On Sunday, April 2, Franklin University Switzerland collaborated with the Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainable Futures (CJSF) to host the Global Science Film Festival for the first time. The festival’s theme of Social Justice and Sustainability was perfectly aligned with the undergraduate program of the same name at Franklin. The festival was also held at different universities across Switzerland, and tickets were free for anyone from Franklin. This event marked a unique opportunity for the merging of artistic and scientific ideas to encourage future thought about how to improve the quality of human life.
The Spring 2023 course on “Screening Stories of Sustainability”, taught by Adjunct Professor and filmmaker Elettra Fiumi, has the dual purpose of teaching Franklin students how to make a video and simultaneously bringing to life the Global Science Film Festival at the local Lux cinema in Lugano. To this end, the best student short films before the feature films, followed by a Q&A session between Professor Fiumi and Franklin student Aidan Farabow (’25), who was appointed project manager for the festival.
Arpi Khachatryan, a student who participated as a panelist in Lugano's 5th Global Science Film Festival, shared her experience. She said it was an honor to be one of the panelists during the festival at LUX Art House, and she discussed how storytelling can address modern issues, using the example of Cinema Sabaya (2021), Orit Fouks Rotem's meta-masterpiece. She also reported that the festival was well-organized and that the panel discussion offered multiple perspectives and reflection on the films. Most importantly, she said that the experience shifted her perspective on documentary film, allowing her to better appreciate its storytelling power.
The festival was a huge success, and it showcased the important work being done by Franklin in promoting sustainability and environmental justice through film.