ISLAMABAD, To showcase the last two episodes of a documentary ‘Rediscovering Greater Chitral’, the ambassador of Greece and Mrs Petros Mavroidis hosted a screening/reception at their residence, which was attended mostly by senior diplomats and their spouses; a few other guests and some family members of the producer.
The documentary of this fascinating valley was produced by founder and director of Nomad Gallery, Nageen Hyat, in collaboration with PTV and has been screened domestically and internationally.
Addressing his guests, Ambassador Mavroidis said he had first met Nageen when she was filming the documentary in Chitral where he had gone to see the valley for himself after hearing about its beauty and history. He praised Nageen for her commitment to preserve the culture of this unique place and also said words in praise of Nomad Gallery, which is well known to the people who live in the capital for its many activities to uphold the dignity and cultural traditions of the people.
He concluded with mention of the Greek NGO, ‘Greek Volunteers’ working for the uplift and betterment of the people of Chitral and how its founder, Athanasios Lerounis, had been kidnapped but released after the intense efforts of the government of Pakistan.
Athanasios Lerounis is also featured in the documentary. A teacher at a technical school in Athens and member of the GVs, he started work on the museum in 1995 before he joined the NGO. His love for Chitral began when he was a tourist and he began working individually to help the people after he realised their needs. The NGO has constructed schools, water tanks and hospitals and provided free medical treatment to the valley residents.
In 2001, it built the Bashali (maternity home) in the Karakal village of Bamboret and completed the construction of Kalashadur in 2004 with the assistance of its main sponsor the Hellenic Aid of the Greek MFA. Athanasios said the GVs were volunteers and the entire fund was exclusively spent on the welfare of the people of the region.
The aim of Kalashadur, he said, was to support the unique Kalasha tradition and improve education, health and living standards of the people in the three Kalash valleys.
The culture of Kalash people is unique and differs drastically from the various ethnic groups surrounding them. They are polytheists and nature plays a highly significant and spiritual role in their daily life. As part of their religious tradition, sacrifices are offered and festivals held to give thanks for the abundant resources of their three valleys.
Kalash mythology and folklore has been compared to that of ancient Greece, though some historians think they are much closer to Indo-Iranian (Vedic and pre-Zoroastrian) traditions. Nevertheless, Kalash people in their own traditions claim to be descendants of Alexander the Great’s soldiers and the Greek NGO volunteers certainly seem to think so too.
The documentary stuck to the accepted format and avoided giving details of the Kalash culture which is under threat from those who want to convert these free living, free thinking people to Islam.
Giving a reason for making the documentary, Nageen said a few words, which she said came from her heart. The objective was to focus on and highlight visions for the future, to revitalise the Pakistani identity through researching, producing and screening documentaries of Pakistan’s cultural heritage and by keeping every activity contemporary and relevant.
Using mass media, cinema and art exchanges at an international level to explore the role of diverse cultural expressions to focus on and highlight the common quest for dignity and justice; freedom to live in peace and without fear of violence by any extreme groups; discriminatory international policies; human rights violations across gender; an identity that is inclusive rather than exclusive; the freedom to create a peaceful world; to appoint cultural ambassadors to start a vibrant movement which focuses on creating dialogue, optimism and hope by creating a space that will enable a greater mobilization and sensitivity for an alternative future and intra-cultural harmony.
'Culture therefore is of prime importance, because it defines our identity and expression of the way of life of the larger, peace loving people who are Pakistanis.'--The News SyedRiffatAli is based in Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is Reporter for Allvoices
The documentary of this fascinating valley was produced by founder and director of Nomad Gallery, Nageen Hyat, in collaboration with PTV and has been screened domestically and internationally.
Addressing his guests, Ambassador Mavroidis said he had first met Nageen when she was filming the documentary in Chitral where he had gone to see the valley for himself after hearing about its beauty and history. He praised Nageen for her commitment to preserve the culture of this unique place and also said words in praise of Nomad Gallery, which is well known to the people who live in the capital for its many activities to uphold the dignity and cultural traditions of the people.
He concluded with mention of the Greek NGO, ‘Greek Volunteers’ working for the uplift and betterment of the people of Chitral and how its founder, Athanasios Lerounis, had been kidnapped but released after the intense efforts of the government of Pakistan.
Athanasios Lerounis is also featured in the documentary. A teacher at a technical school in Athens and member of the GVs, he started work on the museum in 1995 before he joined the NGO. His love for Chitral began when he was a tourist and he began working individually to help the people after he realised their needs. The NGO has constructed schools, water tanks and hospitals and provided free medical treatment to the valley residents.
In 2001, it built the Bashali (maternity home) in the Karakal village of Bamboret and completed the construction of Kalashadur in 2004 with the assistance of its main sponsor the Hellenic Aid of the Greek MFA. Athanasios said the GVs were volunteers and the entire fund was exclusively spent on the welfare of the people of the region.
The aim of Kalashadur, he said, was to support the unique Kalasha tradition and improve education, health and living standards of the people in the three Kalash valleys.
The culture of Kalash people is unique and differs drastically from the various ethnic groups surrounding them. They are polytheists and nature plays a highly significant and spiritual role in their daily life. As part of their religious tradition, sacrifices are offered and festivals held to give thanks for the abundant resources of their three valleys.
Kalash mythology and folklore has been compared to that of ancient Greece, though some historians think they are much closer to Indo-Iranian (Vedic and pre-Zoroastrian) traditions. Nevertheless, Kalash people in their own traditions claim to be descendants of Alexander the Great’s soldiers and the Greek NGO volunteers certainly seem to think so too.
The documentary stuck to the accepted format and avoided giving details of the Kalash culture which is under threat from those who want to convert these free living, free thinking people to Islam.
Giving a reason for making the documentary, Nageen said a few words, which she said came from her heart. The objective was to focus on and highlight visions for the future, to revitalise the Pakistani identity through researching, producing and screening documentaries of Pakistan’s cultural heritage and by keeping every activity contemporary and relevant.
Using mass media, cinema and art exchanges at an international level to explore the role of diverse cultural expressions to focus on and highlight the common quest for dignity and justice; freedom to live in peace and without fear of violence by any extreme groups; discriminatory international policies; human rights violations across gender; an identity that is inclusive rather than exclusive; the freedom to create a peaceful world; to appoint cultural ambassadors to start a vibrant movement which focuses on creating dialogue, optimism and hope by creating a space that will enable a greater mobilization and sensitivity for an alternative future and intra-cultural harmony.
'Culture therefore is of prime importance, because it defines our identity and expression of the way of life of the larger, peace loving people who are Pakistanis.'--The News SyedRiffatAli is based in Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is Reporter for Allvoices
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/7781558-rediscovering-greater-chitral