Oltre Le Vette, imagining the mountains
“The imagined mountain” is the theme chosen for the twenty-fifth edition of “Oltre Le Vette – Mountain metaphors, people and places”, a festival in the Municipality of Belluno which will again see the collaboration of the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation this year.
The mountain between the reality and the vision
Never before has “imagining the mountain”, as well as questioning the current image of the mountain, been as imperative as it has become in recent years which have been marked by countless changes (climatic, anthropogenic, scenic and economic). As the organisers explain, the “imagined mountain” should be understood as the creation and vision of many, as well as an important reality with which both inhabitants and visitors will have to reckon, for better or worse.
The programme
The most intense part of the programme is divided between Friday 8 and Sunday 17 October, but there will also be events such as conferences, theatrical performances, film screenings and book presentations on other dates. The full programme can be downloaded from the web site at www.oltrelevette.it. Three events will be organised in collaboration with the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation: first, a meeting with writer and scientist Stefano Mancuso at the Municipal Theatre on Thursday 14 October at 9 pm. A plant neurobiologist and passionate populariser, Mancuso was named by New Yorker magazine in a list of people “destined to change our lives”. A studies conference will be held on Friday 15 October at 2.30 pm, again at the Municipal Theatre. During “The imagined mountain”, sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists, historians, geographers and economists will explore alpine mental imagery, from the “mythical” to present-day mountains, aimed at creating a tourism wish list. This will be followed at 9 pm by, “I want to go up there – A brief history of the Grassi Sisters”, a theatrical show featuring Melania Lunazzi, Anna Delogu, Sebastiano Zorza (accordion) and Ester Bonato (dance).
25 years of having something to say
How did “Oltre Le Vette” manage to reach such an important milestone as its “silver anniversary” with the city of Belluno? In revisiting the issues addressed in the various editions, the answer is clear; there is always a point of view, a new perspective, “something to say”. Mountaineers, writers, directors, travellers and artists are always called on to make their contribution and open new spaces for reflection on the mountain, which is becoming increasingly indispensable for both residents and visitors.