Our upcoming documentary #sicilyoffthebeatenpath will present Sicily in a different way, showcasing the unknown territory, local stories and authentic activities. The project is the result of the collaboration between Italian Special Occasions DMC, video maker Farhan Huseynli, and digital influencer and destination marketing specialist Irina Graf. You can read more about the documentary and its objectives in the article #sicilyoffthebeatenpath: a documentary about sustainable travel and event management.
We filmed the documentary in May 2018 with photographer and video maker Farhan Huseynli and his wife Aysel Allahverdiyeva, expert in travel and tourism marketing. The couple comes from Azerbaijan and did not know Sicily. Through their own video logs, recorded as they travelled around the island with our Founder Laura Notarbartolo, you can get a hint of how wonderful and surprising it is to discover hidden gems and to meet genuine people… Enjoy!
Sicily Part 1 | Shooting at The Castle of Milazzo
This video includes a small tour of the beautiful garden at Don Gaspano B&B; the shooting at the Castle of Milazzo; the interviews with Professor Bartolo Cannistrà and with local tourist guide Beatrice Lumia.
Sicily Part 2 | Muciara Restaurant & Art Hotel Atelier sul Mare
This video shows the visit to an ancient tonnara that was converted into a restaurant. It’s the perfect place where to learn about the ancient traditions of tuna fishing, especially by chatting with the owner Domenico Cutelli. The v-log also covers the following day, when we visited Art Hotel Atelier sul Mare, a hotel-museum of contemporary art that is unique in the world. Here we interviewed the owner Antonio Presti.
Sicily Part 3 | Little Sicily of Ed and Vivina
Meet Ed and Vivina! The couple shares their story of how they restored one of Sicily’s greatest monuments, the Fort of Milazzo.
More v-logs coming soon, stay tuned!
Illegal fishing and sea pollution: raising awareness in Milazzo
One of the locals that participated in our documentary is biologist Carmelo Isgrò, who is very active in the promotion of sustainability and environmental protection. These aspects are at the heart of our event management philosophy and practical approach at Italian Special Occasions DMC. And that’s why we want to share Carmelo’s beautiful initiative that is taking place in Milazzo, resulting from a tragic event.
Siso was a young sperm whale that, in the summer of 2017, got trapped in an illegal fishing net off the Aeolian Islands. Despite the efforts of the Coast Guard, who managed to partially free him from the fishing net, Siso died.
His body was carried by the currents to the shores of Capo Milazzo, where young Biologist Carmelo Isgrò, under the auspices of the Museum of Fauna of the University of Messina, started to strip the meat in an effort to recover the bones. During this operation, he also extracted a great deal of plastic from the stomach of the cetacean, including a black gardening pot and several plastic bags.
Today, after a long process of cleaning and treatment, the skeleton of the sperm whale is finally ready to be mounted and exhibited to the public. The idea is to rebuild the skeleton of the Sperm whale and display it by suspending it in the air with cables, repositioning the illegal fishing net that killed him and the plastic that was found in his stomach. The aim is to raise awareness so that the tragedy of Siso can lead to a moment of reflection and growth for everyone.
Funds are being raised to purchase:
- the materials necessary to rebuild the sperm whale skeleton (steel structure, cables, adhesives, etc.);
- appropriate lighting with which to illuminate the skeleton and the room;
- the preparation of a modern exhibition hall with explanatory panels and interactive supports (touch screen monitor, projectors, etc.);
- the preparation of a conference room that will be made with recycled material;
- a sound system that will reproduce the whale song and the amplification of the conference room.
If you wish to donate to the Siso Project, you can do so on buonacausa.org
