{"id":25967,"date":"2023-05-24T11:42:10","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T15:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/?p=25967"},"modified":"2024-01-16T12:18:07","modified_gmt":"2024-01-16T17:18:07","slug":"human-rights-watch-film-festival-may-31-to-june-11-2023-calendar-greggwmorris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hunterword.com\/index.php\/human-rights-watch-film-festival-may-31-to-june-11-2023-calendar-greggwmorris\/","title":{"rendered":"Human Rights Watch Film Festival May 31 to June 11, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

Co<\/strong>-Presented by Film at Lincoln Center<\/a> and IFC Center<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Human Rights Watch Film Festival, now in its 34th year, will present a full edition of 10 groundbreaking new films nationwide in the United States, from May 31 to June 11, 2023.<\/p>\n

The New York festival will be back with a full program of in-person screenings at Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center, with in-depth discussions with filmmakers, film participants, journalists, activists and Human Rights Watch researchers.<\/p>\n

The festival continues to offer the opportunity to watch all 10 new films online nationwide across the United States with a full digital edition of the film festival from June 5 to June 11.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s edition highlights a broad diversity of themes and topics, including the Ukraine conflict, climate gentrification and justice, women\u2019s rights, transgender rights, freedom of the press, and access to health care in the United States.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are extraordinarily proud to present our program of 10 powerful films and conversations in person at Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center,” John Biaggi, Director <\/strong>of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival<\/strong>, was quoted as saying.”<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s selection covers expansive global ground, spotlighting urgent and timely human rights issues like the war in Ukraine, women\u2019s rights and bodily autonomy, transgender rights, health and human rights, environmental gentrification, and freedom of the press.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe festival is also committed to expanding inclusivity for audience members to enjoy the events together and is working to create features that more people can access. The majority of the festival films this year will be audio-described and play with captions, with live transcription for the conversations to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Full 2023 Lineup<\/h2>\n

\u2014Draw Me Egypt – Doaa El-Adl<\/em><\/strong>, A Stroke of Freedom<\/em><\/strong>, Nada Riyadh, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands<\/p>\n

\u2014The Etilaat Roz<\/em><\/strong>, Abbas Rezaie, Afghanistan
\n\u2014Into My Name (Nel Mio Nome)<\/em><\/strong>, Nicol\u00f2 Bassetti, Italy
\n\u2014Koromousso, Big Sister<\/em><\/strong>, Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan, Canada
\n\u2014Pay or Die<\/em><\/strong>, Closing Night Film<\/em>, Rachael Dyer and Scott Alexander Ruderman, USA
\n\u2014Razing Liberty Square<\/em><\/strong>, Katja Esson, USA
\n\u2014Seven Winters in Tehran<\/em><\/strong>, Opening Night Film<\/em>, Steffi Niederzoll, Germany, France
\n\u2014Theatre of Violence<\/em><\/strong>, Centerpiece Screening<\/em>, Lukasz Konopa and Emil Langballe, Denmark, Germany
\n\u2014We Are Guardians<\/em><\/strong>, Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene and Rob Grobman, Brazil, USA
\n\u2014When Spring Came to Bucha<\/em><\/strong>, Mila Teshaieva and Marcus Lenz, Germany, Ukraine<\/p>\n

The Opening Night film, Seven Winters in Tehran<\/em><\/strong>, is a haunting documentary about Reyhaneh Jabbari, a 19-year-old Iranian woman sentenced to death for killing the man who tried to rape her. The film focuses on the misogyny entrenched in the justice system, where men are in charge and women\u2019s voices are often silenced.<\/p>\n

In the Centerpiece film, Theatre of Violence<\/em><\/strong>, viewers follow the modern history of Uganda with\u00a0\u00a0 a charismatic Ugandan lawyer who is defending a former child soldier, Dominic Ongwen, as he faces trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. It becomes clear that this is a trial not just of one man, a victim-turned-perpetrator, but also of a European form of justice imposed on an African country.<\/p>\n

The festival takes a close look at Ukraine with When Spring Came to Bucha<\/em><\/strong> by the renowned photographer Mila Teshaieva, which powerfully profiles the citizens of Bucha, Ukraine, after the Russian army has left, as they work to rebuild their lives and community while supporting one another and finding moments of joy.<\/p>\n

The Etilaat Roz<\/em><\/strong>, explores the importance of a free press as a courageous Afghan journalist records his team at Kabul\u2019s largest newspaper while the Taliban takes over Afghanistan in 2021. Draw Me Egypt – Doaa El-Adl, A Stroke of Freedom<\/em><\/strong> highlights the daily struggles of one of the most prominent cartoonists of the Arab world, Doaa el-Adl, who faces censorship, intimidation and death threats as she takes on the patriarchy through her art.<\/p>\n

Three films in this year\u2019s festival delve into issues of health and human rights. The Closing Night Film, Pay or Die<\/em><\/strong>, follows three families struggling with the crushing financial reality of living with type 1 diabetes in the U.S. It looks at how pharmaceutical companies, bolstered by the government\u2019s lack of regulation, push the price of insulin to exorbitant levels, with devastating impact on millions of Americans.<\/p>\n

Koromousso, Big Sister<\/em><\/strong> introduces viewers to three passionate activists and survivors of female genital mutilation as they discover a wealth of strength, joy and love\u2014both for their own bodies and for one another\u2014while they work to remove stigma and to challenge cultural taboos surrounding female sexuality, reconstructive surgery and, ultimately, ownership of their bodies. In Nicol\u00f2 Bassetti\u2019s tender documentary Into My Name<\/em><\/strong>, executive produced by Elliot Page, we meet four young transgender men in Italy as they seek to determine their own gender identities while dealing with society\u2019s often rigid boundaries and navigating the labyrinthine medical system.<\/p>\n

Two films focus on environmental justice and the effects of climate change. Razing Liberty Square<\/em><\/strong> profiles a historically Black neighborhood in Miami that was the first segregated public housing project in the South. As rising sea levels cause widespread damage to wealthy oceanfront neighborhoods in the city, Liberty Square draws the attention of developers, and a \u201crevitalization\u201d project begins that threatens to dismantle this thriving and close-knit community.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Puyr Temb\u00e9 with her team of Forest Guardians. Photo credit Fernanda Luna<\/p><\/div>\n

We Are Guardians<\/em><\/strong> expertly weaves together multiple threads to help paint a picture of the complexity of what is happening to the Amazon from the perspectives of Indigenous forest guardians, illegal loggers, cattle ranchers and a landowner struggling to preserve the rich ecosystem within his land from encroaching settlers.<\/p>\n

As always, the festival strives to prioritize making space for a wide variety of identities, viewpoints and forms of expertise and experiences either silenced or marginalized in the film industry, news and media. The festival is also committed to expanding inclusivity for audience members to enjoy the events together and is working to create features that more people can access. The majority of the festival films this year will be audio-described and play with captions, with live transcription for the conversations to follow.<\/p>\n

Audio description is a narrated description of a film\u2019s main visual elements, such as settings and body language. This audio track is provided on headsets for audience members who request them. Captions are descriptions of all audio in the film and\/or discussion \u2014 whether spoken or unspoken.<\/p>\n

A limited number of free tickets are available both in-cinema and online for members of the public for whom the cost of a ticket would be a barrier to participation. To access free tickets, audience members can simply send an email to filmticket@hrw.org to receive the ticket codes or instructions. (First come, first served.) See the website for accessibility specifications for each film in the lineup.<\/a><\/p>\n

Viewing Films<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tickets became available for sale May 2 for members of IFC Center, Film at Lincoln Center and Human Rights Watch and May 3 for\u00a0 the general public.<\/p>\n

Audiences will be able to purchase in-theater tickets online or at the Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center box offices. For ticket prices and more, please visit https:\/\/ff.hrw.org\/newyork<\/a>, https:\/\/www.filmlinc.org<\/a>, or https:\/\/www.ifccenter.com<\/a>. Virtual tickets can be purchased online for each film for $9 for the general public and $6 for members, or a digital festival pass that will provide access to all 10 films online can be purchased for $70. Further discount information is available on ff.hrw.org<\/a>. The full festival will be available to rent on the festival streaming site from 9 a.m. EST June 5 until 11:59 p.m. EST June 11, 2023. Please visit ff.hrw.org<\/a> for details and accessibility options for each digital presentation.<\/p>\n

To purchase tickets and to access program updates, please visit https:\/\/ff.hrw.org\/newyork<\/a>.<\/p>\n

About the Films<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Draw Me Egypt – Doaa El-Adl, A Stroke of Freedom<\/strong>
\nWorld Premiere
\n<\/em>Directed by Nada Riyadh, 2023, Documentary, 50 minutes, Arabic
\nDoaa el-Adl is one the most prominent of the very few female cartoonists in the Arab world. Draw Me Egypt – Doaa El-Adl, A Stroke of Freedom <\/em>creatively blends documentary, cartoons and animation to bring to life this courageous artist\u2019s thoughts on politics and feminism as she uses her talent to advocate for women\u2019s rights.<\/p>\n

As the first woman to win the prestigious Journalistic Distinction in Caricature, Doaa el-Adl is a force for change in the male-dominated world of Egyptian political cartoonists. A rebellious critic of patriarchy, she faces daily critique, censorship, intimidation and death threats for her art. The Egyptian director Nada Riyadh brings el-Adl\u2019s most famous works to life in a creative and exciting mix of documentary, cartoons, and animation.<\/p>\n

The film is a vibrant and courageous expos\u00e9 of violence against women that pushes the boundaries of freedom of expression in an often restrictive society, as el-Adl uses her talent to advocate for the rights of women, and to inspire and change society.<\/p>\n

This film is part of the collection Draw for Change created by Vincent Coen and Guillaume Vandenberghe.
\nIn-person screening:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday, June 3, 2 pm, Film at Lincoln Center, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
\nDiscussion to follow with filmmaker and special guests.
\nDigital screening: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Available to watch at your own pace, any time between June 5 and June 11, 2023, on the festival\u2019s digital streaming platform. Digital festival pass<\/a> is available for audience members in the United States to watch all 10 festival titles for $70 (a savings of $20) Individual tickets are $9 each, with further discounts for members of Human Rights Watch, Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center.<\/p>\n

\n

The Etilaat Roz<\/strong>
\nU.S. Premiere<\/em>
\nDirected by Abbas Rezaie, 2022, Documentary, 92 minutes, Dari
\nWinner, Best First Feature, IDFA 2022<\/p>\n

From inside the office of the city\u2019s most widely read newspaper, The Etilaat Roz<\/em> is a firsthand account of the August 2021 takeover of Kabul by the Taliban. Afghan filmmaker and Etilaat Roz<\/em> staff member Abbas Rezaie relentlessly films and questions his passionate colleagues on the editorial team in the days leading up to, during, and after the takeover as they try to decide whether to stay and continue reporting\u2014risking torture, imprisonment and death\u2014or join thousands of others attempting to flee the country. What begins as shock at a surreal situation gradually shifts to realization of an inescapable reality at their doorstep.<\/p>\n

Tensions rise as Rezaie\u2019s colleagues must balance their families\u2019 safety with their dedication to providing honest reporting, while the Taliban sets its sights on curbing the free press. This dramatic account of a group of courageous journalists in their struggle for truth, freedom and life is poignantly captured by Rezaie\u2019s camera, fully immersing the viewer in this rapidly changing environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Etilaat Roz<\/em> is a piece of history. It depicts the most heartbreaking moments of Kabul\u2019s collapse, which make every Afghan emotional, including me. But it also demonstrates how strong our defenders of free speech are.\u201d \u2014 Fereshta Abbasi, researcher, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch<\/p>\n

\u201cOur history has always been narrated from the ruler\u2019s point of view, whereas the people who change the course of history with their resilience, bravery, and sacrifices are not shown anywhere except in the newsreels. I want to get as close to the people as possible and continue recording their lives. This time it\u2019s a personal film, with lots of poetry and, of course, history.\u201d
\n\u2014 Abbas Rezaie, director, The Etilaat Roz<\/em><\/p>\n

In-person screening:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thursday, June 1, 6:30pm, Film at Lincoln Center, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
\nDiscussion to follow with Fatima Faizi, freelance journalist and special guests. Moderated by John Sifton, Advocacy Director, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch.
\nDigital screening: <\/strong>
\nAvailable to watch at your own pace, any time between June 5 and June 11, 2023, on the festival\u2019s digital streaming platform.<\/p>\n

\n

Into My Name (Nel Mio Nome)<\/strong>
\nNY Premiere
\n<\/em>Directed by Nicol\u00f2 Bassetti, 2022, Documentary, 93 minutes, Italian
\nNominee, Panorama Audience Award for Documentary, Berlinale 2022<\/p>\n

Nic, Leo, Andrea and Raff are four trans masculine friends from Italy seeking to determine their own gender identities while together dealing with society\u2019s imposed physical, legal and social boundaries, and the labyrinthine process of navigating the medical system.<\/p>\n

With Elliot Page as the executive producer, Nicol\u00f2 Bassetti’s tender documentary is a love letter to his son who, like the protagonists of Into My Name<\/em>, is a transgender person. This sensitive and beautiful coming-of-age story follows four friends navigating their lived experiences and relationships, sharing important turning points in their lives and gender transitions.<\/p>\n

Despite living in different areas of Italy and coming from different backgrounds, they connect through conversations about pronouns, hormone therapy, surgery and their relationships with their partners\u2014all while confronting societal norms, oppressive gender binaries and legal obstacles that threaten their human rights. In recording these honest and intimate experiences, Into My Name<\/em> provides a space for trans masculine people to define their identities on their own terms.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat stands out to me about Into My Name<\/em> is the way it so artfully and intentionally presents all the different pieces that make up a person\u2019s identity. It\u2019s a meditation on trans humanity, and I\u2019ve never seen another film like it.\u201d \u2014 Elliot Page, executive producer, Into My Name<\/em><\/p>\n

In-person screening:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday, June 3, 5 pm, Film at Lincoln Center, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
\nDiscussion to follow with filmmaker, film guest, and Chase Strangio, Deputy Director for Transgender Justice with the ACLU\u2019s LGBT & HIV Project. Moderated by Felix Endara, filmmaker, programmer and arts administrator.
\nDigital screening: <\/strong>
\nAvailable to watch at your own pace, any time between June 5 and June 11, 2023, on the festival\u2019s digital streaming platform.
\nInclusivity:<\/strong><\/p>\n

This film is captioned and audio-described; the discussion panel following the film will be live-captioned.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Koromousso – Big Sister. Credit NFB<\/p><\/div>\n

Koromousso, Big Sister<\/strong>
\nU.S. Premiere<\/em>
\nDirected by Habibata Ouarme, Jim Donovan, 2023, Documentary, 75 minutes, French, English
\nCanada-based co-directors Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan capture personal stories and deep moments of support among members of a small community of survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM) from West Africa who are confronting social norms and embracing the inherent power in pleasure and love for their own bodies.<\/p>\n

With candor, humor, and courage, this group of African-Canadian women challenge cultural taboos surrounding female sexuality and fight to take back ownership of their bodies. The co-director and activist Habibata Ouarme works with co-director Jim Donovan to combine her own journey with personal accounts from her friends, while exploring the lifelong effects of female genital mutilation and the road to both her own individual and collective healing.<\/p>\n

The women discuss the importance of female pleasure and the complexity of the female anatomy, while working to shed long-held feelings of shame and loneliness. While finding strength and joy in their own frank and intimate conversations together, Ouarme and her friends continue to advocate for wider access to restorative surgery and community conversations in Canada and worldwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis film brings more than an education on a harmful traditional practice that\u2019s still practiced in parts of West Africa\u2014it captures the stories of solidarity among these irrepressible, strong African women.\u201d \u2014 Mausi Segun, director, Africa Division, Human Rights Watch<\/p>\n

In-person screening:<\/strong>
\nMonday, June 5, 6:30pm, Film at Lincoln Center, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
\nDiscussion to follow with filmmakers and special guests.
\nDigital screening: <\/strong>
\nAvailable to watch at your own pace, any time between June 5 and June 11, 2023, on the festival\u2019s digital streaming platform.
\nInclusivity:<\/strong>
\nThis film is captioned and audio-described; the discussion panel following the film will be live-captioned.<\/p>\n

\n

Pay or Die<\/strong>
\nClosing Night Film, NY Premiere<\/em>
\nDirected by Rachael Dyer, Scott Alexander Ruderman, 2023, Documentary, 90 minutes, English
\nNominee, Grand Jury Award, Documentary Feature, SXSW Film Festival 2023<\/p>\n

The U.S. healthcare system is the most expensive in the world; almost half of all Americans reportedly struggle to pay for health care. Pay or Die<\/em> explores the crushing financial reality for millions of insulin dependent Americans living with diabetes, as pharmaceutical companies push the price of this lifesaving medication to exorbitant levels, making record-breaking profits. This is only further exacerbated by the government\u2019s lack of regulation.<\/p>\n

Pay or Die<\/em> voices the stories of families struggling to afford their lifesaving medications in one of the richest countries in the world: the United States. The film follows a distraught Minnesota family desperate for answers after their son Alec dies at the age of 26 from rationing his insulin only weeks after aging off his parents\u2019 health insurance. In Oregon, a mother and daughter who both live with type 1 diabetes become homeless due to the exorbitant cost of their medication and are forced to join medical refugees who are leaving the U.S. to source affordable medication in other countries. A newly diagnosed woman must rethink her future to factor in her new economic reality.<\/p>\n

With Sarah Silverman as the executive producer, this enraging and enlightening film serves as a call to action against the medical-industrial complex that monetizes bodies and lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of my adult life has been defined by one inescapable question: How can I make enough money to afford the insulin I need to stay alive?\u201d \u2014 Scott Alexander Ruderman, director, Pay or Die<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe made a pact that no other family will go through the pain that we\u2019re going through. We\u2019re trying to make a change, a difference in the system. I don\u2019t want to hear anyone else suffer. I hear too many names along with [my son] Alec. Enough is enough.\u201d \u2014 James Holt, Jr., film participant, Pay or Die<\/em><\/p>\n

In-person screening:<\/strong>
\nThursday, June 8, 7:00pm, IFC Center
\nDiscussion to follow with filmmakers, Matt McConnell, Researcher, Economic Justice and Rights Division, Human Rights Watch, and special guests.
\nDigital screening: <\/strong>
\nAvailable to watch at your own pace, any time between June 5 and June 11, 2023, on the festival\u2019s digital streaming platform.
\nInclusivity:<\/strong>
\nThis film is captioned and audio-described; the discussion panel following the film will be live-captioned.<\/p>\n

\n

Razing Liberty Square<\/strong>
\nNY Premiere<\/em>
\nDirected by Katja Esson, 2023, Documentary, 86 minutes, English
\nWhen residents of the Liberty Square public-housing community in Miami learn about a 300-million-dollar revitalization project, they know that the sudden interest comes from the fact that their neighborhood is located on the highest and driest ground in the city. As rising seas threaten Miami\u2019s luxurious beachfront, wealthy property owners are pushing inland to higher ground. Now the Liberty Square residents must prepare to fight a growing form of racial injustice\u2014climate gentrification.<\/p>\n

From the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Katja Esson, Razing Liberty Square<\/em> shares perspectives from all angles\u2014residents, community advocates, teachers, developers, and politicians\u2014following the redevelopment from start to finish. Miami is experiencing sea level rise before much of the country, but communities across the U.S. are facing changes similar to the dramatic shifts happening in Liberty Square as the climate crisis exacerbates the affordable housing crisis and the impact of systemic racism.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a problem with them tearing down Liberty Square. Liberty Square is the heart, and when you destroy the heart, you destroy this community. You destroy the people. You\u2019re not going to see people that look like me staying in these projects.\u201d \u2014 Samantha Quarterman, film participant, Razing Liberty Square<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople think that climate change or environmental things are not a Black people\u2019s issue, but one thing I learned about climate is that it affects us in the worst ways.\u201d \u2014 Valencia Gunder, climate activist and film participant, Razing Liberty Square<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe story of Liberty Square is also a cautionary tale of the future of many low-income communities in the face of climate-change displacement. It\u2019s a story of racial segregation and a haunting reminder of Jim Crow laws.\u201d \u2014 Lena Simet, Senior Researcher and Advocate, Poverty and Inequality, Human Rights Watch<\/p>\n

In-person screenings:<\/strong>
\nFriday, June 2, 6:30pm, Film at Lincoln Center, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
\nTuesday, June 6, 6:30pm, IFC Center<\/p>\n

Discussion to follow both screenings with filmmaker and Valencia Gunder, activist, organizer and film participant (June 2 only) and Juanita O. Lewis, Executive Director, Community Voices Heard (June 6 only).
\nDigital screening: <\/strong>
\nAvailable to watch at your own pace, any time between June 5 and June 11, 2023, on the festival\u2019s digital streaming platform.
\nInclusivity:<\/strong><\/p>\n

This film is captioned and audio-described; the discussion panel following the film will be live-captioned.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Seven Winters in Tehran<\/strong>
\nOpening Night Film, U.S. Premiere<\/em>
\nDirected by Steffi Niederzoll, 2023, Documentary, 97 minutes, Farsi
\nWinner, Compass-Perspektive-Award, Berlinale 2023
\nWinner, Peace Film Prize, Berlinale 2023
\nIn 2007, 19-year-old Reyhaneh Jabbari was sentenced to death in Iran for the murder of a man who tried to rape her. The efforts her family and supporters undertake open a window onto the mass oppression and silencing of women in Iran, and the risks taken by those who defend and support them.<\/p>\n

Tehran, July 2007: Reyhaneh Jabbari has a business meeting with a new client. When he locks her in an apartment and attempts to rape her, she reacts in self-defense by stabbing him. Later that day, she is arrested for murder, and her trial results in a death sentence.<\/p>\n

Using secretly recorded videos provided by Jabbari\u2019s family, her family members\u2019 testimony, and the beautiful, lyrical letters written by Jabbari from prison, voiced by Holy Spider<\/em> actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Seven Winters in Tehran<\/em> opens a window onto the many ways women are oppressed and silenced in Iran, and the immense risks taken by those who defend and support them. This energizing documentary not only highlights women\u2019s efforts behind this case, but also shows a truly incredible figure in Reyhaneh Jabbari, who became a symbol of resistance and women’s rights worldwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeven Winters in Tehran<\/em> shows very clearly the patriarchy and injustices experienced by women in Iran, as well as how laws protect the honor of men.\u201d \u2014 Regina Tam\u00e9s, Deputy Director, Women\u2019s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch<\/p>\n

In-person screenings:<\/strong>
\nWednesday, May 31, 7 pm, Film at Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theater
\nWednesday, June 7, 8:45pm, IFC Center \u2013 Encore screening<\/p>\n

Discussion to follow May 31 screening with filmmaker, Tara Sepehri Far, Senior Researcher, Middle East and North Africa division, Human Rights Watch, and special guests. Discussion to follow June 7 screening with participants to be confirmed.<\/p>\n

Digital screening: <\/strong>
\nAvailable to watch at your own pace, any time between June 5 and June 11, 2023, on the festival\u2019s digital streaming platform.
\nInclusivity:<\/strong>
\nThis film is captioned and audio-described; the discussion panel following the film will be live-captioned.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Theatre of Violence<\/strong>
\nCenterpiece Screening, U.S. Premiere<\/em>
\nDirected by Lukasz Konopa, Emil Langballe, 2023, Documentary, 105 minutes, English, Acholi, Luo, French<\/p>\n

Dominic Ongwen is the first former child soldier prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Theatre of Violence<\/em> follows Ongwen\u2019s lawyer and his team as they investigate, build a defense strategy, and try to answer the central question: How do we define \u201cjustice\u201d when the perpetrator is also a victim?<\/p>\n

A Ugandan lawyer, Krispus Ayena, has been assigned to the most prominent case of his career defending Ongwen, who was only 9 when he was abducted on his way to school, as were an estimated more than 20,000 other children, by Joseph Kony\u2019s Lord\u2019s Resistance Army (LRA). Intimidated and indoctrinated, Ongwen quickly learned to kill or be killed.<\/p>\n

Theatre of Violence <\/em>combines stunning cinematography with tense courtroom drama as Ayena and his team prepare for Ongwen\u2019s defense and covers an unfolding debate on what accountability means when someone is both victim and perpetrator, and what justice looks like in an international court, far from key cultural and historical context. This unforgettable film asks vital questions, not least of which is this: Is the ICC imposing a new form of colonialism on Uganda?<\/p>\n

\u201cVisually, it\u2019s beautiful. The issues are presented in a very nuanced way, which is rare for Western-made productions about the LRA war and the conflict in Uganda\u2014centering Acholi voices, juxtaposing Ongwen\u2019s trial with what is happening in Uganda today, and posing important questions about the relevance of the ICC.\u201d \u2014 Oryem Nyeko, Uganda and Tanzania researcher, Human Rights Watch<\/p>\n

In-person screening:<\/strong>
\nSunday, June 4, 2 pm, Film at Lincoln Center, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
\nDiscussion to follow with filmmaker and special guests. Moderated by Elise Keppler, Associate Director, International Justice Program, Human Rights Watch.
\nDigital screening: <\/strong>
\nAvailable to watch at your own pace, any time between June 5 and June 11, 2023, on the festival\u2019s digital streaming platform.
\nInclusivity:<\/strong>
\nThis film is captioned and audio-described; the discussion panel following the film will be live-captioned.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

We Are Guardians<\/strong>
\nU.S. Premiere
\n<\/em>Directed by Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene, Rob Grobman, 2023, Documentary, 82 minutes, Portuguese, Tupi, English
\nAs the Indigenous Brazilian forest guardians of the Tenetehara fend off attacks from illegal loggers, miners, and exporters, this global story shares what happens when Indigenous rights, land stewardship, environmental science, and political corruption converge, leaving the fate of the Amazon and its Indigenous communities in the balance.<\/p>\n

Thousands of people are illegally setting up camp on protected land in the Brazilian Amazon, killing centuries-old trees for export and mining rare resources. Directed by Indigenous activist Edivan Guajajara and environmental filmmakers Chelsea Greene and Rob Grobman, We Are Guardians <\/em>artfully shares the stories of the people impacted by this issue.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Puyr Temb\u00e9 with her team of Forest Guardians. Photo credit Fernanda Luna<\/p><\/div>\n

Viewers meet an Indigenous Brazilian forest guardian, Mar\u00e7al Guajajara, and an activist, Puyr Temb\u00e9, who are fighting to protect their home from deforestation; an illegal logger struggling to make ends meet who feels he has no other financial choice to survive; and a landowner who is dedicated to preserving the rich ecosystem within his land by relentlessly seeking action from local authorities, with no answers. This film\u2019s beauty lies in its intimate, character-focused storytelling, providing a human entry-point into a critical situation that ultimately affects us all.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe Are Guardians<\/em> is a poignant portrayal of the diverse group of people on the front line of efforts to save the Brazilian Amazon. The filmmakers expertly dissect the economic drivers that fuel large-scale environmental destruction, while exposing the corruption and partisan politics that enable it. A loud call to action.\u201d \u2014 Luciana T\u00e9llez Ch\u00e1vez, researcher, Environment and Human Rights Division, Human Rights Watch
\nIn-person screenings:<\/strong>
\nSunday, June 4, 8 pm, Film at Lincoln Center, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
\nMonday, June 5, 6:30 pm, IFC Center
\nDiscussion to follow both screenings with filmmaker Edivan Guajajara and special guests.
\nDigital screening: <\/strong>
\nAvailable to watch at your own pace, any time between June 5 and June 11, 2023, on the festival\u2019s digital streaming platform.
\nInclusivity:<\/strong>
\nThis film is captioned and audio-described; the discussion panel following the film will be live-captioned.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When Spring Came to Bucha<\/strong>
\nU.S. Premiere
\n<\/em>Directed by Mila Teshaieva, Marcus Lenz, 2022, Documentary, 64 minutes, Ukrainian, Russian
\nIn early 2022, the Ukrainian city of Bucha near the capital, Kyiv, was occupied by the Russian army for several weeks. After a month of intense fighting, the Russian army withdrew, leaving the city destroyed in its wake.<\/p>\n

In March 2022, after Russian troops withdrew from Bucha, Ukrainian civilians emerged from their homes to clean their streets, rebuild, and face a new day while grieving all that was lost. With beautiful cinematography, the renowned photographer Mila Teshaieva captures stories of the residents as they clean their streets of debris and rebuild their shattered homes amid trauma and loss, while war rages nearby.<\/p>\n

Yuri, a municipal services manager, struggles to keep people supplied with clean drinking water. Olenka is the only pupil in her classroom after two of her classmates are killed, the rest having left the country. Yet amid the suffering, a young couple gets married, and life must go on.<\/p>\n

In-person screenings:<\/strong>
\nTuesday, June 6, 6:30 pm, Film at Lincoln Center, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
\nWednesday, June 7, 6:30 pm, IFC Center
\nDiscussion to follow both screenings with filmmaker Mila Teshaieva and Masha Gessen, Russian-American journalist, author, translator, activist (June 6 only) and Rachel Denber, Deputy Director, Europe and Central Asia Division, Human Rights Watch (June 7 only).<\/p>\n

Digital screening: <\/strong>
\nAvailable to watch at your own pace, any time between June 5 and June 11, 2023, on the festival\u2019s digital streaming platform.
\nInclusivity:<\/strong><\/p>\n

This film is captioned and audio-described; the discussion panel following the film will be live-captioned.<\/p>\n

Please be advised the films in this program contain material that may be disturbing to some viewers. Visit our website for specific content advisories.<\/em>
\nAll cinemas are wheelchair accessible and assistive listening devices are available for all screenings. Please visit individual venue websites or contact individual box offices for further details and note that equipment is subject to availability.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Editor, Publisher Gregg W. Morris @ gregghc@comcast.net, profgreggwmorris@gmail.com<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Co-Presented by Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center The Human Rights Watch Film Festival, now in its 34th year, will present a full edition of 10 groundbreaking new films nationwide in the United States, from May 31 to June…<\/p>\n

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