Dominique: ​[00:00:00] Hello, welcome to another episode of Green Champions.

Adam: Thanks for joining us in a conversation with real people, making real environmental change in the work that they do. I'm here with Dominique, our sustainability expert.

Dominique: And I'm so glad to be here alongside Adam, our social enterprise extraordinaire. We bring you guests who saw the potential for impact in their job or community and did something about it.

Adam: Green Champions is a platform to share sustainability success stories, and plant new ideas.

Dominique: This is our mini series in Val Bruna, Italy, highlighting an event called NanoValbruna.

Adam: NanoValbruna is an international forum that brings scientists, entrepreneurs, professors, professionals, journalists, science communicators, and especially young people, to the heart of the Julian Alps, to talk about innovation, environment, and regeneration. Dominique had the chance to attend NanoValbruna and capture the stories of their accomplishments, and so as you're listening, I'm also [00:01:00] here equally excited to hear this episode.

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Francesca's Role at ReGeneration Hub Friuli and NanoValbruna

Dominique: Today, I am joined by Francesca Cercelletta. She is the ReGeneration Hub Friuli creative director and part of the media PR team. She is also running an event called 'Frame The Change,' which we'll explain what that is and how it relates to the rest of NanoValbruna, and we'll talk through her relationship with the program as well. Thanks for joining me.

Francesca: Thanks for having me.

Dominique: Okay. First, explain what your role is on the team.

Francesca: Okay. So I'm the creative director. I do most of the managing for the social media and communication. I work with my brother Lorenzo, for the branding of our brand, so of NanoValbruna and of ReGeneration Hub Friuli, which is our non-profit organization.

And yeah, that's about it, I guess. And then, yeah, I organized the festival, the forum festival. And yeah, logistics and everything else. This year in particular, [00:02:00] I had the honor of bringing this new format, which is 'Frame The Change' and which is a really dear to my heart because it's something about short films and cinema and I'm really into it. I wanna bring some creativity into these forum. So I'm really happy about that.

Dominique: And you're a very creative person with your work too. Outside of NanoValbruna, what else do you do?

Francesca: Yeah, I'm actually, right now, at this moment exactly, I am a graphic designer for luxury menswear brand called Zegna in Milan. And that's about it.

Dominique: Do you feel like you're a very creative person?

Francesca: Yes, I do actually. I love everything that is creative. I feel like I wanna touch everything that is in the creative fields from cinema to fashion, to art or whatever. Really, like, even like video editing, like I love video editing.

Frame The Change

Dominique: So how did you find 'Frame The Change'? How did you come across this particular creative event thing?

Francesca: So actually last year, one of our guests called Max, [00:03:00] he came here from Naples and he was really into our festival and he was explaining to us that he has a festival as well in Naples called the Pianeta Mare Film Festival, which is like Planet Sea Film Festival in the translation. And he organized this festival around short films and cinema and in video and whatever. And so he has this workshop and he wanted to find some new creative minds to select, to do this workshop in Naples.

And I was like, yeah, why not? Let's do it. And so I did ask him if I could join. I sent him whatever I did in the fields of cinema and whatever. And I got selected and I went there in Naples. And I found out that this workshop is like incredible because of the people that are coordinating it, which are Valerio Ferrara, and Diego Bellante. Valerio [00:04:00] Ferrara is a movie director, which he won the Cannes Festival, with short film called, 'Il barbiere complottista,' which is like the Conspiracy Barber, like the translation is the Conspiracy Barber. And Diego Bellante is video editor. And so, yeah, we had this amazing workshop in Naples. I had so much fun. 

Francesca's Short Film: 'O' mare è casa toja'

Francesca: I did my short film, my first one. And it was amazing. And then it got promoted also into another festival in Rome.

Dominique: Your film? 

Oh, very cool. 

Francesca: Which was incredible for me.

Dominique: Can I find it, like, can it be in the show notes?

Francesca: Yeah, for sure. So, my short film is called, "O' mare è casa toja," which is, "The sea is your house", basically, is your home. It's in Neapolitan, the Naples' dialect. 

Dominique: Oh, okay, okay.

Francesca: See, it's not even in Italian. It's in Naples' dialect. I don't know why, but I was there and I was like inspired by it. So yeah. And it was selected to be projected at the Pimiento Film Festival in [00:05:00] Rome.

Really cool. Wow. That's That's really cool. So I was amazed. And then, I was like, "Oh, you guys, you have to come to NanoValbruna now". And they were so excited. They said yes, and now here we are. This the story. It's so long.

Dominique: No. That, that's perfect. I mean, like you were a participant of a program and it was so impactful for you. It's amazing that you would even talk about it and share about it, but then to have something to bring it to is very special. Not everybody has NanoValbruna that they get to bring cool things too. So it's very cool that you're doing that. And I think I heard that they're making films this week with just iPhones? Can you share more about like, was yours also with an iPhone? 

Francesca: Yeah, it's just zero budget. Like that helps you like being super creative, right? When you don't have budget, you don't have like, really expensive cameras and stuff, you don't have equipment, then that brings the creativity out, I think.

The 'Frame The Change' Workshop at NanoValbruna

Dominique: So what does the workshop look like? All I've seen is that it's like a tent, a smaller tent in the side of the event this week and people are coming in and out of [00:06:00] it. So how long are they spending in there and what happens when they're in the workshops?

Francesca: Yeah, so there are like 15, 20 students from university that it's called DAMS University, which is like, comprehend like the Arts and the Cinema Category of Udine of course. And some students from Natural Science studies, also from Udine 'cause we had a collaboration with the university.

And so, yeah, what they're doing is that they're basically being coordinated by Valerio and Diego. And they have workshop and they learn really quickly. Like it's very an intensive workshop because I don't think you can really learn that much in that little time. 

Dominique: How much time, it's like an hour a day?

Francesca: So, before they go out and shoot the movies, I think it's like they learn the first day more about the cinema and like more about the movies and the more like the technical things about movies, camera positions and everything, right?

Dominique: [00:07:00] Maybe like composition of like what's on the screen? 

Francesca: Yeah, basically all that, they learn in a day. And then they are set on the regeneration theme, which is the theme of our forum. 

Dominique: Is there a time limit of how long this movie should be? 

Francesca: Well, it's short movie, so, I think about like 10 minutes max, not more. But yeah, they learn about cinema, they learn about technical things, they learn about regeneration. And then they get to see around the valleys and around the mountains. And they get in contact with the locals. Yeah. And they're like arts or like they do crafts or something that needs maybe more sustainable, like artisans that do like wood working with wasted wood. They give this wood like a third life kind of thing. 

And yeah. And so they go around and then they go and shoot their movies.

Dominique: Have you seen them yet at this point in the forum?

Francesca: Yeah, kind of. 

Dominique: They've already completed them?

Francesca: Not like completed, but they did the majority of their work.

Dominique: So now that it's probably like six days in?   

Francesca:  Tomorrow is gonna be the day.

Dominique: Oh, big day. Okay. That's very cool. Have you heard any feedback from the participants at this forum with the event of what [00:08:00] they thought?

Francesca: Yeah, a few. The one that I heard are good, good feedback. So that's great. They had fun. I think that the most fun they had is because we are in a great place, like in nature.

Dominique: There's a lot culture around and things to be inspired by. 

Francesca: Exactly. And that's, I think the fun part of it.

The Theme of Regeneration in Filmmaking

Dominique: What do you think the value is of having this particular, like what made you think , "Wow, that would be really cool to have it in NanoValbruna and like, we really should have it"? From the forum side, like what's the value that they're helping to bring? 

Francesca: I think the how to communicate very specific, sometimes articulated and scientific things that in the theme of the regeneration, which are really difficult to understand if you're not in the fields of science or whatever. And they communicate it in a very like, simple way that helps everybody understands.

Dominique: And you've mentioned a few times this focus of regeneration [00:09:00] that's happening this week. And I've asked a few guests the same question so you can take your take on it. 

Regeneration vs. Sustainability: A Creative Perspective

Dominique: But I'm curious, how do you view regeneration versus sustainability? You can share from maybe your fashion perspective or from just the way that you view the world, but I'm just curious, like, what does that mean to you?

Francesca: Okay. That's hard. It's interesting. 

Dominique: It's just cool to hear how everybody frames it. 

Francesca: So, actually, we discussed this a lot with our team members. It's very difficult, because sustainable, it's a word that it's everywhere right now. Kind of also like a greenwashing way. 

Dominique: It's losing its meaning.

Francesca: Yeah, basically. I think regeneration is different because we have to work with what we have. It's the hardest to put it into words really, because I think it's a combination of a lot of things. But the first thing that comes to my mind is really the circle of life and for me it's mostly like the waste. Particularly in the fashion industry, which we have a huge amount of waste. It's so important right now to focus on upcycling. Not just like recycling, but also upcycling, like giving [00:10:00] a life that it's more than what it was before. 

And I think it's a challenge that it's really hard to accomplish. But in this forum, we have so many people with so many great ideas on how to do this process and this like upcycling things. I've heard so many things also from the people from biotech, which are like startup people, entrepreneurs and stuff. They're great. Like they have so many ideas. 

And I love it here because, so many of them come together, actually put together a lot of ideas and bring something like that can come to reality, right? And I think that's the most important thing. And it has to be accomplished. It has to work. It's not just like imaginary and how you want things to work, but it has to work actually in the real world, right?

Dominique: Yeah. I feel like you really just are drawn to like, tactile solutions.

Francesca: Yeah, sometimes, you know, I think also in like conference places and whatever, I've [00:11:00] always heard some kind of story of how things should be, but not really like solutions about it. Everything's very theorical but I like to be like concrete with things. And I think like this is a place where everything can be concrete.

Dominique: And I was gonna ask you, I think you maybe have answered it already. I was gonna ask you like, where do you see success in NanoValbruna each year or this year in particular? And it sounds like it's when you hear and see ideas like coming to life or that like are really innovative and practical. Is that true?

Francesca: Yeah, that's the best, the best thing to see. And it is so fascinating actually. It's so cool. I can't even like explain it. But also I think is a great way for people to view other options of what they can do in life in general and also in their work experience. 'Cause we thought maybe we don't have many chances, right? And then we are kind of [00:12:00] confused. We don't know what to do with our lives. And sometimes you just need a push. You just need to talk to somebody that is successful in what you want to accomplish in life, in the sector that you're interested in.

And, really cool thing that we do here is also bringing these people together like, young people and really successful entrepreneurs or scientists and whatever. And they're so open to talk to you about things, so, so open to give you ideas on what to do or give you the opportunity to work in their industry or in their field or whatever. And they put together people. So maybe you can also, I don't know, have an experience in the industry because of them or they mentor you or whatever it is. I think that's the best thing for young people right now.

And why does this stuff matter to you? Why do you care about environmental impact of your work or other [00:13:00] people's work? Why does that matter to you? 

It matters because all of us want a better world, I think. And also, but let's be real. I live in a family which my family brought me up thinking like having to be careful about these topics and they talk so much about these topics as well.

Francesca: They always thought it was so important and I kinda got that really to my heart, not because it's just my family that taught me it was good to do it, but also because I see, and I've learned because the more you learn, the more you know that it's getting worse and worse day by day, that this is the only way to do it now. That there's no other way, that this is the only way you can bring something to the table and maybe change the things that are going on right now, which some of them are disastrous, so must be careful, right? You have to do something about it. You can [00:14:00] just do anything, right? 

I don't think there is like a really, another explanation actually. I don't know, people that don't do anything about it or they take a different path, I don't understand honestly. It's so clear like that I don't understand why. Like, why you are not like into it or you're not like basing your projects or your works based also on regeneration or sustainability or whatever it is.

Dominique: I think your passion for this is just very clear. I just like the perspective you bring too with being a creative and how you brought a creative outlet into the system, but the way that you are also motivated and excited about tactile solutions and like I think that's really cool too. That's what I love when I first came to NanoValbruna was just like, you guys couple education and so many fun things with these real solutions that are happening right in the room with us. So I agree with you and I appreciate your sense of urgency and energy.

But I think it's also really cool that you channel it and execute in a creative way. And I'm gonna tag your short film and maybe we'll tag all the short films that [00:15:00] came out of this week. We'll see what we're able to add. 

Francesca: Thank you. That would be great. 

Dominique: Well, my last question for you is just how people can learn more about you, can they find you if they wanna connect with you or they can support the work that you do? Websites, email addresses. 

Francesca: So you can find us on nanovalbruna.com. And you can find me on LinkedIn, Francesca Cercelletta. And on IG with @franziska.konrad. 

Dominique: Thank you so much for chatting with me and sharing so much of this story, and we didn't even touch on the fact that you've also spoken at United Nations about NanoValbruna.

So before we wrap, just tell me, in a couple words, like what was that experience like?

Francesca: Oh, it was amazing. It was so cool. I didn't speak but I was there to do like just networking and see my brother speak actually, 'cause he's great at speaking in general to people. So he talked about the biotech contest. I think it was really important for us to be there and to bring also the first three startup of last year [00:16:00] contest to Geneva. So that was really fun.

We had so much fun. We saw so many people and we talked to so many people. I actually got kind of like a job, someone asked me to work with them, which was great. I think that's the purpose on doing these things. right?

Dominique: That's incredible. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for chatting with me and sharing so much about NanoValbruna and your perspective on regeneration.

Francesca: Thank you for having me.

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Dominique: Adam, what'd you think of Francesca's episode?

Adam: For me, what really stood out was when she talked about how the science can get really complicated. And one of the important pieces of climate change work is communication, right? So building this program from the change, actually teaching people how to capture those in videos so that they can better communicate the ideas. 

I think that's also really important using your creativity with limited resources when doing that. So not having to go out and need an entire creative team in order to communicate 

Dominique: Yeah. Lowering those barriers to creating good content. [00:17:00] 

Adam: Yep. And teaching people how to do that.

So it was really cool. 

Dominique: Yeah. And I also really liked that she got the idea from another event that she went to. I think that idea of like information sharing and learning from each other, I just think is really positive. It's, It's fun to, you know, found an idea, but I think it's really great when you're able to recognize, "Wow, like you're doing that thing really well. Can you come do that with us?" So I like that she shared that. 

Adam: I love that. And it seemed to be the, the feel of NanoValbruna that they're bringing together people from all different areas around the world to share these ideas and do exactly that, to see that in practice. 

Dominique: Yeah. 

Adam: As always our guests have found a unique way to champion sustainability. We are here to put real names and stories behind the idea that no matter your background, career, or interests, you really can contribute in the fight against climate change. 

Dominique: You can find our episodes and reach us at thegreenchampions.com. If you wanna stay in the loop, give us a review and follow us on your favorite podcast platform.

Our music is by Zane Dweik. Thanks for listening to Green Champions. We'll be digging into our another sustainability success story [00:18:00] in this mini series in our next episode. 

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