A Bucharest dweller (probably), which introduced himself Liviu Moldovan, rushed to put on youtube the episode Bucharest from the World’s Smart Cities series, conducted by the National Geographic Channel. We do not know why he did this, but by reading more careful the short message which he posted, we could understand him – he was fascinated by this dialectic of Bucharest “Probably most certain (sic) the most beautiful report on Romania”.
In the eight months which have passed since then, the page has gained just over 14,700 views. That is less than 0.5% of what marked, in three weeks, “US planes”, the last bomb “in the system” from some popular performers. And still counting...
Based on the number of likes and comments posted, I am almost sure (namely with a certain probability...) that all the few viewers of the American film looked at it with an emotion higher than the millions of viewers of that “manea” (song). Maybe too much emotion”. I feel better after seeing this film. I hope that other Romanians have seen it too. This documentary gives me the hope that Romania will have / has a bright future (sic). Finally something positive about our country”, write the surfers viewers of this film captured from National Geographic the way they captured Western films on the video before 89 (at least technically speaking).
You’d think the film resembles the British Pathé documentaries about Romania of the 60’s officially posted on the Internet in the last year (since the largest provider of news and documentaries opened its huge archive). Some 50 years ago, amid the openness launched by Communists, British documentary filmmakers arrived in Bucharest due to the exoticism of this city, which still has the Western morals from the Little Paris times, rich markets (we are in the 60s), waves from the Lido hotel pool, and new avenues; in the country, they go to the racetrack in Ploiesti where horses still serve the bourgeois purposes, and then to Mamaia, to show the chain of hotels built in places where “a year ago was just a swamp”; they return to the nightlife of Bucharest, with Lido in the foreground; at Patria, the colorful neon like in Paris announces the newest American movie “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” and so on.
In a relaxed language, with an unmistakable archive journal style, they basically do not invent anything, but just see what may be seen. We will not know (probably sure?) if the English were encouraged to come and see the new Bucharest and the new Romania, but at least after them some beautiful images remain that bring joy to our grandparents today, reminding them of earlier years, rather than to historians and sociologists.
Today, times have changed. A foreign journalist writes about anything that can actually be seen here. In addition, there is a transparency of official information, so you can find out that National Geographic has sent its team to Bucharest after a project launched last year by the National Authority for Tourism in Romania, which allocated 750,000 Euro to promote Bucharest and the touristic country brand. “The documentary will have to promote Bucharest as “«smart» city-break” destination and contains the most representative four sights of Romania’s capital and from its immediate vicinity, promoting the cultural landscape, the past history, the infrastructure for education, and the lifestyle for leisure”, the NAT announced.
50 years ago things were not like that
It sounds like a very difficult task, as a command launched by the Tourism Authority of Sofia and elsewhere in the world may sound. (For example, they just say “infrastructure for education”: any state has something like this today, it should be individualized “speaking of our infrastructure because it has something special etc”.) Perhaps a contract with only one requirement would have sounded smarter- do something to surprise!
Because, anyway, this is what Americans did to Bucharest: 45 minutes to surprise not only foreigners, but also the Romanians who think they knew everything about their brother (you remember: Bucharest, Bucharest, you are my brother).
Andrew Evans is National Geographic digital explorer and the producer of the 2009 “smart cities”series. He says he came to Bucharest “to convince himself: is this a smart city?”.
Ok. We let ourselves guided by the producer. We find out that in Bucharest an application that resurrects history on your tablet was born, it is enough to point the camera towards a place in Bucharest, and you immediately get images from the past of that area; that in Bucharest an invincible intervention car passing over all natural obstacles for a rescue mission was born; here there is one of the largest telemedicine networks in the world, useful to the emergencies system (from the ambulance the vital data of the patient are transmitted so that the emergency unit can respond effectively to the case); here an antivirus computer program that reaches half a billion people throughout the world was created; here the most powerful scanner in the world was created, useful to any airport, especially in these times; and here, without much detail, the system that teaches you “to make programming in a few minutes” was created, so that your phone can tell if needed that “the roof of your house is on fire”. In general, few details are given about each innovation, but it is important to remember that we talk of a tradition in programming / IT knowledge started since the days of communism”. Andrew’s remark “so communism had positive aspects” seemed to destabilize the show, but the bug is rapidly cleared by Florin Talpes, the father of Bitdefender: “for sure”.
A chance for viewers
Then there is the moment “it happens in Bucharest”, which not even Andrew’s enthusiasm can categorize - “only in Bucharest” - an ecological house, ranging from “zero energy consumption” category, a water tower from an abandoned factory yard in Pantelimon (I suppose that Pantelimon is not unique) a repainted tower where you can admire the city from 30 m, you can admire a modern art exhibition etc.; than an initiative of popularizing architecture, including among the young; a US producer that has been shooting for years in Romania appears: the costs are lower and Romanian technicians “have learned our techniques and are as efficient as Westerners”. We also learn of a great festival of classical music. Than comes a local rustic restaurant owner who wants to revive the traditional taste. No details, he is depicted as one who would even make a revolution in healthy food.
A detail untapped by the American team – they probably found it too ... unrealistic? – It is this jovial restaurant owner who speaks about the charm of lovage as a symbol of Romanian cuisine and who is also a symbol of the Revolution of this city- Mircea Dinescu. It would have been a detail that would further surprise the audience. Especially if it was completed with a line or two: “Give the kitchen table a chance...”
Give us a chance... to see why Bucharest would cry, probably sure, the viewers... be they from “Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain, Russia and Romania (as target markets, as they have been identified after the research on the creation of national tourist brand), or in Spain and Poland, Abu Dhabi and India (as opportunity markets).” And this is not about prejudice. Simply, if you have seen other episodes of the series, you saw ... the city in the frame. Or, in Bucharest, I saw dwellers who innovate, who strive to be aware of what is new in the world, people able to have a conversation in a foreign language, but ... where is the city? Throughout the documentary they do not refer for a second to the public policy, public funds, city hall, administration, strategy ... something to show that the city is based not only on a handful of talented and engaged citizens. Let’s take a look at San Diego - smart city (see the box below) - rehabilitation of the city was part of an integrated project, an airport was built in a city with a purpose, the mayor has a political statement, but ... at least he speaks.
As dweller in Romania, in Germany or in another target market, you may know from personal experience that Bucharest has much to tell. For example, they could mention that starting next spring, the most powerful laser in the world (its construction was completed just a few days ago in France) comes to Bucharest, Magurele. Here hundreds, then thousands of high class specialists from us, from Europe and maybe even worldwide will work, attracted primarily by professional opportunities. But what about the opportunities for a smart living.
So what’s the plan of Bucharest? A city must have a plan, and you do not necessarily have to be smart to realize that. It should not be something so complicated, not to mention the telemedicine, but only a simple plan that tells us how Bucharest would look over 20 years! Ok, over 10. More than five, please!