"We are all made of the same material". In the immensity of the universe, there is an inextricable relationship among humans and between humans and the world. In the same way, the collision between science and art can also engender exquisite beauty, as the film highlights: "The intersection of science and art is a revelatory experience".

On 20th October, on the occasion of the 22nd Italian Language Week in the World, InterCulture and the Consulates General of Italy and Switzerland in Guangzhou co-organised a screening of the documentary "CERN: The Meaning of Beauty" at Hu Ancestral Hall, InterCulture' s art space located at Huangpu Ancient Port.

Before the screening, the Consul General of Italy, Valerio De Parolis, spoke about the history of the Italian Language Week and stressed the importance of the Italian language in the world. As for the Consul General of Switzerland, Philippe Praz, he recalled his own experience of learning Italian in the course of his mission in Rome, Milan and Naples and gave us a brief introduction to the film. Finally, InterCulture co-founder Dr. Jasmin Gong presented the history and diplomatic background of Hu Ancestral Hall. The film began at 7:30 pm, and the audience was immersed in the beauty of the images combined with the unique ambiance of the ancestral hall by night.

As one of the four official languages of Switzerland, Italian plays a pivotal role in cultural exchange. Therefore, for this year' s Italian Language Week in the World, we selected the film "CERN - The Meaning of Beauty" by the internationally renowned film director Valerio Jalongo, to let our audience explore the beauty engendered by the collision of science and art, and savour the unique charm of the Italian language.

The film centres on CERN, the world' s leading laboratory for particle physics, whose research is directed towards a better understanding of the origins of the universe through the study of the origin of matter. Scientists from all over the world jointly conduct researches through the use of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In the documentary, the delicate and massive instruments are presented in a unique way, showing the beauty of science and technology. The film features in-depth interviews with selected physicists and artists, exploring the boundaries between science and art and the dialectical relationship between the two, as well as the ongoing human quest for meaning, order and beauty.

After the screening, our guests enjoyed a buffet provided by the popular Italian restaurant Oggi and many of them shared their thoughts: "I never thought a scientific documentary could be so beautifully filmed!". As for Maarten from the famous Triple Rooster bar, "This documentary brought me an expansion of the mind, where both my scientific and creative self were fully triggered."

For many of our guests, it was their first time to watch an open-air film in a 400-year-old ancestral hall, and they truly hope to watch it again. As the night deepened, our movie event came to an end with our guests following fruitful conversations.