Rol Freeman from AOLDE Radio gives us his opinion in this video after spending 3 days with us in last year's Cycle. He also published this fantastic article that moved us completely. Thank you very much Rol, this is your home whenever you want to visit us...
"AOLDE we witnessed an unforgettable night, full of talent, colour, sensitivity and much, much, much emotion. With a frankly brilliant staging, the Teatro Principal was dressed up for an event that it knows well, nothing less than the forty-second Donostia-San Sebastían International Underwater Film Festival 2018, which had to hang the "full house" sign, because it reached its maximum capacity, there was no room for a pin.
For our first time at CIMASUB, I confess to being impressed by the level of the organisation, and not only by the staging of the closing gala, where everything ran smoothly, an impeccable presentation, in Basque and Spanish, but also because they made everything look simple, as their promotional spot anticipated, a precious brushstroke of what was to follow.
One by one, the photographic galleries, short films, documentaries and special awards from the jury were projected, forming the group of winners of the coveted banister, and in my opinion, I insist, the "txapela", with spectacular infographics of the mythical railing emerging from the Cantabrian father himself, turning on itself, while the water was draining away, now in white, now in bronze, silver or gold, and right on the margin, the name of the winner and the corresponding prize category, a visual marvel.
Maybe we were already excited with all the work that, as we know well, makes it possible for everything to flow like silk and perfectly, we confess, and that's twice now, but what can we do, we even enjoyed the silences between applause and applause at the end of each projection.
And then, one by one, all the award winners were called to the stage amidst the warm clapping of the audience that filled the hall. Euphoria took hold of us, because of a more than evident empathy with the winners of the night and their more than radiant and exultant smiles, although the best was yet to come.
Thus were named, Alex del Olmo, Golden Banister in the short film category; Elodie Turpin, Golden Banister, best Documentary; Javier Ferrer, Golden Banister in the Photography category; Manuel Campillo, Bronze Banister, in the Photography category; Isaias Cruz, White Banister, best video in the Cantabrian Works category; Iñaki Alcalde, White Banister, best gallery in the Cantabrian Works category; Cesare Maglioni, Barandilla Blanca, best video with ecological denunciation; Aldo Galante, Barandilla Blanca, best gallery with ecological denunciation; Daniel Aldaya/Laura Madrueño, Diario Vasco Trophy, best journalistic work; Cesare Maglioni, Barandilla Blanca, best original idea; Alberto Santolaria, Barandilla Blanca, best message with denunciation; Borja Inza, Barandilla Blanca, best audiovisual message.
The finishing touch was the award created in honour of the "Father" of CIMASUB, Paco Pizarro, whose presence hovered over the Teatro Principal and who gave us goose bumps in the voice of his granddaughters and his wife, Regina, who went up to present it, for the first time, in a heartfelt tribute to the musician, pilot and diver and underwater filmmaker, Leandro Blanco, our country's most international award winner, with whom they were joined in an emotional embrace.
All the diving family present, those who knew Paco Pizarro and those who did not have that privilege, surely felt, like us, something similar in a contained emotion ... "Paco would be proud of how well you are doing ..." said Regina Gonzalez visibly moved.
The diving party thus closed, once again, the ritual and celebration of scuba diving through the talent of so many passionate fans of the blue, fused in a great family photo.
Our most sincere congratulations to the organisation, the Underwater Activities Section of the Real Sociedad de Fútbol, for an impeccable job, a great team with its Director at the head, David Sánchez. We will be back, see you soon friends.
Rol Freeman
