22d. “International Nature Festival of Namur”, till October 23d.

Posted on October 19, 2016 12:57 pm by yanismiguelanne in NEWS // 0 Comments

Two years ago, for the 20th. anniversary of the “FINN” (“International Festival Namur-Nature”), the Prins Laurent of Belgium, came with his children, met the Ambassador of Tchad, in Jambes-Namur, during this Festival, one of the five more important european Festivals dedicated to the nature.

Prins Laurent and Ambassador of Tchad, in 2014

This year, till October 23d., Namur is again the “European Capital of the Nature”, with three Festival’s competitions, one for photographies and two for movies, one for professionals and the other one for amators.

But, first, speaking about photographies, for 2€ only, from October 15th. till October 20th., you can discover 42 exhibitions in Namur, capital of Wallonia. In one really nice 19th. century’s living room, at the 1st. floor of the “Brasserie François”, on Square St.-Aubain, located near the Governor Palace and the Cathedral, we can admire 7 exhibitions: “The Young Lady of Haute-Savoie”, showing one ermine in the winter (Denis Girard), “Afric Addict” (Florence Dabenoc), “Wild Rome” showing animals in the City, around some historical sites (Micol Ricci and Roberto Isotti), …

On 7 different sites of the Citadel, a former military place wich welcome, for 4 days, from October 20th. till Otober 23th., on his grounds, inside and outside, not less than 16 exhibitions, like a selection of photographies from the “Silences of the Ventoux Festival” and so nice photographic views from the “South Seas” (Paul Tixier) till some magic moments of “Altitude Ambiences” (Thomas Crauwels), visiting Africa, with some “African Magic Moments” (Vincent Gesser), Finland, with “Brown Beers and Wolverines from the Finnish Taiga” (Bernard Claessens), the Antarctic, with “Terra incognita” (Guillaume Pepy and Vincent Lecomte), some forests, with “The Forest Spirit” (Arnaud Nédaud), and so much more to discover…

At the other side of the Meuse River (free transportations are provided), near the railway station of Jambes-Namur, inside the “Acinapolis” movie-theatre, we find the “Nature’s Village”, with 20 more photographies’ exhibitions, wich are opened, on two floors, during the 10 days of the Festival. On the 2d. floor, we have the best photographies, winners of different prizes from two other nature Festivals: “Agri-Nature”, in our country, and this one of Montier-en-Der, in France (wich received, in 2015, the participation of 1.569 photographers, coming from 30 countries, like Algeria, Canada, Chile, China, India, Mexico, Madagascar, Peru, Sénégal, Singapore, South-Africa, Tunisia and the USA, without to forget the french territories of Guyana and Reunion Island). Also, we find a pictures’ selection about the Artic: “Borealis Escape” (Eric Bassega) and another one, with nice macro photographies from 5 photographers of “Latitudes Animales” (Maxime Aliaga, Benoist Clouet, Rémi Garcia, Loïc Léchelle and Bastien Riu).

On the “Acinapolis” 1sr floor, in the “Nature Village” if we find books and videos, we can also learn how to make films (with the “Video Academy”) or to take pictures in the nature, with all the material you can dream to use someday.

“Also, if 5.500 photographies, shooted by amators and professionals photographers coming from the 5 continents, were send to the “International Contest of Nature-Namur Potographies”, we can, at the same floor, discover 130 of them, … giving ud the possibility to vote for the “Public Award”.

For our pleasure, this “Nature Village” let us see more photos’ exhibitions, from the amazing “Animals’ Kama Sutra” (Lorraine Bener) till one trip to the “Torres del Paine National Park”, in Chili, with “Meeting the Puma” (Jean-Marie Séveno), without to forget “Géladas”, one surprising black and white collection of Ethiopian monkeys’ portraits (Patris Quillard), “Insolite Senegal” (Philippe Taminiaux, creator of the “FINN”, and Karine Fonsny), “The Puszta Wings”, in the Hungarian “Hortopagy National Park” (Annick Gauthier and Didier Robert), “White” (Cédric Allié), “Chromatic Ascensions”, Alps’ great pictures (Ambre de l’Alp)“African Savannah” (Christian Theys), …

Ambre de l’Alp (c) “You Tube”

Don’t forget now the professional films’ competition (some of them showed in english version) with:

Monday 17th., at 8:00 p.m.: “Mysterious Disappearance in the Yellowstone” (Corrine Manfred/USA/52′)
Monday 17th., at 8:30 p.m.: Birds’ Evening: « Messenger, le Silence des Oiseaux »/Su Rynard/France/90’) and « Atlantic Puffin, the Artic’s little Brother »/Hugo Braconnier and Frédéric Labie/90’);
Tuesday 18th., at 8:00 p.m.: « Bannf Mountains Films Festival » (in english, a selection of some short-films of adventures in the mountains, from one Canadian Festival, being the world most important to live strong sensations);
Tuesday 18th., at 8:30 p.m.: Two films realised in France, by Tanguy Dumortier, “FINN”‘s President, for the « Jardin extraordinaire » (one “RTBF” program, the french speaking Belgian TV): “Corse, Island of Beauty” and “Dogs en men in the heart of the Alps” + “Amur, the Asian Amazon” (Franz Hafner/50’/filmed in China and Russia);
Wednesday 19th., at 08:00 p.m.: “The mysterious Grouper” (Bertrand Loyer/90’/filmed in Polynesia) and “Kalia, the lost Gibon” (Nitye Sood and Nikhil Virdi/12’/filmed in India);
Wednesday 19th., at 08:30 p.m.: « Voices of Amazonia » (Lucile Alemany, Margerie David and Lamia Chraibi/52’/ filmed in Ecuador);
Thursday 20th., at 8:00 p.m.: “The Ogre from our Rivers” (Bertrand Loyer/49’/filmed in France and Romania) and “A River in the Sky” (Paul Reddish/50’/filmed in Brazil);
Thursday 20th., à 08:30 p.m.: African Evening: « Insolite Senegal »/Philippe Taminiaux and Eric Heymans/52’/filmed in Gambia and Senegal), « Odzala, the Park with two Faces »/Tanguy Dumortier/33’/filmed in Congo) and « The Kings’ Disappeance: the Lions of Namibia »/Will Steenkamp/52’/filmed in Namibia);
Friday 21th., at 08:00 p.m.: Enchanting evening: « The Enchanting Peatlands » (Jan Haft/90’/filmed in Germany) and « Quercus »/BenjaminBurghartz/10’/filmed in Belgium);
Friday 21th., at 08:30 : Great American Parks’ Evening: « Yellowstone » (Olivier Goetzis/55′) and « The American National Paks: Saguaro » (Yann Sochaczewsli/48′);
Saturday 22d., at 08:00 p.m.: Professional Films’ Gala, with Awards’ Proclamation and the projection of the “2016 FINN’s Grand Prix”;
Sunday 23d., at 08:30 p.m.: Closing Gala, with the World Premiere of: “The Wolfs’ Valley” (Jean-Michel Bertrand / 90’/filmed in the French Alps).

a-nature-vallee-des-loups

Some other films are on the afternoons’ program, especially on Wednesday 19th., starting at 02:00 p.m., for a family program, and Saturday 22d., with films at 11:00 a.m. and 02:00 p.m.. Also on Sunday 23d., don’t miss, at 02:00 p.m.: Projection of the 15 Amators’ Films in Competition (not more than 5′ each), at 04:00 and 05:00 p.m.: Projection of 2 awarded professional films. On the same Festival’s closing day, at 07:00 p.m. conference, in french:“The great Predators’ Come-Back in Europe”, following, at 07:30 p.m. by one “questions and answers” with Jean-Michel Bertrand, realisator of “The Wolfs’ Valley”, just before the projection of his film.

So, if you have some free time, don’t miss to spend one or two days in Namur. You will enjoy the nice decoration of the “Acinapolis”, with 2.700 plants in front of the 2 screens, and on both sides of the stairs between the different floors, especially between the ground floor and the first one, with a lovely water’s cascade. Also, by visiting the 16 “FINN”‘s exhibitions of the Citadel, discover this superb historical site, why not by visiting the “Visitor Center”, near the Café Terrace of “Terra Nova”, to learn, in english version, about the history of Namur, since the first traces of human settlements on the site of the confluence, back to about 6.000 BC till today and some projects for the future.

Also, during this week, the “FINN” organized many activities in the nature (by foot or by bike, some climbing also), being guided by professionnal tour guides. All informations and prices over exhibitions, films’ projections and other activities can be find, in one english version, on: www.festivalnaturenamur.be. And don’t forget that the entrance to the “Nature Village”, in “Acinapolis” is free.

In any case, if you like the nature, if you want learn more about it, don’t miss to come in Namur, from Jambes till the Heart of the Old City and the Citadel, from today till Sunday October 23d., to realize tha the nature is a real show!

Yves Calbert.