“‘Bersong EuroPinoy’ highlights the diversity and richness of cultures across regions through the arts in written and visual forms, said Silliman President Dr. Betty Cernol-McCann.”
The European Union Delegation rekindled “Bersong EuroPinoy” in Dumaguete in collaboration with Silliman University, known to be a hub of literary luminaries in the country, a couple of weeks ago via its FB page: facebook.com/EUDelegationToThePhilippines.
Going by the tagline, “Verses Versus the Virus,” it anchored on the theme, “Paglaum ug Panaghiusa” (“Hope in Solidarity”).
Dr. Betty Cernol-McCann, president of Silliman University, said that “Bersong EuroPinoy” highlights the diversity and richness of cultures across regions through the arts in written and visual forms. “Elevating our arts appreciation can be a means to sobriety and a way to uplift our soul amid the COVID19 pandemic,” McCann remarked.
The university houses the Creative Writing Center, which believes in the impact and value of literature and creative writing in regional and national development, and puts in utmost importance to the work and vision of its creative writers.
Aside from Silliman University, the poetry recital was held in partnership with the Embassies of Czech Republic, Spain through Instituto Cervantes, France, Italy through the Philippine-Italian Association, Hungary, Austria, Poland, and multi-awarded Filipino poets from Dumaguete.
Thomas Wiersing, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, said that after the successful poetry editions in May in Manila and in Bicol, the EU Delegation decided to bring the poetry recital to Dumaguete.
“Bersong EuroPinoy provides a platform to better understand and appreciate each other’s culture and to strengthen people-to-people links between Europeans and Filipinos,” Wiersing said.
Featured poems and poets from Dumaguete included: “Ang Labing Hanas Nga Tigbugsay,” by Ester Tapia; “Kung Dili Molutaw Ang Pagbati,” by Dr. Eva Rose Washburn-Repollo; “Coalescence,” by F. Jordan Carnice; and, “Ang Paghatod,” by Jona Branzuela Bering.
A special component of the festival was a Visayan chant arranged by Priscilla Magdamo-Abraham and performed by select faculty members and students of Silliman University.
On the other hand, “Mga Kinhason (Sea Shells)” is a list of different kinds of seashells, reminding us of the bountiful blessings in the sea world. A brainchild of Instituto Cervantes, it used to be held under the framework of “Dia del Libro,” gathering all diplomats and literary enthusiasts from among the members of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, EU member states’ embassies, and cultural institutes.
What made this poetry edition more exciting was its novelty through the Philippine Italian Association with its new partnership with the Italian poetry festival, “La punta della lingua.” This new edition of “Bersong EuroPinoy” screened an animated version of L’infinito (The Infinite – 1819) by Giacomo Leopardi.
The talented Simone Massi, one of the top animation cinema directors and illustrators in the world, added the poetic dimension of his drawing to the masterpiece of the great poet, Giacomo Leopardi himself. The narrator’s voice is that of the actor Neri Marcorè, while the music was composed by Stefano Sasso.
This dreamlike work, commissioned by the Municipality of Recanati (the hometown of Giacomo Leopardi) is a co-production with Nie Wiem – a publisher, film producer, organizer of the short film festival “Corto Dorico,” and the poetry festival, “La punta della lingua,” which is part of the project “Marche della Poesia” and to which the #PhilippineItalianAssociation has collaborated with to be able to present this work. – NWI
