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Modern Languages and Cultures lecturers recently partnered with the WOW Film Festival to offer students a unique cultural and academic experience. This collaboration brought together lecturers, students, and the public for the world premiere of ‘The Waste Commons’ (Rosalind Fredrick, 2024). The film was introduced by Dr Armelle Blin-Rolland, lecturer in French and a in Francophone environmental humanities expert, followed by a roundtable discussion with researchers in Italian, German and Hispanic ecocritical themes. The panel explored issues such as the intersection between power, colonialism, and toxicity, as well as the need for social justice as an integral part of any ecological transition.

Thanks to a generous contribution from our alumni to The Â鶹Íø Fund, students enrolled in the ‘Languages and Ecologies’ module received free tickets to attend three WOW Film Festival screenings focused on environmental themes.

I have really enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the human aspect of environmental violence. I don’t think I would have been able to engage with the Festival if I hadn’t been part of this module.

Llio, a final-year Spanish and Linguistics student

It was a pleasure to collaborate with the Department on this module, which is such a unique, vital, and timely course. The WOW Film Festival Ecosinema strand included films that showcased how languages, cultures, and ecologies are deeply interconnected, and it was truly exciting to see a department dedicated to exploring these ideas in an academic setting. This collaboration felt incredibly relevant, reinforcing how film can be a bridge between disciplines, sparking important conversations about the way we relate to our environment. We look forward to continuing this meaningful partnership in the future.

Annita Nitsaidou, Director of WOW Wales One World Film Festival,

 This collaboration reflects the University’s commitment to providing students with real-world opportunities that blend academic theory and practice. By attending these screenings, students not only witnessed the cutting-edge of documentary filmmaking but also gained invaluable insights into the creative and social forces shaping our understanding of environmental issues.

Prof Helena Miguélez-Carballeira, Professor in Hispanic Studies