We should always ask yourselves questions. It is hard to say when my path to self-discovery has started. And it will probably never end. But there are some milestones that marked it along the way. And last year provided the apogee of my realization that there will be no coming back to the so called ‘normal’. What we had before the pandemic was not normal. And we cannot go back to it.

We have to look forward and create a better world. We can change it and shape it the way we wish. It all depends on the stories that we tell ourselves. And that was always the case with the humanity. That’s why storytelling is so important to us.

We should learn from indigenous people. We feel better and wiser than them but in reality we should become their students. They respect the Earth as a source of everything they need. Their land sustained them for centuries. They lived in balance with nature. Meanwhile we destroy everything we touch, just like King Midas with his Golden Touch. Whatever he touched turned into gold. He was thrilled until he tried to eat something and everything he tried to put in his mouth was changing into an inedible gold. And then he also realized that he couldn’t even hug and comfort his own daughter without changing her into a gold statue. We will end just like him with nothing to eat and make our children miserable if we do not come to our senses soon. In our pursuit of wealth we forgot what is really essential. But Midas eventually got rid of his accursed wish and so can we.

We live on a beautiful planet. Our ancestors called it Mother Earth because she was taking care of them. They worshiped her and respected her. Unfortunately, we have lost these abilities but the moment we destroy her, we will destroy ourselves. It is not too late and a different fate is possible if we can only grow smart. If we start listening to our wiser brothers and sisters who are still in touch with our natural ability to connect with nature, and who are trying to teach us what to do. If we only start listening, our world can start flourishing again.

My field of expertise covers languages and cinema – two things strongly connected because every story starts with a word. And the way we tell our stories shape our reality. That’s why representation in media is very important. Many groups are still under-represented or misrepresented and we need to correct this error.

We also need to imagine different worlds, more inclusive and sustainable. And films help us do just that. They show us high-tech cities intertwined with nature, diverse societies and global unity. They accustom us to new ideas about the lives we could lead. We should always improve ourselves and the world we live in and be the best versions of ourselves.

The journey never ends…