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about the series |
film descriptions and times
Special thanks to the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival.
Some things never change. As of this writing, war rages in Iraq, the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues, and people in far-flung corners
of the world still suffer under governmental oppression. And other
things never change: the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival
is committed to bringing our attention to how lives are being lived,
lost, and in some instances, saved, throughout the world. Over the next
two weeks, we will remember the Rwandan genocide, but we will also see
attempts at rebuilding and reconciliation there. We will be reminded of
losses on both sides in Israel, and also see how ordinary people conduct
their lives in places like Ramallah and Jerusalem while they hope for
the best. In fact, one of the strongest themes of this year's festival
is survival. Film crews follow Cuban refugees in the U.S. almost a
decade after their arrival. A survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide of
the 70s struggles to reintroduce traditional music to his country.
Anti-Pinochet activists become re-energized as political advocates years
later; a story of young orphans spotlights Kurdish survivors of Iraqi
chemical attacks in the late 80s; and Colombian filmmakers give a
first-person glimpse of real lives amid the chaos of that country's
political and drug-related violence. Through all the turmoil, the film
festival will help us to keep our eyes on challenges that still face
human rights all over the world.
Organized by Bruni Burres, John Anderson, and Andrea Holley of Human
Rights Watch and Marian Masone of the Film Society. Thanks to Jonathan
Fanton, Chair, and Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch;
and Richard Peña, Program Director, Film Society. Special thanks to Time
Out New York, Susan Norget, Rafael Jimenez, Laura Davis, Suet Cheng,
Film Forum, POV/American Documentary Inc., MediaRights.org, Marina Pinto
Kaufman, the African Film Festival, the Margaret Mead Film & Video
Festival, The New Festival, and the Tribeca Film Festival.
In the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery at the Walter Reade Theater from
June 13 to 15
Stream>click>action
THE THIRD ANNUAL MEDIA THAT MATTERS FILM FESTIVAL
MediaRights.org presents a celebration of short films, videos, and new
media that inspire audiences to speak out and take action. Following the
festival's premiere at the HRWIFF, the Media That Matters films will be
broadcast via Free Speech TV and WorldLink TV and will be screened
around the country. For more info or to watch the films go to www.MediaThatMattersFest.org.
PINOCHET'S CHILDREN (NY PREMIERE)
Paula Rodriguez, Germany, 2002; 83m. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Alejandro Goic was 16, Enrique Paris, 12, and Carolina Tohá, eight years
old, when General Pinochet seized power in Chile on September 11, 1973.
During the coup Alejandro and Carolina lost their fathers, and all three
lost their innocence and their youth. Eventually the three friends
became powerful student leaders in the tumultuous 80s, an intense period
of contrasts, close ties, and funerals. When democratization took place
and the movement disintegrated, Goic took to drinking, Carolina left for
Italy, and Paris ended up in business. Now all three have become
politically active again. With thoughtful, emotional interviews and rich
archival footage, PINOCHET'S CHILDREN is a remarkable film that
beautifully renders three people's course of life against the background
of the sociopolitical developments in their homeland.
Fri June 13: 2; Sat June 14: 2; Sun June 15: 9:15 Tue June 17: 9:15
I'M TARANEH, 15 (NY PREMIERE)
Rassul Sadr-Ameli, Iran, 2002; 110m. In Farsi with English subtitles.
After the highly lauded The Girl in the Sneakers, director Rassul
Sadr-Ameli focuses again on the struggle of a young woman against the
dominant norms and values. Like so many girls of her age, Taraneh lives
her life by the rules of Iranian society; she studies, works, and is
engaged to Amir, whom she hopes to marry. However, her fiancé turns out
to be unreliable when he suddenly leaves for Germany and leaves her
behind, pregnant. Despite her very difficult circumstances, she is
determined to keep the child. Lead actress Taraneh Alidousti won the
prize for best actress at the Locarno International Film Festival with
her strong and understated performance.
Fri June 13: 4; Sun June 15: 1:45; Tue June 17: 7
WELCOME TO HADASSAH HOSPITAL
NY Premiere Ramón Gieling, The Netherlands, 2002, 50m; video. In English
and Hebrew with English subtitles.
Ramón Gieling's documentary takes a startling, close-up look at the
individuals who make up the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. The
filmmaker cleverly focuses on Dr. Avi Rivkind, a charismatic,
controversial and bluntly philosophical doctor who, along with his
staff, must regularly treat those affected and those involved in the
planning of the numerous suicide attacks that take place in Israel's
capital. In an ironic twist, victims and offenders are often treated
side by side. The doctors take the situation for granted and make no
distinction between their patients; for the patients, the situation is
more difficult to swallow. A powerful film about integrity and humanity
set against the violence in Israel today. Filmmaker present.
preceded by
Scenes from an Endless War (2001-2002)
Norman Cowie, U.S., 2002, 32m; video
A humorous and biting experimental documentary on militarism,
globalization, and the "war against terrorism." Part meditation, part
commentary, Scenes employs recontextualized commercial images, rewritten
news crawls, and original footage and interviews to question assumptions
about current American policies. Filmmaker present.
preceded by
72 Virgins
Uri Bar-On, Israel, 2002, 4m; video. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
What would you do for peace?
Fri June 13: 6:30; Sun June 15: 4; Mon June 16: 4
RANA'S WEDDING
Hany Abu-Assad, Palestine, 2002; 90m. In Arabic with English subtitles.
Rana wakes up one morning to an ultimatum delivered by her father: She
must either choose a husband from a preselected list of eligible men, or
she must accompany her father abroad. RANA'S WEDDING is a romantic drama
about a Palestinian girl who wants to get married to the man of her
choosing. With only ten hours to find her boyfriend in East Jerusalem,
Rana sneaks out of her father's house at daybreak, looking for Khalil,
her forbidden love. Facing barriers that have become an everyday
reality, Rana overcomes her fears and doubts, deciding not to let anyone
control her life. By the director of FORD TRANSIT (HRWIFF 2003) and
Nazareth 2000 (HRWIFF 2001), RANA'S WEDDING was shot entirely on
location in Jerusalem and Ramallah. Winner of the 2003 HRWIFF Nestor
Almendros Prize for courage in filmmaking. Filmmaker present.
Co-presented with Dreams of a Nation, a Palestinian film project.
Fri June 13: 9:15; Sun June 15: 6:45
Tue June 17: 4:30; Fri June 20: 1:30
THE LAST JUST MAN (NY PREMIERE)
Steven Silver, Canada, 2001, 70m; video. In English, French and
Kinyarwanda with English subtitles.
It was the worst massacre since WWII. In just 100 days, 800,000 Rwandans
were killed by machete and machine gun - and it all happened on the
watch of Canadian General Romeo Dallaire. THE LAST JUST MAN shows a
haunted Dallaire, the leader of the United Nations peacekeeping mission
in Rwanda, still questioning if he could have done more to stop the 1994
genocide. Dallaire tried frantically to tell the United Nations, and the
world, what was about to happen but failed to persuade the U.N. and
others to intervene in time. Using a combination of intense interview
footage and scenes from Rwanda, Silver succeeds in re-creating the
tension of those months and the emotions that flooded Dallaire's mind as
he attempted to stop a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions.
Filmmaker present. Co-presented by the African Film Festial.
Sat June 14: 4; Mon June 16: 6:45; Tue June 17: 2
MADAME SATÃ
Karim Ainouz, Brazil, 2003; 105m. In Portuguese with English subtitles.
Lapa, the bohemian district of Rio de Janeiro, 1931: João Francisco dos
Santos, aka Madame Satã, was a flamboyant transvestite, cabaret
performer, street fighter, prince of thieves, cook, prostitute, and
killer, who became one of the most famous personalities in this colorful
but seedy district of Rio de Janeiro. Karim Ainouz's first feature is as
seductive as the character it portrays. It is the true story of dos
Santos, the son of former slaves who, over the course of his lifetime,
spends 28 years in prison and adopts seven children, as he dances,
loves, and battles his way through life and becomes a black diamond in
Rio's inky sea of samba composers, female impersonators, and denizens of
the underworld. Filmmaker present. Reception to follow discussion.
Co-presented by The New Festival and Cinema Tropical.
Sat June 14: 6:30
FORD TRANSIT
Hany Abu-Assad, Palestine, 2002, 80m; video.
In Arabic with English subtitles.
Director Hany Abu-Assad (Nazareth 2000, HRWIFF 2001; RANA'S WEDDING,
HRWIFF 2003) follows cab driver Rajai and his passengers in Ramallah and
Jerusalem, as they detour around roadblocks and speed through shortcuts.
Rajai's passengers form a heterogeneous group of ordinary people and
local celebrities - including politician Hanna Ashrawi and filmmaker
B.Z. Goldberg (Promises, HRWIFF 2001) - who, with humor and sincerity,
express divergent opinions about the situation in Palestine and views of
the conflict with Israel while being bused around in his van. Interwoven
with these powerful interviews is Rajai's life: we hear about his
family, his sideline of smuggling illegal CD's, his view of the
political situation and solutions for it, his dreams of a future abroad.
Filmmaker present.
Co-presented with Dreams of a Nation, a Palestinian
film project.
Sat June 14: 9:15; Mon June 16: 9
DWEEPA / ISLAND (NY PREMIERE)
Girish Kasaravalli, India, 2002; 132m. In Kann with English subtitles.
Girish Kasaravalli's visually dazzling film is set in the hills of
Malenadu, Karnataka, just as monsoon season starts. Kasaravalli explores
the emotional and physical repercussions local farmers experience
through the government's construction of a large dam. Nagi, a young
feisty woman, is married to Ganapa, a local priest who refuses to leave
his island no matter how high the water rises. In a matter of days all
of their neighbors have abandoned their homes and accepted the
government's mediocre compensation for their land. The conditions on the
island become exceedingly dangerous, yet Ganapa refuses to leave. A
young, local politician comes to help the couple, but this young man's
interest in Nagi is more than anyone had bargained for. DWEEPA won the
2002 prestigious best fiction film award in India. Co-presented by
Breakthrough: Building Human Rights Culture.
Mon June 16: 1; Wed June 18: 6:15
Thurs June 19: 1
STATE OF DENIAL (NY PREMIERE)
Elaine Epstein, U.S., 2002, 86m; video
"Does HIV cause AIDS? How can a virus cause a syndrome? It can't!" -
South African President Thabo Mbeki, August 2000
Through six intimate and powerful portraits, STATE OF DENIAL takes an
unprecedented look at how the citizens of South Africa are living with
the AIDS epidemic in a climate of confusion and neglect perpetuated by
President Mbeki's administration. Revealing conversations with dozens of
South Africans capture the unbreakable spirit of a people determined to
conduct their lives with dignity, grace, and humor. Producer/director
Elaine Epstein, a native South African who has worked extensively in
AIDS and public health, offers a unique insider's look at the complex
issues affecting the nearly five million South Africans living with HIV
and AIDS. STATE OF DENIAL weaves the personal with the political to
create an uplifting portrait of ordinary people in an extraordinary
struggle to survive. Sundance Film Festival, 2003. Filmmaker present.
Co-presented by The New Festival and by P.O.V./American Documentary Inc.
Wed June 18: 1; Thurs June 19: 6:30
Mon June 23: 6:30
JIYAN / LIFE (NY PREMIERE)
Jano Rosebiani, Iraqi Kurdistan, 2002; 94m. In Kurdish with English subtitles.
Five years after the infamous chemical and biological bombing of Halabja
in Iraqi Kurdistan by the Iraqi military in 1988, Diyari returns to his
homeland to build an orphanage in what is left of the town. He meets
Jiyan, a ten-year-old orphan and a survivor of the chemical attack,
doomed to live with a burn scar covering much of her face. A strong bond
between the two ensues, and later he names his orphanage after her.
During the course of his stay in Halabja, Diyari meets a colorful bunch
of townsfolk, many of whom remain physically and/or psychologically
marked with the effects of the chemical agents. In addition to building
the orphanage, Diyari brings a spark of hope and happiness to life.
Filmmaker present.
Wed June 18: 3:30; Thurs June 19: 9
Fri June 20: 4
THE FLUTE PLAYER (NY PREMIERE)
Jocelyn Glatzer, U.S., 2003, 50m; video. In English and Khmer with
English subtitles
From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge led a campaign of death against every
Cambodian believed to be educated. As a result, over 90 percent of the
country's traditional musicians were killed. Now, as the handful of
surviving musicians grow old, a way of life quietly slips toward the
brink of extinction. Facing this desperate situation is Arn Chorn Pond -
a survivor of Cambodia's genocide, an internationally recognized human
rights leader and a talented musician. Today Arn is striving to heal the
deep scars of his war-torn past by bringing Cambodia's once outlawed
traditional music back to his people. This documentary is a heroic story
of one man's fight against the devastating effects of war, about sorrow
and pain, dignity and freedom, and the will to survive. Filmmaker and
Arn Chorn Pond present. Co-presented by the International Trauma Studies
Program at New York University and by P.O.V./American Documentary Inc.
preceded by
Asylum
Sandy McLeod & Gini Reticker, U.S., 2003; 20m
Filmmakers McLeod and Reticker turn their documentary camera on Baba, a
young Ghanian woman, who went in search of her father for his blessing
on her impending marriage to the young man she loved. Her joy at finding
him turned into a nightmare when he insisted she marry an old man and
undergo female genital mutilation - the custom in his tribe. Forced to
flee she sought refugee status in the U.S., where she became enmeshed in
the U.S. immigration system. Honorable Mention, Sundance Film Festival
2003. Filmmakers present.
Deborah Shaffer, Executive Producer of Asylum, is the recipient of the
HRWIFF 2003 Irene Diamond Lifetime Achievement Award.
Reception to follow discussion on Fri June 20.
Wed June 18: 9; Thurs June 19: 4
Fri June 20: 6:30
BALSEROS / CUBAN RAFTERS (NY PREMIERE)
Carlos Bosch and Josep M. Domenech, Spain, 2002; 120m. In English and
Spanish with English subtitles.
In the summer of 1994, following the disintegration of the Soviet Union
and the collapse of the Cuban economy, a crew of Spanish television
reporters with unprecedented access interviewed seven Cubans before they
set out on homemade rafts headed for the U.S., a perilous undertaking
that claimed many lives. The film crew followed the survivors who were
rescued at sea and transported to Guantánamo, a United States military
base and, at that time, site of a temporary refugee camp. Seven years
later, this same crew reconnects with their subjects to discover the
outcome of their new lives in different regions across the United
States. Life under capitalism is not a fairy tale for these refugees;
this documentary about authentic survivors of our times is an epic
adventure of castaways caught between two worlds. Filmmaker present.
Co-presented by Cinema Tropical and by the National Association of
Latino Independent Producers (NALIP).
Fri June 20: 9; Sun June 22: 9
GACACA, LIVING TOGETHER AGAIN IN RWANDA?
Anne Aghion, France/U.S., 2002, 55m; video. In Kinyarwanda with English subtitles.
In 1994, decades of politically motivated ethnic scapegoating by
Rwanda's Hutu-led government culminated in a wholesale slaughter of the
country's Tutsi minority, along with many Hutu moderates. More than
800,000 lives were taken, and the country was left in a state of
devastation. Today, under a new government, Rwanda is rebuilding its
physical and administrative infrastructure, but its most difficult task
is to deal with the emotional trauma and to foster reconciliation
between the Hutu and Tutsi. GACACA, LIVING TOGETHER AGAIN IN RWANDA?
follows the first steps in one of the world's boldest and strikingly
transparent experiments in reconciliation: the Gacaca (Ga-CHA-cha)
Tribunals, a new form of citizen-based justice, aimed at unifying this
scarred nation. Filmmaker present.
followed by
When the War Is Over
François Verster, South Africa, 2002, 52m; video. In Afrikaans and
English with English subtitles.
"Killing an enemy is nothing here. I would just do it, go home and sleep
peacefully." - Marlon, former BMW militant
The aftereffects of the South African struggle against apartheid, are
experienced by survivors of the Bonteheuwel Military Wing (BMW), a
militant teenage self-defense unit from the mid-80s and a guerrilla
branch of the ANC. Focusing on two ex-activists, Gori and Marlon, this
documentary reveals the scars left among what has become the country's
lost generation. Gori has become an army captain, Marlon a gang member.
Both are having problems finding their path in life: the battle is won
against apartheid, but what now? With his unadorned style, filmmaker
Verster presents an apt, and sometimes frightening, depiction of life in
Bonteheuwel. Co-presented by the African Film Festival.
Sat June 21: 1; Tue June 24: 2; Thurs June 26: 1
LIFE ON THE TRACKS / RILES (NY PREMIERE)
Ditsi Carolino, U.K./Philippines, 2002, 70m; video. In Filipino with
English subtitles.
Filmmaker Ditsi Carolino achieves an amazing intimacy in her cinema
verité portrait of a young Filipino couple, Eddie and Pen Renomeron,
their three adopted children and two kids of their own. The family lives
in a Manila neighborhood teaming with makeshift houses crowded
dangerously close to the railway tracks. Eddie and Pen have serious
worries: The landlord has announced that their "house" is to be
demolished and they owe a great deal in back rent. Eddie earns almost
nothing selling duck eggs and the pittance that Pen receives as a maid
does not help enough. They each cope with their anxieties in different
ways: Eddie converts his hard-earned cash into booze, and when Pen finds
her husband drunk, she flies into a rage. Filmmaker Carolino captures
the seminal moments of emotion and humor in one family's life journey.
preceded by
Poison / Sanpeet (US Premiere)
Giuseppe Petitto, Enrico Pizianti,Gianluca Pulcini, Italy/Thailand,
2001/2002, 27m; video. In Issan with English subtitles.
Sanpeet Petnonnoi is an unblemished seven-year-old boy who lives in a
poor region of northeast Thailand known as the Golden Triangle. Like
many boys his age, Sanpeet earns his family extra money by kickboxing.
The Thai government turns a blind eye to the matches; in fact, the
sport's been encouraged as a way of keeping young people from the
temptations of opium and heroin. But this questionable activity is
further tainted by another addiction: gambling. Co-presented by
Breakthrough: Building Human Rights Culture.
Sat June 21: 4:30; Wed June 25: 1:30
Thurs June 26: 4
THE CUCKOO (NY PREMIERE)
Alexander Rogozhkin, Russia, 2002; 100m. In Russian, Finnish, and Sami
with English subtitles.
Set in Finland in September 1944, just before the Finnish withdrawal
from WWII, Alexander Rogozhkin's film focuses on the relations between
Veiko, a Finnish sniper (or "cuckoo"), who is left chained to a rock in
an SS uniform by departing Germans, and Ivan, a Russian captain arrested
at the front by secret police for his supposed "political" comments.
After escaping from their respective predicaments, they find themselves
sharing a house with a young Lapp woman, Anny. The three speak no word
of one another's language, giving rise to misunderstandings that range
from the hilarious to the tragic. For Veiko, the war is over, but Ivan
still regards him as a fascist. Beautifully shot against a mystical
landscape, the film emphasizes their positive encounter with Saami
culture. Rogozhkin's concise and witty script presents three finely
drawn characters, and a powerful portrait of the human qualities
underlying the mask of war and ideology. - London Film Festival
Sat June 21: 7
MY TERRORIST (NY PREMIERE)
Yulie Cohen Gerstel, Israel, 2002, 58m; video. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
In 1978, filmmaker Yulie Cohen Gerstel was wounded in a terrorist attack
by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. 23 years later, in
a remarkable twist of faith, Gerstel began questioning the causes of
violence between Israelis and Palestinians and started to consider
helping release the man who almost killed her, Fahad Mihyi. From the
time she was a young girl, Gerstel considered herself a staunch Israeli
nationalist. Growing up in an upper-middle-class neighborhood in Israel,
she served in the military and was a proud citizen of her country. After
working as a photojournalist and visiting the occupied territories along
the Gaza Strip, Gerstel came to realize that both Israelis and
Palestinians played a role in perpetuating the cycle of hostility and
bloodshed. It became her goal to stand up as a survivor and call for
reconciliation on each side. Filmmaker present. Co-presented by the
Tribeca Film Festival.
preceded by
Vivisect (World Premiere)
Marija Gajicki, Serbia, 2003, 15m; video. In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles.
Witness the eye-opening public reaction of a Serbian audience to the
photographs of Ron Haviv, chronicling the war in Yugoslavia over many
years, at an exhibition in Novi Sad, Serbia, in autumn of 2002.
Sat June 21: 9; Mon June 23: 9
KADDIM WIND - MOROCCAN CHRONICLE
NY Premiere David Benchetrit, Israel, 2002, 255m (with 15-minute
intermission); video. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
A "passionate argument and a brilliantly constructed account of the
continuing oppression and struggle of Moroccan Jews within Israeli
society." - Best Documentary, Jerusalem Film Festival.
The history of Moroccan Jews in Israel is compellingly told through the
memories of six second-generation immigrants to Israel, each telling his
or her personal and dramatic story about the process of absorption that
was accompanied by racism and oppression. The film presents an array of
strong archival footage interwoven with intimate, startling interviews
as it moves from the dramatic events beginning in 1948 until today: the
large waves of immigration and the selection process they underwent,
life in the transit camps, settling the border areas and establishing
development towns, the protests, the Wadi Salib revolt, the struggle of
the Israeli Black Panthers in the 70s, the creation of the Shas
(Orthodox Sephardi party), and up to Prime Minister Ehud Barak's plea
for forgiveness from the "Mizrahim," Jews from Arab and Muslim countries.
Sun June 22: 1; Mon June 23: 1
AMERICAN DISSENT: A SPECIAL PROGRAM OF THIRD WORLD NEWSREEL FILMS ON THEIR 35TH ANNIVERSARY
Third World Newsreel filmmakers, U.S., various years, program and
discussion; 120m
A special program of Third World Newsreel films on their 35th Anniversary
At a time when dissent and social activism are again under fire in the United States, the HRWIFF felt it was particularly appropriate to screen a sampling of some of the seminal films produced by Third World Newsreel (TWN). Focusing mainly on the United States, highlights of the program will include AMERIKA, a 1969 film that goes to the front line of anti-war demonstrations, and captures stirring impromptu interviews with groups of angry youth critical of the role of big business and the 'power structure' in shaping their lives. Also captured is a moving interview with a group of young Vietnam Veterans, still just boys really, fresh from the war. As they discuss the brutal tactics they were ordered to use, their awakenings to the real nature of these 'missions,' and their changing views of the Vietnamese people, these young men elucidate the stupidity and brutality of the conflict. Many viewers will draw parallels to recent events. Also included will be a sneak preview of a work in progress by Hye Jung Park on North Korea.
Established in 1967 as Newsreel, a network of radical filmmakers, its activist collectives produced and distributed more than 50 black and white films covering the anti-war and women's movements, civil and human rights, the Black Panthers and the Young Lords. Third World Newsreel (TWN) emerged as a result of restructuring in the mid-70s and strengthened its commitment to developing artists and audiences of color. Today, TWN carries on the progressive vision of its founders, and remains the oldest media arts organization in the U.S. devoted to cultural workers of color and their global constituencies. In the hands of creative independent media artists, the moving image retains its power to document, preserve and disseminate cultural and historical perspectives often overlooked by the mainstream media.
Third World Newsreel staff present, Reception to follow discussion
Sun June 22: 6:30
WAR TAKES / TOMAS DE GUERRA (NY PREMIERE)
Patricia Castano, Adelaida Trujillo, Colombia/England, 2002, 78m; video.
In English and Spanish with English subtitles
For over four years, three Colombian filmmakers turned their cameras on
themselves, using personal stories to expose the tough reality in their
violent, war-ravaged country. According to these filmmakers, Colombia
has been functioning for many years in the gray area between legality
and lawlessness. Their portrayal does not aim to defend the image the
outside world has of Colombia as a hotbed of excessive political
violence and drug traffic; instead they draw out the beauty and warmth
amidst the larger turmoil. The humor borders on surreal as the film
moves between conversations in the jungle with guerrillas to elegant
dinner parties with society's elite. WAR TAKES allows the real lives of
its heroes, forever changed by war, to break through the stereotypes,
forcing us to rethink our own conceptions, or misconceptions, of the
beliefs and values by which these Colombians live. Filmmakers present.
Co-presented by Cinema Tropical.
Wed June 25: 4:15 & 9
Thurs June 26: 7
OUR HOMES, OUR SCHOOLS OUR LIVES: YOUTH-PRODUCED DOCUMENTARIES FROM THE EDUCATIONAL VIDEO CENTER (NY PREMIERE)
EVC filmmakers, U.S., 2003, 120m; video
In a time of urgency for the protection of human rights around the
world, educational and social reforms are compromising the basic rights
of children in New York City. In 1996, high school students at the
Educational Video Center (EVC) produced a video that examined the foster
care system through the eyes of those within it. In the tradition of
Michael Apted's 7-Up series, EVC youth producers went looking for these
same young people to chronicle the struggles they've faced in making
their way up and out of the system. These two companion pieces will be
screened with a third tape, which documents the efforts of students and
community organizers to impact the current round of reforms sweeping
across the New York City school system.
This celebration of youth-produced work will benefit EVC, an
internationally renowned community-based media center that has been
teaching documentary production and media analysis to New York City
teenagers and educators since 1984. For more information on this event,
visit www.evc.org/news/special.html. Filmmakers and participants present.
Wed June 25: 6 Meet filmmakers and staff from EVC
6:30 Screening begins, discussion to follow
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