The Briton who promoted Romania to the world receives Romanian citizenship. When will Charlie Ottley be sworn in
The British journalist and producer Charlie Ottley, known for the documentaries that put Romania on the world tourism map, will take the oath of allegiance to the country, thus becoming, officially, a Romanian citizen.
Charley Ottley filming for Discover Oltenia. PHOTO: video capture
British journalist and film producer Charlie Ottley obtained Romanian citizenship and will take the oath of allegiance on November 6, in a ceremony organized at the headquarters of the National Citizenship Authority (ANC).
According to the institution, the solemn ceremony will bring together citizens from various corners of the world, a fact which, according to the ANC, “confirms Romania's global vocation and the strength of its human and diplomatic ties”.
The new citizens come from the United States, Great Britain, Italy, Turkey, Brazil, Jordan, Lebanon, Serbia and India.
He came for a documentary and fell in love with Romania
Among those who will take the oath are also people who “they particularly contributed to the promotion of Romanian culture, civilization and spirituality”, ANC reported. This category also includes Charlie Ottley, the author of some productions that promoted Romania's image around the world.
“Through his exceptional documentaries – «Wild Carpathia» and «Flavors of Romania» – he managed to masterfully capture the spirit, authenticity and scenic beauty of Romania”, said Claudia Țapardel, the interim president of the National Authority for Citizenship, quoted by Agerpres.
Charlie Ottley is considered one of the most important unofficial ambassadors of Romania. The idea to film the country's natural landscapes came to him in 2011, at the invitation of the European Nature Trust NGO. His first visit to our lands immediately convinced him that Romania deserves a documentary dedicated to its culture, nature and traditions.
A theology and philosophy graduate of the University of Bristol, Ottley fell in love with Romania while filming Wild Carpathia, a documentary series broadcast in over 110 countries that had a huge impact, with an estimated audience of 100 million viewers.
The first episode of the series “Wild Carpathia” it was a foray into the natural areas of the country, capturing Romania's villages, mountains and forests, but also the animal species that still live here. The following episodes explored the Danube Delta, Maramureș and Bucovina, culminating in part four, “Seasons of Change”, a visual story of the four seasons.
In parallel, Charlie Ottley produced the series “Flavors of Romania”, consisting of nine episodes, each dedicated to a region. In this project, the journalist traveled all over the country, discovering places “beautiful and little known”, but also communities that preserve authentic traditions. According to the author, the series fights for the preservation of Romania's natural and cultural heritage.
“I think Romania is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Many Western Europeans and Americans have preconceived ideas about Romania, ideas based on ignorance. And all these people don't realize what a fantastic destination Romania is. And I also think Romania promotes the same places all the time, like Bran Castle or the monasteries in Moldova. But there are many other wonderful places to see in Romania. But I wanted to show Romanians and the world how much this country has to offer.” said the British journalist in an interview for “Adevărul”, in 2018.
