MOVING FORWARD WITH REGARD TO SHARED VALUES
Juan Mari Aburto.Mayor of Bilbao
Bilbao is working to consolidate its status as a cutting-edge city not only thanks to economic growth and also growth in terms of architecture and urban development, but to something even more essential: its commitment to the values that define our co-existence and our future as a society. Ours is a city conducting an active ongoing search for diversity, sustainability, solidarity and participation by citizenry, the mainstays of the lives we lead together. These values do not only guide our policies, but also project Bilbao’s identity to the world outside.
Cinema is a powerful tool of communication and art. Through the stories we tell and the images we share, cinema connects us to diverse realities and generates the necessary reflection on our role in the world, from both the individual and group perspective.
ZINEBI, our International Documentary and Short Film Festival, is a natural ally on this mission. Since it was declared a Category A festival fifty years ago by the FIAPF federation, ZINEBI has put Bilbao on the world cinema map, vouching for the values our city represents.
This is a festival for an open, inclusive city, a city that celebrates cultural diversity and fosters dialogue across a range of different perspectives, and critical thought. Thanks to careful programming and its commitment to top-quality cinema, ZINEBI is a space where the men and women of Bilbao can discover stories from around the world, but simultaneously discern themselves too.
Moreover, ZINEBI is a key tool to foster active cultural participation, involving not only the adult population, but our city’s young people too, who also see the festival as a source of inspiration and knowledge. It is a window looking out on plurality, and an invitation to reflect on the challenges of the modern age. Good cinema, high-quality cinema, helping to make us stronger as a community.
