GFDD/Funglode Promotes Identity and National Pride Values in Puntacana

February 24, 2016

By screening the documentary La Montaña, GFDD/Funglode in collaboration with Puntacana group and the Puntacana Ecological Foundation, had the purpose of promoting values of identity and national pride among Dominicans living in the eastern part of the country. The activity was held at the Puntacana Village Commercial Galleries, and counted with the presence of 200 people from the community, as well as authorities and representatives of the Puntacana group.

María Victoria Abreu, GFDD International Affairs and Socio-economic Development Program Manager, and Jake Kheel, Director of the Puntacana Ecological Foundation, gave the welcoming remarks to the event and introduced a brief video summary of the recent expedition to Pico Duarte of a young group of Dominicans in January of the current year, an initiative of the GFDD program RDescubre, under the inter-institutional coordination of Funglode/GFDD, Puntacana Ecological Foundation and Siempre Más Foundation.

After the screening of the documentary La Montaña, the audience was able to share with the renowned and prestigious Dominican alpinist Karim Mella, President of the Siempre Más Foundation, first national in reaching the Summit of Mount Everest. Even children participated in this questions and answers session where they asked Karim about their concerns and curiosities about mountains. Karim Mella emphasized that the main thing, after accomplishing a goal such as reaching the highest peak in the world, it’s knowing what to do with it afterwards; in his case, he decided to share his experience with young Dominicans through expeditions, and educational and inspirational talks.

This activity is part of the GFDD program Year Round Environmental Film Screening, within the framework of Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF).

About La Montaña
La Montaña, directed by Tabaré Blanchard and Iván Herrera, with music and narration by Pavel Núñez and under the executive production of Marco Herrera and Laura Castellanos, portraits the adventure of the first Dominican expedition to reach the top of Mount Everest in Nepal, in 2011. With beautiful images, powerful music, and inspiring achievements, the film presents the contrast of the highest mount in the world and the low lands of the Caribbean, as the three climbers, Iván Gómez, Karim Mella and Federico Jovine, surpass the difficult track to the top. At the same time, three Dominican children, sons of fishermen, start their own challenge in climbing the highest mountain in the island, Pico Duarte. Two parallel stories that remind us that from the sea to the sky, everyone has a dream: a mountain to climb.

For more information: www.dreff.org

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