At first glance they don’t have much in common, Paola Marcello, a professional photographer from South Tyrol and Roberta Mancino, a model from Lazio. One always in front of the lens, the other using her camera to put social topics and people at the very centre of the story . On Wednesday 11^th October  they will share the International Mountain Summit (IMS) stage to tell their individual stories, very different from each other but sharing the same love for mountains and a passion for their work that takes them around the world. Paola and Roberta deal differently with the “inner” mountain that they both face but share the same courage, motivation and determination.

Paola Marcello, born in Merano, loves travelling because it allows her to get to know new places and above all local people. Thanks to the camera that she always carries along, her photographs portray her respect for the local traditions, religions and the amazing life stories she encounters. During one of her long journeys in 2015 in Asia, the photographer stayed in the remote and isolated Chin mountain region in Burma where she met women belonging to different ethnic groups who since their childhood have practised the ritual of facial tattoos. The collection of portraits and stories produced from these intense meetings showcases an ancient, now banned tradition, destined to disappear in a short time. The photographs pay tribute to the beauty, dignity and personal history of each of these women and will be exhibited from 5^th  to 15^th October at the Bressanone Municipal Gallery. On Wednesday, 11^th October Paola Marcello will talk on stage at the International Mountain Summit about her experiences in Burma. The audience will also have the chance to hear about the other ethnic minorities and religious communities that she met during her trips to Asia.

Roberta Mancino from Anzio is also a globetrotter. Her modelling work and passion for extreme sports have taken her all over the world. One of a kind Roberta can pose nonchalantly for fashion magazines or perform vertical descent by parachute. This young Italian lady has  the ability to combine charm and daring performances leading her to incredible experiences while skydiving, scuba diving and parachuting. Her versatility has seen her launched into the sky clad in a wing suit at a speed exceeding 200kmph, she has dived with sharks and manta rays, embraced tigers and leopards and has even been immortalised while engaged in kickboxing. In 2003 she was launched into the sky nude for a photo shoot for Playboy while in 2008 she flew topless for an Italian television show. From a sporting point of view, her nudity is an extreme undertaking considering the rigid temperatures the model and athlete faces in flight but Roberta loves the adrenaline rush of her adventures and loves being in the mountains. The peaks that others see as a goal, for her are a starting point of where to jump off. “I’m hyperactive, I do not like being stuck, luckily I get to do a job that allows me to both travel and combine my passions.” states the queen of extreme sports.  On Wednesday 11^th October at the Bressanone Forum on the IMS stage, Roberta Mancino will talk about how she lives her life divided into two worlds: fashion and beauty versus her life in the air and under water surrounded by sharks and crocodiles.

For further information and tickets: www.ims.bz