The winners of the National Heritage Fund Short Film Competition 2020 were rewarded during an award ceremony held, yesterday, at the MCine Trianon. The event, an initiative of the National Heritage Fund (NHF) and the Mauritius Film Development Corporation (MFDC), forms part of activities organised to mark the International Day for Monuments and Sites 2022. The aim is to create awareness on the national historical sites across Mauritius.
The Minister of Arts and Cultural Heritage, Mr Avinash Teeluck, the Chairman of the NHF, Mr Vijaye Ramchurn, the Director of the MFDC, Mr Vikram Jootun, and other personalities were present at the ceremony.
In his address, the Chairman of the NHF, Mr Ramchurn, stated that the International Day for Monuments and Sites provides an opportunity to the population to reflect on the importance of cultural heritage, the impact of the monuments and sites on the lives of citizens, and the challenges associated with their conservation.
He emphasised the need to foster communication among the public and encourage them to preserve the richness of the national cultural heritage, cultures and traditions of the country.
The NHF, he said is undertaking several projects to identify, preserve and promote the country’s cultural heritage. They include: launching of a mobile application, inscription of six additional new sites, and restoration and preservation of several sites and monuments.
As for the the National Heritage Short Film Competition, he indicated that it aimed at encouraging the youth to demonstrate their skills and talents and come up with innovative ideas to represent the significance of cultural sites. The objective was also to contribute in the promotion and protection of the sites among the population.
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On that occasion, winners of the painting competition 2021 for children aged between three to 15 years were rewarded. The objective of the competition was to sensitise the public in particular, children, on the importance of the country’s rich cultural heritage sites and monuments and the need to preserve them.
The Winners of the Competition
Twelve entries were received for the competition on the theme “Lil Patrimoine: Anou decouvert ek reviv nou leritaz dan nou landrwa”. The winners are as follows:
First prize – Mr Seetohul Rajeshwar for ‘Nou Kiltir C Nou Fitir’;
Second prize – Mr Leslie Athanas for ‘Un feu s’est allumé sur la mer’;
Third prize – Mr Ramrooch Krishnaduth for ‘Hamni Ke Gaon Mein Ek Yaad Kar’; and
Public Vote Prize – Mrs Nilma Jhugroo for ‘De mère en fils’.
