Foreword

Knowledge of peoples and cultures that surround us are often based on superficial ideas and prejudices, which tend to settle down forming a set of stereotypes. This poor knowledge also appears (for various historical reasons) in any culture outside the scope of the official culture. In such cases, minoritised self-perception and shame are often the prevalent image among citizens.

Historical and linguistic research has long proved that some of the beliefs and certainties the Basques have about our own country are false: isolated community, uncivilized, pure language, unique culture… Unfortunately, due to the inability to project an image more in line with reality, all these beliefs still remain majority in our society.

There are some publications for the general public that refute all these stereotypes. But, unfortunately, they are not enough. And that is why I am delighted to present this documentary series about the history of the Basque people and their language, co-produced by Ibaizabal-Mendebalde and Zenbat Gara cultural associations, both from Bilbao. I sincerely believe that the transition from the book to the audiovisual will help everyone improve the perception of our country and its culture.

Xamar