The understanding between artists and individuals – on a people-to-people level, is one of the cornerstones of free societies. During the cold war, artists and cultural exchanges helped win what some scholars call the “war of ideas” by demonstrating to the world the promise of America. Now, in a post-9/11 world, where information travels at speeds previously unthinkable, economies are interdependent, and the arts & humanities are truly global, the beauty and universality of the moving image offers unique opportunities to increase cross-cultural understanding.
On Friday, December 3rd, the White House participated in the launch of “Film Forward: Advancing Cultural Dialogue”, a public/private cultural film exchange effort by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and the Sundance Institute, in New York. The project encompasses five contemporary independent American filmmakers and five international filmmakers that will tour throughout the United States and abroad as part of an effort to build bridges between countries, and is operated in partnership with the major federal cultural agencies, the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. State Department officials also participated in the launch.
The powerful stories represented by the contemporary independent films and artists in Film Forward are ideal for bridging different cultures, not only in the diversity of artistic approaches, cultural traditions and political views of the films, but in meeting a very important need in engaging audiences here and abroad in one-on-one dialogue about shared perspectives on issues raised by the films. By encouraging dialogue on universal themes these films challenge stereotypes and open doors to other cultures, ideas and places.
Fonte: White House