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Laureates from UNESCO’s Associated Schools Network create videos inspired by sound only
Sofia Bulgubure from the Instituto Madre de los Emigrantes in Buenos Aires, Argentina, won the Grand Prix for her film, Conexiones que sanan. This film captivated the jury with its emotional depth and powerful interpretation of the 2025 theme “Being attentive to one another.”
Her film was selected from over 120 submissions from across the globe and was shown on 15 May 2025 at the Théâtre Alexandre III in Cannes, as part of the Cannes Cinéphiles programme.
Launched by UNESCO in partnership with La Semaine du Son, France Télévisions, Cannes Cinéma, and the City of Cannes, the ASPnet competition invites young people to embark on a creative journey that begins not with images, but with sound. Their task was to create a short film without dialogue, subtitles, or added sound—using only a one-minute-and-42-second original soundtrack titled Amour éternel (Eternal Love), composed specifically for the initiative by French musician and composer Thomas Dutronc.
In addition to the Grand Prix, the Jury Prize was awarded to Joana Hancz from Kőbányai Szent László Gimnázium in Budapest, Hungary, for her film Szavak nélkül. Two Special Mentions were also announced: (Don’t) mind me, created by students from Tartu Jaan Poska High School in Estonia, and Creating new life, produced by students from School 1306 – School of Young Politicians in Moscow, Russian Federation.
These films, along with others from ASPnet schools from Brazil, Croatia, Cuba, Egypt, Lebanon, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, and Turkmenistan, offered diverse, sensitive and deeply personal interpretations of the theme.
From sound to vision to empathy
The theme of this year’s competition, “Being attentive to one another,” reflects ASPnet’s core educational values—intercultural understanding, global citizenship, creativity, and respect for diversity.
By working with sound as their only starting point, students were encouraged to reverse their usual creative process. The aim was to sharpen their listening skills and expand their imagination. Without relying on visuals or words, participants had to listen to interpret emotions, narratives, and connections purely through audio. This unique approach fostered empathy and attentiveness—key competencies for navigating an increasingly complex world.
More than a competition: a pedagogical shift
Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education, praised the initiative as a powerful example of creativity, intercultural collaboration, and global citizenship education and paid tribute to the creativity of participating students.
“By exploring music, sounds and silence, we learn to hear others, to feel and to dialogue,” said Stefania Giannini. “This project is fully in line with UNESCO's values of peace, respect and solidarity. It promotes global citizenship education, sustainable development and intercultural learning, turning art into a powerful learning tool.”
UNESCO’s Associated Schools Network (ASPnet) connects close to 10,000 schools in 180 countries, 320,000 teachers and 4,9 million students worldwide, around a common goal to build peace in the minds of children and young people. Through concrete action, member schools promote the ideals of UNESCO valuing rights and dignity, gender equality, social progress, freedom, justice and democracy, respect for diversity and international solidarity.
