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The former ambassador has not lost his links with Latvia. Last August, he was one of around 100 foreign guests who took part in the official inauguration ceremony for the new National Library of Latvia (NLL) building – the Castle of Light.
The 11th episode of the #mindpower project also brings us to the new NLL building. There we meet the Latvian poet Rainis (played by the Latvian musician Goran Gora) who is reading the poem “New Era” from the “The Sowing of the Storm” poetry collection (1905). Displaying the fervour that was characteristic of this pre-revolutionary time, the poet accentuates the need for the whole nation to be actively involved in creating change in the country.
Shooting of the #mindpower episode. Photo: Jura Podnieka studija
This poem also resonates with the Latvian poetess Aspazija’s invitation to “Get to work!” (“Ager!” in Danish) emphasised by Michael Metz Mørch in this episode. He reads out excerpts from Aspazija’s poem “Creative Spirit” from the “The Wings Spread Wide” poetry collection (1920). This poem underlines the need to exercise one’s creativity in spite of difficulties or public opposition.
“If your nation gives you pain, give it stars in return! (..)
Be blood – to life transformed!
Get to work!”
(Aspazija)
In the interview, Michael Metz Mørch says that this is also the task of the Danish Cultural Institute – to provide a setting for ideas to soar, to broaden horizons and give people the motivation to unleash their creativity and make Denmark culturally rich. He explains that the driving force behind this work is a desire to make Danish culture more democratic, because – like in Rainis’ poem – “everyone must lend a hand to push forward this job so grand”.
Michael Metz Mørch was born in 1947. He studied political science at Aarhus University and later had a wide-ranging career in government and business. He served in the diplomatic corps for about 20 years – as Danish ambassador in Riga and Warsaw, and as the Consul General in New York. He has also received the highest state honour awarded in Latvia – the Order of the Three Stars. From 2005 to 2011, he was Chair of the Bikuben Foundation (a private foundation supporting social initiatives, cultural events, and educational and ecological projects in order to promote insight and vision in society).
Michael Metz Mørch. Photo: Jura Podnieka studija
In the previous #mindpower episode, the Luxembourg architect François Valentiny also read an excerpt from Aspazija’s poem “Creative Spirit”. He showed that creativity is both hard work and a soul-inspiring song.
The #mindpower (#domasspēks in Latvian) project is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Latvian poets Rainis and Aspazija. It features a collection of 29 short films in which celebrities from all the EU Member States read excerpts from the works of Rainis and Aspazija in their native language and clothe them in images of their culture. The project is a part of the Presidency cultural programme.
Each week a new video is released on the Presidency’s website EU2015.LV. You can also watch the episodes on the Presidency’s official Youtube channel and on the project's Facebook page.
