Terres Travel Festival showcases and promotes films focused on sustainable development and natural tourism. The festival takes place in Tortosa, Spain, the biggest city in Terres de l’ Ebre, a region engulfed by two magnificent parks of unspoiled natural beauty, protected by UNESCO under its initiative BIOSPHERE RESERVE.
This year, in its 7th edition, Terres Travel Festival honored our own, Theo Papadoulakis, with the Terres Pioneers, a special award celebrating a career devoted to dignifying tourism film production. It was a great recognition of Theo’s continuous dedication to the creation of high-end tourism films, through resourceful, comic and imaginative fiction. His talent, skill and creativity have influenced a new wave of tourism films and inspired fellow directors across the world.
But celebration should always trigger reflection. In his acceptance speech, Theo did not fail to refer to the recent environmental disasters that have occurred in Greece, after a summer of wild fires and the devastating floodings that followed. Although deeply moved by the award, he took the chance to point out his grief about the hardships people from the afflicted areas are facing, seeing their home, land and property in ruin.
Theo then went on to point out that we – especially as filmmakers – are all bound by the obligation not only to promote our country’s natural beauty as a tourist attraction, but also to raise awareness for its protection against climate change.
“We have the cameras; we have the talent and willpower… It is our responsibility to make people aware and deliver the message to respect and protect our planet”.
Photos by Terres Travel Festival (website)
