Madrid – At a time when voices are multiplying and communication is accelerating; listening is becoming an increasingly necessary act. This is the idea behind La cultura dell’ascolto (The Culture of Listening), a new annual series organised by the Italian Cultural Institute in Madrid in cooperation with the cultural association “Aquí y Ahora”. The programme explores culture, cinema, music, literature and social engagement through four events that, using different forms of expression and perspectives, invite audiences to rediscover listening as a tool for understanding, dialogue and human connection. The series opens on September 23 at 8 p.m. with an evening devoted to Pier Paolo Pasolini and Giorgio Gaber, bringing together music, words and reflection around Valerio Capasa’s book Pasolini. Gaber. Il potere, la farsa, il cuore. On October 16, cinema will take centre stage with a screening of Pétros ení, directed by Paula Ortiz. The Italian-Spanish production takes viewers on a journey into a story connected to the origins of Christianity and its historical foundations. The screening will be introduced by Juan Orellana, film critic and professor of audiovisual storytelling at CEU San Pablo University. On November 18, the series will turn to a particularly significant social issue with an event focusing on charitable work in several prisons in Madrid, coordinated by Miguel de Haro. The first edition of the series will conclude on November 26 with the presentation of Il filo nascosto. Cinque principi per un mondo più umano by Francesco Occhetta and Davide Maggi. The book examines some of the major transformations shaping the modern world and the relationship between individuals, society and innovation. Four events, four perspectives, all connected by a question that is increasingly relevant today: what does it mean to be genuinely willing to listen? (9colonne)