Wisdom Film Festival 2023
We’re delighted to announce that the Wisdom Film Festival will be back during the WEF Week on Tue 17 January from 13:00 to 22:00.
The activity grid is currently being developed, if you would like to propose curated NGOs and assimilated to host their activities there (screenings or panels on stage), please reach out to marcelo (at) wisdomaccelerator (dot) org with a brief summary of your proposal including relevant references.
The main motivation behind the Wisdom Film Festival concept is to increase the number of cultural attractions open to the general public in Davos during the WEF Week – especially taking into consideration that most venues organizing events during that week have an invitation-only policy and tend to remain unaccessible to the local population and to many other visitors in Davos during that period.
This edition was established to test the event format and was composed of two main features: a full screening of a recently released award nominated documentary with the presence of the film director, followed by half a day of high quality curated panel sessions covering several topics of popular interest.
For more details about the Wisdom Film Festival concept, please contact marcelo (at) wisdomaccelerator.org
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Day 1 – COUP 53 Screening
Thursday 17/01/2023
13:30 – 15:30
Ten years in the making, COUP 53 tells the story of the 1953 the Anglo-American coup d’état that overthrew Iran’s government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and reinstalled the Shah. The CIA/MI6 covert action was called Operation Ajax. It was all about Iran’s oil and who gets to control and benefit from it. BP was at the heart of this story. Shot in seven countries, featuring participants and first-hand witnesses, and unearthing never seen before archive material, COUP 53 is a politically explosive and cinematically innovative documentary that lifts the lid on secrets buried for over sixty-six years.
We had the honor of hosting the film’s director Taghi Amirani, who gave a speech to the audience sharing his experience while making this very well received documentary before the screening started.
2020 Edition Program review – Screening of Most Watched TED Talks
On the second day of the inaugural WFF event in 2020, we have screened 24 of the most watched TED Talks covering a large variety of topics. All the material shown had German subtitles to facilitate the comprehension by the local population. The full details are listed below:
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Friday 24/01/2020
13:00 – 19:30
Wisdom Film Festival (most watched TED Talks as a 6 hours 30 minutes long continuous screening as total runtime)
Times below are approximate, please arrive a few minutes earlier if interested in watching a specific TED Talk.
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From 13:00
Amy Cuddy – TEDGlobal 2012
Your body language may shape who you are
55,708,144 views
Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy argues that “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can boost feelings of confidence and might have an impact on our chances for success.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Amy Cuddy · Social psychologist
Amy Cuddy’s research on body language reveals that we can change other people’s perceptions — and perhaps even our own body chemistry — simply by changing body positions.
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From around 13:25
Apollo Robbins – TEDGlobal 2013
The art of misdirection
25,518,697 views
Hailed as the greatest pickpocket in the world, Apollo Robbins studies the quirks of human behavior as he steals your watch. In a hilarious demonstration, Robbins samples the buffet of the TEDGlobal 2013 audience, showing how the flaws in our perception make it possible to swipe a wallet and leave it on its owner’s shoulder while they remain clueless.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Apollo Robbins · Gentleman thief
Apollo Robbins will take the phone from your pocket and the ring off your finger, then hand them back to you and (maybe) show you how he did it.
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From around 13:35
Brené Brown – TEDxHouston
The power of vulnerability
45,596,400 views
Brené Brown studies human connection — our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A talk to share.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Brené Brown · Vulnerability researcher
Brené Brown studies vulnerability, courage, authenticity and shame.
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From around 13:55
Cameron Russell·TEDxMidAtlantic
Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model.
32,294,603 views
Cameron Russell admits she won “a genetic lottery”: she’s tall, pretty and an underwear model. But don’t judge her by her looks. In this fearless talk, she takes a wry look at the industry that had her looking highly seductive at barely 16 years old.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Cameron Russell · Model
Cameron Russell has stomped the runways for Victoria’s Secret and Chanel, and has appeared in many magazines. But she is much more than just a pretty face.
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From around 14:05
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – TEDGlobal 2009
The danger of a single story
20,834,427 views
Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie · Novelist
Inspired by Nigerian history and tragedies all but forgotten by recent generations of westerners, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels and stories are jewels in the crown of diasporan literature.
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From around 14:25
Dan Gilbert – TED2004
The surprising science of happiness
18,284,390 views
Dan Gilbert, author of “Stumbling on Happiness,” challenges the idea that we’ll be miserable if we don’t get what we want. Our “psychological immune system” lets us feel truly happy even when things don’t go as planned.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dan Gilbert · Psychologist; happiness expert
Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert says our beliefs about what will make us happy are often wrong — a premise he supports with intriguing research, and explains in his accessible and unexpectedly funny book, Stumbling on Happiness.
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From around 14:45
Dan Pink – TEDGlobal 2009
The puzzle of motivation
25,109,000 views
Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don’t: Traditional rewards aren’t always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating stories — and maybe, a way forward.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dan Pink · Career analyst
Bidding adieu to his last “real job” as Al Gore’s speechwriter, Dan Pink went freelance to spark a right-brain revolution in the career marketplace.
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From around 15:05
David Blaine – TEDMED 2009
How I held my breath for 17 minutes
24,336,663 views
In this highly personal talk from TEDMED, magician and stuntman David Blaine describes what it took to hold his breath underwater for 17 minutes — a world record (only two minutes shorter than this entire talk!) — and what his often death-defying work means to him. Warning: do NOT try this at home.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
David Blaine · Illusionist, endurance artist
With a deck of cards and authoritative cool, David Blaine brings the wonderment of magic off the stage and onto the sidewalk.
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From around 15:25
15,738,849 views
David Gallo – TED2007
Underwater astonishments
David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square’s worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean. This short talk celebrates the pioneering work of ocean explorers like Edith Widder and Roger Hanlon.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
David Gallo · Oceanographer
A pioneer in ocean exploration, David Gallo is an enthusiastic ambassador between the sea and those of us on dry land.
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From around 15:30
Elizabeth Gilbert – TED2009
Your elusive creative genius
18,913,978 views
Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses — and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person “being” a genius, all of us “have” a genius. It’s a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Elizabeth Gilbert · Writer
The author of “Eat, Pray, Love,” Elizabeth Gilbert has thought long and hard about some big topics. Her fascinations: genius, creativity and how we get in our own way when it comes to both.
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From around 15:50
James Veitch – TEDGlobal>Geneva
This is what happens when you reply to spam email
18,913,978 views
Suspicious emails: unclaimed insurance bonds, diamond-encrusted safe deposit boxes, close friends marooned in a foreign country. They pop up in our inboxes, and standard procedure is to delete on sight. But what happens when you reply? Follow along as writer and comedian James Veitch narrates a hilarious, weeks-long exchange with a spammer who offered to cut him in on a hot deal.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
James Veitch · Comedian and writer
For James Veitch, a British writer and comedian with a mischievous side, spam emails proved the perfect opening to have some fun, playing the scammers at their own game.
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From around 16:00
Jill Bolte Taylor – TED2008
My stroke of insight
26,226,993 views
Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions — motion, speech, self-awareness — shut down one by one. An astonishing story.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jill Bolte Taylor · Neuroanatomist
Brain researcher Jill Bolte Taylor studied her own stroke as it happened — and has become a powerful voice for brain recovery.
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From around 16:20
Julian Treasure – TEDGlobal 2013
How to speak so that people want to listen
39,332,628 views
Have you ever felt like you’re talking, but nobody is listening? Here’s Julian Treasure to help. In this useful talk, the sound expert demonstrates the how-to’s of powerful speaking — from some handy vocal exercises to tips on how to speak with empathy. A talk that might help the world sound more beautiful.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Julian Treasure · Sound consultant
Julian Treasure studies sound and advises businesses on how best to use it.
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From around 16:30
Keith Barry – TED2004
Brain magic
17,778,278 views
First, Keith Barry shows us how our brains can fool our bodies — in a trick that works via podcast too. Then he involves the audience in some jaw-dropping (and even a bit dangerous) feats of brain magic.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Keith Barry · Magician
Think of Keith Barry as a hacker of the human brain — writing routines that exploit its bugs and loopholes, and offering a revealing look at the software between our ears.
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From around 16:50
Kelly McGonigal – TEDGlobal 2013
How to make stress your friend
22,026,194 views
Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kelly McGonigal · Health psychologist
Kelly McGonigal translates academic research into practical strategies for health, happiness and personal success.
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From around 17:05
Pamela Meyer – TEDGlobal 2011
How to spot a liar
28,043,552 views
On any given day we’re lied to from 10 to 200 times, and the clues to detect those lies can be subtle and counter-intuitive. Pamela Meyer, author of Liespotting, shows the manners and “hotspots” used by those trained to recognize deception — and she argues honesty is a value worth preserving.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Pamela Meyer · Lie detector
Pamela Meyer thinks we’re facing a pandemic of deception, but she’s arming people with tools that can help take back the truth.
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From around 17:25
Pranav Mistry – TEDIndia 2009
The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology
18,635,165 views
At TEDIndia, Pranav Mistry demos several tools that help the physical world interact with the world of data — including a deep look at his SixthSense device and a new, paradigm-shifting paper “laptop.” In an onstage Q&A, Mistry says he’ll open-source the software behind SixthSense, to open its possibilities to all.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Pranav Mistry · Director of research, Samsung Research America
As an MIT grad student, Pranav Mistry invented SixthSense, a wearable device that enables new interactions between the real world and the world of data.
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From around 17:40
Robert Waldinger – TEDxBeaconStreet
What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness
30,847,084 views
What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it’s fame and money, you’re not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you’re mistaken. As the director of a 75-year-old study on adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Robert Waldinger · Psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, Zen priest
Robert Waldinger is the Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies in history.
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From around 17:55
Shawn Achor – TEDxBloomington
The happy secret to better work
21,339,862 views
We believe we should work hard in order to be happy, but could we be thinking about things backwards? In this fast-moving and very funny talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that, actually, happiness inspires us to be more productive.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Shawn Achor · Psychologist
Shawn Achor is the CEO of Good Think Inc., where he researches and teaches about positive psychology.
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From around 18:05
Simon Sinek – TEDxPuget Sound
How great leaders inspire action
48,233,527 views
Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership — starting with a golden circle and the question: “Why?” His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Wright brothers …
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Simon Sinek · Leadership expert
Simon Sinek explores how leaders can inspire cooperation, trust and change. He’s the author of the classic “Start With Why”; his latest book is “Leaders Eat Last.”
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From around 18:25
Sir Ken Robinson – TED2006
Do schools kill creativity?
63,785,135 views
Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sir Ken Robinson · Author, educator
Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we’re educating our children. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence.
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From around 18:45
Susan Cain – TED2012
The power of introverts
25,101,978 views
In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Susan Cain · Quiet revolutionary
Our world prizes extroverts, but Susan Cain makes a case for the contemplative. She’s leading a social revolution that’s showing people that looking inward is a virtue, not a problem.
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From around 19:05
Tim Urban – TED2016
Inside the mind of a master procrastinator
35,619,451 views
Tim Urban knows that procrastination doesn’t make sense, but he’s never been able to shake his habit of waiting until the last minute to get things done. In this hilarious and insightful talk, Urban takes us on a journey through YouTube binges, Wikipedia rabbit holes and bouts of staring out the window — and encourages us to think harder about what we’re really procrastinating on, before we run out of time.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Tim Urban · Blogger
With Wait But Why, Tim Urban demonstrates that complex and long-form writing can stand out in an online wilderness choked with listicles and clickbait.
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From around 19:20
Tony Robbins – TED2006
Tony Robbins might have one of the world’s most famous smiles; his beaming confidence has helped sell his best-selling line of self-help books and fill even his 10,000-seat seminars. What’s less known about the iconic motivational speaker is the range and stature of his personal clients. From CEOs to heads of state to Olympic athletes, a wide swath of high-performing professionals (who are already plenty motivated, thank you very much) look to him for help reaching their full potential.
Robbins’ expertise in leadership psychology is what brought him to TED, where his spontaneous on-stage interaction with Al Gore created an unforgettable TED moment. It also perfectly demonstrated Robbins’ direct — even confrontational — approach, which calls on his listeners to look within themselves, and find the inner blocks that prevent them from finding fulfillment and success. Some of his techniques — firewalking, for example — are magnets for criticism, but his underlying message is unassailable: We all have the ability to make a positive impact on the world, and it’s up to us, as individuals, to overcome our fears and foibles to reach that potential.
Robbins has won many accolades for his work — including his memorable performance in the Jack Black comedy Shallow Hal. (It was a small but vital role.) His Tony Robbins Foundation works with the homeless, elderly and inner-city youth, and feeds more than two million people annually through its International Basket Brigade.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Tony Robbins – Life coach, expert in leadership psychology
Tony Robbins makes it his business to know why we do the things we do. The pioneering life coach has spoken to millions of people through his best-selling books and three-day seminars.
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About Wisdom House Davos 2020
The inaugural edition of Wisdom House was hosted in Davos during the 2020 WEF Week (21-24/01). It is intended as a space for qualified non profit NGOs and assimilated organizations which have a valuable message to share with the world but can’t affort the steep prices charged by other Davos venues during the WEF Week.
Admission for the general public is based on the old Italian « caffè sospeso » tradition, in which a person who had good news gets into a bar and buys two coffees, drinking one and leaving the other « suspended » for someone coming later who had bad news to have it as a random gift from a stranger.
Inspired by the tradition above, we invite Davos residents for free to all sessions and non residents are asked to bring healthy food and drink for two people (themselves and a Davos resident); any non consumed items are donated to local charities; cash equivalent contributions (CHF20+) are also welcome for those who do not wish to carry food and drinks to the venue.
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Wisdom House Davos
Foyer UG, Schulstrasse 4, 7270, Davos Platz
marcelo@wisdomaccelerator.org
Wisdom House Media Coverage 2020
I hope that when the next forum is organized it will be remembered what the idea was in 2003 and why the forum was created. Fortunately, I visited the “Wisdom House Davos 2020” in the middle school building … I felt something of the original, unadulterated “Spirit of Davos”.
Marianne Christen, Davos resident
Cover Story, Davoser Zeitung, Friday 17/01/2020
“A small thank you to the local population”
Davos is bursting at the seams. Everywhere there are new exhibition areas created by different providers and they all have something in common: only WEF participants are invited.
The “Wisdom House Davos” that is just being built is refreshing for the resident crowd. Its focus is strictly non-commercial and it is aimed directly at the local population.
Marcelo Garcia has been a regular and super well-connected visitor to the WEF Annual Meeting and Davos for a long time. “I come here several times a year to reflect and seek inspiration”.
The Brazilian, who has been living in Switzerland for 14 years (he has just sent in his application for naturalization) is the founder of various non-profit organizations that deal with questions about future developments and more specifically how Digital Transformation with broad and far reaching benefits can be deployed.
He has been working for and with the United Nations pro bono for several years. This year Garcia is organizing the Youth Camp “WisdomAccelerator.org” for the second time at Jschalp during the WEF week. The idea is to bring young people from all over the world into direct contact with the many outstanding personalities who are in Davos during this time.
In addition to fun and games in the snow, the teenagers get engaged in topics related to advanced know-how and challenging ideas. It is important to him that the event is “WEF neutral” – this means that the infrastructure, which is already strained to the point of tearing apart, should not be put under additional strain.
“An opportunity for non-profits”
He is now driving his latest project with the same approach. His two entities “WisdomAccelerator.org” and DAVO (Davos Association of Venue Organizers) together created “Wisdom House Davos” in the lower ground foyer of the Davos Primary School building.
Qualified non-profit organizations can present their projects and ideas strictly in line with the goals of the WEF. While usually in the fight for presentation space flooded with money during the WEF Annual Meeting, they usually have to stay silent in the background.
“Wisdom House Davos is a private initiative”, says Garcia. “At the same time, it is an opportunity for the wider WEF Community to thank the local population on the 50th Annual Meeting anniversary for their hospitality.”
“Resistant houses”
All of this is still very new., but Garcia hopes to officially open on Tuesday morning with the support of local volunteers. At the center of this year’s “Wisdom House Davos” is an exhibition on Resilient Homes. This was recently shown at the United Nations in New York and is now on its way to Davos.
The exhibition consists of a hundred paper cubes (see front picture) showing the winning projects of the “Resilient Homes Design Challenge” carried out by various international organizations last November. The background of the task was that around 23 million people lost their homes due to natural disasters in the past ten years.
They were looking for constructions that could be built for less than $10,000 and were particularly suitable for areas that are often afflicted or vulnerable to such disasters.
“Payable in good deeds”
Because the project is so new, the program is currently being developed and updated. It is however certain that all speakers and topics should be drawn from the pool of participants already present during the WEF.
Access for the local population will be free, everyone else will be asked to contribute to the food and drinks buffet set up inside the “Wisdom House Davos” or to make a symbolic contribution.
“Wisdom House Davos” is only accessible when school events are not taking place, which is the case on Tuesday from 1.30pm to 3.30pm and on Wednesday from 11.00am to 12.30pm.
What is still needed now are volunteers who provide their support on an hourly basis – knowledge of English is not necessary.
Because the project is so new, the program is currently being developed and updated. It is however certain that all speakers and topics should be drawn from the pool of participants already present during the WEF.
Access for the local population will be free, everyone else will be asked to contribute to the food and drinks buffet set up inside the “Wisdom House Davos” or to make a symbolic contribution.
“Wisdom House Davos” is only accessible when school events are not taking place, so it is closed on Tuesday from 1.30pm to 3.30pm and on Wednesday from 11.00am to 12.30pm.
What is still needed now are volunteers who provide their support on an hourly basis – knowledge of English is not necessary.
(Google Translation)
Wisdom Film Festival is brought to you by Wisdom Accelerator for Youth (WAY), a Swiss non profit NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Wisdom Accelerator for Youth
℅ BroadLights.org
rue Fendt 1, 1201
Geneva, Switzerland
Registered Swiss UID: CHE-293.908.661
© 2017-23 Marcelo Garcia – All Rights Reserved
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