On 8 December, the Cinema Galeries will host an evening dedicated to pastoralism. Our screening is organised in the framework of ‘Perspectives on Pastoralism’, a film festival born in 2019 in an attempt to deepen understanding of this undervalued lifestyle. After a successful first edition with numerous screening across Europe, the festival is back with 18 new films to enrich its catalogue.
Four of them have been selected for the occasion. ‘An afternoon on the pasture’ (Hungary, 2022) offers a dive into the daily life of László, a traditional Hungarian herder practising close herded grazing. ‘Cowherds of the Savannah’ (Uganda, 2021) will then take you to north-east Uganda, where Karamojong herders manage to turn the driest fibres into meat and milk, while struggling with regular epidemic outbreaks and conflicts. ‘Shepherds of the Deccan’ (India, 2022) follows the Dhangar nomads on the Deccan plateau in the middle of India, where they are faced with the ever-growing threat of climate change. Finally, ‘Bayandalai: lord of the Taiga’ (Mongolia, 2018) explores the largest forest on earth through the eyes of a reindeer herder in the north of Mongolia.
More information about the movies and the complete catalogue on www.pastoralistfilmfestival.com.
Experts from 3 continents speak out
After the screening, we invited speakers from three continents to comment the movies and share their own pastoralist experiences with the public. Nitya Ghotge, veterinarian, author and filmmaker, will travel from India to present her movie ‘Shepherds of the Deccan’ and talk about the challenges of the people. Emmanuel Emaruk, our country director in Uganda, was born in Karamoja where herding livestock is the main livelihood. For more than ten years, he develops projects with the local population to enhance livestock keeping and veterinary services. Finally, we will have the pleasure to welcome Michele Nori, a tropical agronomist and rural sociologist who has devoted the past 25 years to the study of agro-pastoral livelihood systems.
Photo exhibition: An Uncertain World
Increased market volatility, the climate crisis, rapid technological change, the spread of a pandemic – it’s difficult to keep up with the unfolding reality. And pastoralists are far from being spared. How do they navigate through such an uncertain world? Such will be the focus of the photo exhibition ‘An Uncertain World’, presented in the exhibition hall of the cinema. Through a curated selection of images, we invite you to discover the way they embrace uncertainty to meet the challenges of a turbulent world.
Programme
- 18h00: Photo exhibition opening remarks
- 19h00: Film festival opening remarks
- 19h15: Start of the film screening
- 20h35: Panel discussion and Q&A with Emmanuel Emaruk (VSF-B Country Director in Uganda), Michele Nori (PASTRES core researcher) and Nitya Ghotge (veterinarian and filmmaker from India), moderated by Koen Van Troos
- 21h15: Reception in the photo exhibition space
Practical info
- Thursday 8 December from 18h00.
- At Cinema Galeries (Galerie de la Reine 26, 1000 Brussels)
- Please note that the event will take place in English.
- The event is free, but you are invited to register here.
An event co-organised by Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Belgium, the Coalition of European Lobbies for Eastern African Pastoralism (CELEP) and the PASTRES (Pastoralism, Uncertainty and Resilience: Global Lessons from the Margins) research programme.