Re-phrasing the film’s title, some considerations about the DATE
September 11th
The symbolism of that date is clear to everybody… or not?
In fact it appears that the same date has deeply rooted feelings depending to what context you are considering.
Funeral nº1:
For Catalans (it happen to be that I am one of those…) 11th September we conmemorate the final defeat and the fall of Barcelona to the Castilian and French Borbonic Troops in a bloody Succession war (1714). It represent as well the end of freedoms, Catalan institutions and the lost of the independence… (not bad for a single date!)
Obviously prohibited during the forty years of dictatorship is now an important institutional and as well popular celebration named “Diada Nacional de Catalunya” , a sort of national day.
…do you celebrate a defeat?!
well, we celebrate that almost 300 years after we still have the mood to call ourselves a nation!
Funeral nº2:
Symbolic date as well for all those that remember the aggression of fascist regimes on democratic societies. In Latin America, and specially in Chile, part of the population commemorates the date when the army overthrown and murdered the democratically elected president Salvador Allende,… and afterwards some thousand of human rights and political activists (1973).
A part of our recent human history that seems we prefer to forget while the torturers are still enjoying freedom with Swiss banks full of stolen money.
Funeral nº3:
2001. Attacks in the USA. That already happen in our life time, and most probably we all remember what we were doing that concrete day…
The beginning of the self-fulfiled prophecy of the clash of civilisations or a turning point to arise awareness on the importance of intercultural dialogue from all spheres of society?
Funeral nº 4
Less known, but relevant for those of us engaged in Intercultural Dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean area.
In Sweden, Anna Lindh dies assassinated (2003).
A conmemoration that we celebrate working everyday for the Dialogue among cultures in the Euro-Mediterranean area from the civil society and the institution that wears her name.
… and a wedding?
After all these funerals, time has arrived to think in a celebration speaking out for DIALOGUE AND PEACE… why not remembering, aknowledging, seeking justice, restoring trust and rebuilding bridges
I am Xavier Baró and I Blog for Trust.
That’s quite an interesting article! I loved the opposition between funerals and weddings.. And the way you extended the day’s meanings to cover different areas in the world!
Well done! 🙂