. At the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, the paths of the famous crossed again and again.

For 150 years the hotel has been home to artists, queens and kings, divas and stars. Since 1969, the hotel has been owned by the German industrialist family Oetker. Maja Oetker describes her personal memories of the past 50 years. To this day, the Côte d’Azur has lost none of its appeal. It is more than just a place: it is an entire mythos.