A ONCE AND FUTURE PEACE (2020) Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2021

This is a very good look at the course of Andy and his family as he moves through the Seattle court system via an indigenous based alternative program set up to help him get back on track. The program involves lots of talk as well as family and community based support that is geared toward making Andy find his own way back.

Very good and very heavy look at a possible alternative to just locking people up A ONCE AND FUTURE... gives us a lot to take in. Not only are we exposed to the system but we are also given a lot of information concerning everyone involved in the program. Since this is a kind of talking cure, everyone who participates so we get to know the Andy's family as well as the people running the program. Its a stunner and it gives us the heart and soul of a good number of people.

I have seen this film a couple of times now and I have been fighting with writing this review for the better part of two weeks trying to come up wit some grand to say. Unfortunately this film is such that it requires that you take the time and see the film before we can discuss it. It is, as I have seen on each of the times I have seen it, a journey. It is a journey not just for Andy and the people on the screen but for us in the audience. We have to travel along to and make up our own minds and react to what we are seeing. How we feel at the start is not how we will feel at the end. As such giving you my thoughts about the journey from the end will alter how you see it at the start. To that end I  am not going to say much more other than see this film.

A ONCE AND FUTRE PEACE is playing the Human Rights Watch Film Festival and is recommended

APART (2020) Human Rights Film Festival 2021

Moving look at several women who are nearing the point where they will be able to go home and rejoin their kids. It’s a moving look that lets us see how they prepare themselves to go home and what happens when they get there. It’s a moving film that shows us the cost of putting people in jail, specifically for drug related crimes. 

Apart moved me.  I loved that the film is very matter of fact. Most films like this are very serious and focused, to the point you really don’t connect. However here the women are allowed to be human. We see them laugh and cry with the result that we come to really care for all of them.

This is a super film.

UNAPOLOGETIC (2020) Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2021

A look at Bella and Janae who are working to get the community to challenge to power structure in Chicago, particularly the police. It is the story of two young black women fighting go for what they know is right and hoping to change the world.

Very good look at two women who are using different means to get their voices heard. Yes they are marching and protesting but they are putting a spin on things that make you sit up and take notice. Their spirit and slightly atypical ways make this film some thing more than all the other films about protest. Their voices cut through the sameness that has enveloped the protests in the media and are actually making a difference.

Recommended.

Daughter Of A Lost Bird (2021) Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2021

Kendra Mylnechuk Potter was adopted. Her birth parents were Native American, her adopted parents were white. She was taken from her parents as part of a government plan to "wipe out the Indian and save the man." We then watch as Potter attempts to reconnect with her birth mother and her birth culture.

This is not only an excellent look at not only one woman's story but also a great starting place to see how the US government kept trying to wipe out the Native Americans. On some level I think many people think that the nonsense stopped at certain point, but as can be seen here and the continued efforts to seize or usurp Native lands it's clear the government wants the non-Europeans gone.

While the history of the treatment of  the tribes will make you angry, there is a happiness in the film. We watch as Potter and her family reconnect with their heritage. Its clear tat despite the governmnt wanting it all to go away it isn't, at least not with out a fight.

Recommended.

Bajo Fuego (Under Siege) (2020) Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2021

 

After a half century of fighting the government of  Columbia and the FARC rebels agreed to a peace treaty. As part of this many poor people would be given land. Additionally those growing illegal crops such as coca and marihuana, would destroy their crops and instead grow coffee  Unfortunately as the plan is implemented all sorts of problems arise  as the new crops are less profitable and the plan leaves a power vacuum where no one is quite sure who is in charge in the area formerly controlled by FARC. New armed groups rise up hoping to protect what they had.

Watching the film I thought I had a handle on how this was going to go but I quickly say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions as what was supposed to end a half century of violence instead created more. What was thought to be a good thing quickly turns bad as things spiral out of control, more so once the leadership of the country changes.  What I thought was going to be a simple tale heading in one direction quickly went into unexpected places.

While I thought I had a passing knowledge of what was happening in Columbia I quickly saw I had no clue. I knew that peace had been declared and that things had gone side ways but I didn't know it had gone this banana shaped. I was shocked at how it all went. 

 This is a wild ride. Its a story that kept me enthralled and wondering where and how this will all end. It seems that the cycle of violence is continuing on. It's an eye opening warning about what is happening in one country and a warning of how things like this could happen elsewhere.

Recommended 

In the Same Breath (2021) Human Rights Watch 2021

Nanfu Wang's IN THE SAME BREATH is a look at the Covid Crisis in China and to some degree in the United States. It begins with the huge New Year's Day Celebrations in Wuhan in 2020 and it concludes with the same celebrations in 2021. It is an intellectual punch in the face about how our governments are killing their people in order to look like they are in control.

Much of IN THE SAME BREATH is made up of videos shot under the noses of the Chinese government. Wang began by collecting videos posted to the internet by people in China. She archived as much as she could before the government had it pulled down. She then sent out camera people to film. While they would get permits to film in hospitals thy were forced to turn the cameras off if anyone said anything questionable. She then had them set unmanned cameras and they picked up all sorts of things. The result is a portrait of  country scrambling to hide the truth and bury the dead before anyone notices. It is dire warning about the dangers of censorship and misinformation, a warning that that the Unites States and Donald Trump didn't heed

While less emotional than some other films on the pandemic I've seen it still packs an emotional punch as details of what it's really like are revealed, as are the names and faces of the people who tried to tell the truth and save lives but who only found oblivion when they disappeared.

The film takes a damning look at the US  by giving us a look at the emotional toll of front line workers here in the states. It also lays the blame squarely at the feet of former president Trump by showing how the anti-maskers and covid deniers are only parroting his own words. We maybe free but we are just as bad as China. There is a terrible irony that all the Trump supporters follow his lead in blaming China  for all the trouble but he and is regime copied it without credit time and again.

As powerful as the film is for most of its running time, the film falters slightly in the second half as the reasoned presentation of the facts gives way to a long pained scream of a presentation. The film's presentation ceases to be measured and instead becomes more emotional. Its clear Wang has been rocked by events, which is fine, but her carefully constructed tale seems to be pulling in everything to win it's point. It's not fatal but it keeps the film a half a step from true greatness.

Having world premiered at Sundance IN THE SAME BREATH will be hitting the festival circuit before hitting HBO. It and it's warning of possible impending doom is required viewing.

Human Rights Watch Film Festival Announces Full Lineup of Second Digital Edition

 

The Human Rights Watch Film Festival Presents Full Lineup of Cinematic Works in Second Digital Edition Available Across the U.S., May 19-27, 2021 

Co-presented by Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center 

New York, April 15, 2021 — The Human Rights Watch Film Festival, now in its 32nd year, will present its second full digital edition of groundbreaking new films, available nationwide in the U.S. from May 19 through 27, 2021. The film festival will feature in-depth online discussions with filmmakers, film participants and Human Rights Watch researchers and advocates. 

As the world continues to grapple with the realities of isolation amid a global pandemic, relationships with neighbors and local communities have become increasingly important. This year’s films take a closer look at just how strong these bonds can be.

 “This year’s program resonates especially throughout this time of Covid-19, as we become increasingly aware that the advancement of human rights is deeply dependent on the health and unity of families and communities,” said John Biaggi, Director of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. “This powerful and vibrant cultural theme spotlights the crucial importance of community bonds in realizing a more just and caring society.”

 The Human Rights Watch Film Festival continues to collaborate closely with its long-time cinema venue partners Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center for the online 2021 edition of the festival. The festival plans to return to Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center in 2022 and beyond.

 The full 2021 lineup is as follows:

200 Meters, Ameen Nayfeh, Palestine/Jordan/Qatar/Italy/Sweden

A Once and Future Peace, Eric Daniel Metzgar, USA

Apart, Jennifer Redfearn, USA

Bajo Fuego (Under Siege), Sjoerd Van Grootheest, Irene Vélez-Torres, Colombia

Daughter Of A Lost Bird, Brooke Pepion Swaney, USA (Closing Night)

Forget Me Not, Olivier Bernier, USA (Opening Night)

In The Same Breath, Nanfu Wang, USA/China

The Return: Life After ISIS, Alba Sotorra Clua, Spain / UK

Tacheles – The Heart of the Matter, Jana Matthes & Andrea Schramm, Germany

Unapologetic, Ashley O’Shay, USA 

Tickets will be available for sale beginning April 16. Audience members will be able to reserve and purchase individual film screening tickets by title, or a festival pass that will provide access to all 10 films. Access to films will be available to all individual ticket and festival pass holders to watch at their own pace during the film festival dates of May 19 through May 27. 

To purchase tickets and to access program updates, please visit https://www.hrwfilmfestivalstream.org/

 Each film has a limited number of tickets available, as would be the case for in-person cinema events, and advance ticket purchase is suggested. Ticket prices are: $9 individual ticket (public), $8 individual ticket for members of Film at Lincoln Center, Human Rights Watch Film Festival and IFC Center members, or $70 for a festival pass.

Audiences also have the opportunity to join live online Q&A sessions free for every title with the filmmakers, Human Rights Watch experts and special guests. For details please visit: https://www.hrwfilmfestivalstream.org/ 

“Film at Lincoln Center is proud to continue its longstanding partnership with the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, which shows us once again that cinema can be a powerful agent of change,” said Dennis Lim, Director of Programming for Film at Lincoln Center and the New York Film Festival. “That this second virtual edition is accessible to communities nationwide makes it all the more impactful.” 

John Vanco, Senior Vice President and General Manager of IFC Center, adds, “IFC Center is proud to continue our long-running partnership with the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. For many years, the festival has brought our audiences important films about some of the world’s most urgent issues, and we’re very happy to be working with them again on another great lineup.”

Bobby Allen, Co-Chair, Human Rights Watch Film Benefit Committee and SVP Production, MUBI, states, “Cinema is an incredibly powerful way to educate people on the human rights issues that are impacting the world today. The work the Human Rights Watch Film Festival does is crucial to driving awareness of these issues and MUBI is proud to partner with the festival to bring this important collection of films online and make them available to audiences across the U.S.”

To celebrate this latest edition, audiences also have an opportunity to watch select festival highlights from previous editions thanks to the continuing partnership with MUBI:  mubi.com/humanrightswatch

All festival films are available to stream throughout the festival dates. All films will have free, live-captioned Zoom discussions at times detailed below. Seven out of the 10 films offer Closed Captioning (CC) in English for audiences who are Deaf or hard of hearing, detailed below. Tickets go on-sale April 16 on the Film Festival’s streaming platform. 

Human Rights Watch is committed to hosting accessible, inclusive events. Anyone who is experiencing any accessibility issues with renting a film or joining the Zoom events may contact festivalinfo@hrw.org at least 24 hours prior to the event, and Human Rights Watch will do its best to provide assistance. 

The 10 films in this year’s festival present a message of being stronger together, from the tireless support of parents fighting for their child’s education in New York to the cyclical nature of incarceration affecting families in the United States, the struggles of marginalized farmers in Colombia and the misinformation campaigns of Chinese and U.S. leadership that seek to tear people apart. The festival is proud to share films that mirror the challenges of this difficult moment in history, celebrating representation and perspective. This year’s lineup reinforces the understanding that without inclusivity, there will be no progress. 

The opening night film Forget Me Not is an intimate documentary that follows the film’s director, Olivier Bernier, his wife Hilda and their three-year-old son Emilio as they navigate New York City’s public school system, notorious for segregating children with disabilities, and fight for Emilio’s placement in integrated classes to create a more inclusive education system for all. The closing night film, Daughter of a Lost Bird, follows new mother Kendra Mylnechuk Potter on her personal journey as she discovers her Native identity after being raised by her adopted white family since she was a baby. 

In 200 Meters, the right to family unity is paramount in this stirring drama about a family split by the separation wall between the West Bank and Israel. After his son is injured, Mustafa embarks upon a perilous journey to cross the border illegally to rejoin them. In Tacheles—The Heart of the Matter, a painful confrontation with history opens up old family wounds, in which 21 year old Yaar asks: What does the Holocaust have to do with me? 

The U.S. criminal legal system is an ongoing source of human rights violations, a system that continues to perpetuate racial oppression, injustice and abuse. Three films this year offer a cinematic triptych on the state of criminal justice and highlight alternatives to incarceration, lifting up the stories of those tirelessly fighting for change and equality. Apart shares the stories of incarcerated mothers and their families, showing the importance of rehabilitation assistance in addressing intergenerational trauma caused by the criminal justice system. Unapologetic follows two fierce pioneers as they spearhead a civil rights movement in Chicago fighting for liberation and a public safety system that does not depend on police. A Once and Future Peace shares an inspiring new restorative justice program working with youth in Seattle based on Indigenous peace-making circles. 

Following her critically acclaimed film One Child Nation, director Nanfu Wang’s In The Same Breath intimately explores the parallel misinformation campaigns led by U.S. and Chinese leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic, weaving a revelatory picture of mass cover-ups and highlighting the strength and resilience of healthcare workers, activists and family members who work tirelessly to spread truth. 

In Bajo Fuego (Under Siege), we are exposed to the impact of the global “war on drugs,” looking closely at the current situation in Colombia, following the 2016 peace deal, in which the government ordered farmers in the coca-growing region to destroy their coca crops. These under-resourced farmers must mobilize to protect their livelihoods, while also dealing with the threat of emerging armed groups. The Return: Life After ISIS is the gripping tale of the young women who left their homes in the U.S. and UK as teenagers to join the Islamic State and are now held as ISIS suspects in northeast Syria. Confronted by hostile journalists and governments these women seek to understand their truth and heal from their trauma with the help of Kurdish women’s rights activists.

 About the Films