Karachi, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in collaboration with the Olivo Foundation in Chile, has premiered a significant documentary titled ‘The Songs My Grandmother and Grandfather Sing to Me’. This audiovisual project, created by students from San Francisco de Mostazal, focuses on preserving the region’s oral traditions through song.

According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the documentary marks the twentieth anniversary of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. UNESCO Santiago initiated this project, with funding from the Olivo Foundation, to develop a documentary that captures the rural oral tradition in San Francisco de Mostazal. The premiere took place on December 7, 2023, at the town’s Municipal Theater.

Directed by filmmaker Felipe Correa of Gaticine, the documentary involved students aged 9 to 14 from the Teresiano School of Mostazal. It showcases a collection of songs integral to the oral tradition, preserved by elderly community members known as ‘cultores’. These songs, part of the ‘canto a lo divino y lo humano’ genre typical of rural music, were passed on to the students by the cultores.

The film follows the students as they journey around their town with cameras and microphones, capturing traditional melodies and documenting a community-building tradition at risk of disappearance. The project aims to emphasize the significance of oral tradition as an expression of heritage and to sensitize viewers and participants to the importance of preserving Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Ruperto Soto, a local radio station worker and one of the cultores involved in the project, shared his motivation for participating. He emphasized the importance of reviving forgotten songs and noted the positive impact of school support in such initiatives.

Pilar Vicuña, culture coordinator at UNESCO Santiago, commented on the documentary’s alignment with the goals of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. She stressed the importance of intergenerational transmission in preserving cultural knowledge and identity.

María Luisa Vergara, culture area coordinator of the Olivo Foundation, discussed the challenges of preserving oral traditions in a technology-driven world. She highlighted the opportunities that technology provides in recording and disseminating these traditions, allowing local customs to coexist with global culture. Vergara also noted the inclusion of children’s opinions and contributions at every production stage of the documentary.

This documentary represents a crucial effort to safeguard and promote the rich cultural heritage and diversity represented by oral traditions, emphasizing the importance of intergenerational knowledge transfer.