Exploring crossroads of culture
The third edition of the Cross-Culture Warsaw Festival (Skrzyżowanie Kultur), organized by Warsaw's City Hall and Estrada Stołeczna, will give Varsovians a journey around the world in music, film, dance and theater from September 8-16. Following its motto, "Other worlds and other cultures are the mirrors through which we see ourselves and our own culture," which is borrowed from Ryszard Kapucinski's Travels with Herodotus, the festival has invited performers from all over the world to the Polish capital. The festival "town" located by the Palace of Culture and Science will host the majority of the 40 performances by artists from all over the world.
"We would like to stress the fact that Warsaw is an open-minded and welcoming city," said Jacek Gintowt, art director of the festival. "The capital is not only a Polish city and our goal is to introduce the foreign cultures we share the city with to Varsovians," he added.
Gintowt believes that due to its rich program, Skryżowanie Kultur, despite its short history, has the potential to become one of the most important cultural events in the capital. "Unfortunately, the capital city is not as effective in its promotion as some other Polish cities, although we definitely have lots to offer as a cultural destination," Gintowt said.
This year's film program will focus on contemporary Turkish cinema. The festival will also host 11 concerts, which will present the musical heritage of countries such as Bulgaria, India, Israel, Norway, Portugal, Romania and Zimbabwe. Visitors to the festival will also have an opportunity to learn to play some traditional instruments and take singing lessons during a four-day course.
For more information log onto: www.festival.warszawa.pl
