The short documentary ‘Silla Emilce’ by former IED Barcelona student Valentina Franco depicts the artisanal sector’s commitment to sustainability and feminism
News
Invasive plant converted into design
Date
27 November 2023
The quest for the melting point between traditions and sustainable, innovative design led a student back to her homeland in Colombia to meet a group of artisans turning the problem of an invasive plant known locally as taruya, or water hyacinth, into an opportunity to create craft pieces and improve their quality of life. Together they seek to bring the result to her home with a piece of furniture that intertwines relationships and stories.
This is the story behind Silla Emilce, the documentary by former IED Barcelona Product Design student Valentina Franco and Daniel Zuleta. The short film was screened at Disseny Hub Barcelona on Saturday, 25 November to mark the occasion of the opening ceremony of the 5th International Crafts Audiovisual Exhibition.
The documentary is one of 14 short films in this year’s line-up for the festival, which is promoted by the Catalan Government through the Consortium of Commerce, Crafts and Fashion (CCAM). An initiative that showcases and makes the diversity and richness of artisanal crafts more accessible for the general public through contemporary stories by creators. Some of the films, such as Silla Emilce, depict the sector’s commitment to sustainability and feminism, while others feature projects that experiment with the fusion between technological innovation and craftsmanship or explain the deep connections between these crafts and the territory.
All the documentaries will be available on the FILMIN cinema platform until 10 December and for an additional day on the CCAM website. The 14 audiovisual works will then embark on a tour throughout Catalonia as part of the “Mostra On the Road” project. The first stop will be at the Escoles Velles Civic Centre in Castell d’Aro (Girona) on Saturday, 16 December at 12 pm, when the documentary Change to Live – New Crafts Digital Revolution II by Jordi Cussó, a teacher at IED Barcelona, will also be screened. This film was included in the line-up of the festival’s previous edition.
Valentina Franco and Raffaella Perrone, Head of Design School at IED Barcelona, at the film premiere.
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