The 10th edition of the St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum, held from September 11 to 14, 2024, brought together global leaders and experts to explore the theme, “Culture of the XXI Century: Sovereignty or Globalism?” The forum, hosted in the historic General Staff building of the State Hermitage Museum, served as a critical platform for discussing the intersection of culture and geopolitics.
Mr John Aggrey, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana-Russia Center for Commerce and Relations, participated in a high-profile Cinema session titled “Global Local Glocal.”
In his opening remarks, Aggrey emphasized the potential of cinema to bridge local and global perspectives.
“By embracing local to global distribution, unification, and cultural diversity, the cinema industry can tap into a wealth of untold stories and perspectives.
This has the potential to create more compelling cinema for audiences worldwide.
The beauty of the cinema industry allows us to expand our horizons and become a multilingual and cultural asset,” he stated.
The session featured prominent global industry figures, including Svetlana Balanova, General Director of National Media Group JSC; Fyodor Bondarchuk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lenfilm Studio JSC; Vadim Vereshchagin, General Director of Central Partnership LLC; Karina Mia Satlykova, General Director of Kunay Film Music Org. TLC (Turkey); Yitong Ding, General Director of Matching Media (China); Liang Du, General Director of Airmita (China); and John Etienne, Director of the Creole Culture Foundation (Seychelles).
Ivan Kudryavtsev, a Film Journalist, Producer, and Host of the program Cinema Industry, moderated the session.
Concluding his remarks, Aggrey extended a collaborative invitation, asserting, “Ghana is committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure that Ghana is well-positioned on the global landscape as a progressive country with a solid drive to promote and facilitate high-quality productions to appeal to both local and international markets.
I am happy to extend this invitation to collaborate between Ghana and the global Cinema and Creative Arts Industry, including the Russian cinema industry.”
In his keynote address during the plenary session, Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted the critical need for cultural dialogue amidst increasing geopolitical tensions.
“The global majority shares the importance of humanism and dialogue, mutual respect and trust in the world.
However, it is unfortunately under constant pressure and the threat of dilution, primarily due to the unprecedented politicization of the cultural sphere,” President Putin said.
“In hosting this forum again, especially during such challenging times, we remain deeply convinced of the essential need for dialogue between cultures. Your voices, friends, must be heard.”
The Ghanaian delegation also included Madam Ziona Ayorkor Biney, Head of Business Development and Innovations at the Ghana-Russia Center for Commerce and Relations.
In her media interviews, Biney addressed the topic of Women in Cinema, advocating for greater diversity and inclusion.
“The ongoing dialogue and push for greater diversity promise a more inclusive and sustainable future for cinema with its positive impact on society, especially with women across all functionalities of the Creative Arts and Cinema Industry,” she noted.
“Inclusive representation throughout the value chain of cinema—from scripting to production and distribution—often reaches wider markets and taps into underserved audiences eager for authentic representation.”
The United Cultures Forum, organized under the auspices of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, and the Government of St. Petersburg, continues to serve as a vital platform for addressing pressing social and cultural issues and fostering new ideas and projects in a rapidly changing world.
