On August 28  foundation Elm Media and Bergen International Film Festival invites to Life in Motion project closing event

14:00- 14.30. Latvians’ life in Norway: Anete Vanaga, Mg. University of Latvia
14.30- 14.50 Norwegian life in Latvia: Hanna Skartveit, PhD, University of Bergen
14.50- 15.20 National identity among emigrants: Līva Alksne, Mg. Riga Strandins University
15.20- 15.40 Coffee break
15.40- 16.30 Latvian crisis: society, economy, politic: Riga Stradins University as.prof. Ilva Skulte and prof. Sergejs Kruks
16:30-17.00 Discusion

Despite of the on-going cultural cooperation of Baltic and Nordic countries the intercultural dialogue between both countries is still rather undeveloped and available to a limited circle of the society (people working in the areas of art, higher education, science). At the wider society the level of awareness about the life in the other country is still relatively low and based on stereotypes that all Norwegians are rich and Latvians live in the edge of Eastern Europe and goes to Norway to work in low-paid jobs.

Objective of the project is to use creative potential and cooperation of Latvian and Norwegian photographers and anthropologists to create a joint travelling exhibition on Latvians in Norway and Norwegians in Latvia with photo portraits, short videos and life stories of them.

Exhibition will allow both societies to look at themselves from a different perspective and to better understand employees of the other and to promote tolerance and intercultural dialogue.

Since representatives of different social groups is portrayed during the Project their portraits is reflecting different life styles and cultural diversity. The project authors were looking at how people perceive belonging to a certain culture (and whether they feel closer to their own country or to the host country) and how they develop and maintain this sense in belonging.

One of the Project activities was documentary film exchange between Latvia and Norway that allowed introducing viewers with traditions, culture and actual social issues of other country. Through these two most important results of the Project – exhibition and documentary film programmes wider society will be able to get acquainted with the way of thinking, views and values in the other country and to better understand them.

Project “Life in Motion” is implemented with European Econimic Area (EEA) financial mechanizm program “Conservation and Revitalisation of Cultural and Natural Heritage”