The cultural entity celebrates the career of the activist and writer, who died in 2019
Omnium Cultural Osona paid tribute this Thursday to Carles Furriols, known as Tati, in an event that took place at Cinema Vigatà in Vic. The organization wanted to recognize the work of the activist and writer, who was one of the founders of the March of the Vigatans and a benchmark in the fight for Catalan freedom and culture. Furriols died in 2019 at the age of 63, after a long illness.
The event, which could be followed live by El 9 TV, was attended by several friends and colleagues of Furriols, who remembered his personality, his commitment and his legacy. Among them, there was the president of Òmnium Osona, Carles Vilanova, the journalist and writer Jordi Lara, the musician and poet Roger Mas, the film director Marc Recha and the president of the Coordinadora d’Associacions per la Llengua Catalana (CAL ), Josep Maria Terricabras.
A reference of the culture and the country
All of them have agreed to highlight the figure of Furriols as a reference for culture and the country, who dedicated his life to defending the rights and freedoms of the Catalan people. Vilanova has stated that Furriols was “a man of the country, who loved his land and his people, and who fought for social justice and democracy”. Lara remembered that Furriols was “a teacher, a friend and a brother, who knew how to combine sensitivity and intelligence with generosity and courage”. Mas has said that Furriols was “a poet, a musician and a dreamer, who made words and song a tool of transformation and hope”. Recha has praised that Furriols was “a creator, a storyteller and a filmmaker, who shaped the reality and imagination of his country with a lucid and committed look”. Terricabras highlighted that Furriols was “a militant, a leader and a reference, who promoted the March of the Vigatans and actively participated in the sovereignty process, without ever renouncing his ideals or his dignity”.
A tribute that will continue throughout the year
This Thursday’s event was the first of a series of tributes that Òmnium Osona will dedicate to Carles Furriols throughout 2020. The organization has separated the event from the Vigatans’ March, which has been suspended for the Covid-19, and has planned to organize different activities throughout the year to remember his figure and his work. Among these activities, there is the publication of a book with texts and testimonies about Furriols, the screening of the documentary “Tati, el vigata”, directed by Marc Recha, and the inauguration of a mural dedicated to his memory.
With this tribute, Òmnium Osona wants to recognize the career of Carles Furriols, who was one of the founders of the organization in 1976 and who held several positions of responsibility, such as vice-president and spokesperson. Furriols was also one of the promoters of the March of the Vigatans, which began in 2003 and which became one of the main mobilizations of Catalan independence. In addition, he was an outstanding writer and screenwriter, author of books such as “The Night of Mirrors”, “The Return of the Vigatans” or “The Revolt of Dreams”, and of films such as “Petit Indi”, “Days of “August” or “Empty hands”.