Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2017
In an era of global advances by far-right forces into the political mainstream, assaults on the free press, and the rise of citizen journalism, the 28th New York Human Rights Watch Film Festival will present 20 topical and provocative feature documentaries and panel discussions that showcase courageous resilience in challenging times, and celebrate the ongoing fight for justice, progress, and transparency.
We hope that these films can serve as an inspiration and motivation for our audience, from seasoned activists to those searching for a role in various local and global movements.
This year, we are including three films that address the urgent and evolving issues of the refugee crisis and migration affecting millions of people around the world. Our Opening Night film, Nowhere to Hide, follows an Iraqi nurse and his family whose lives are suddenly turned upside down as war once again tears apart their country. In The Good Postman, residents of a tiny Bulgarian town decide whether to welcome or reject Syrian families fleeing war. Lost in Lebanon takes a close look at the reaction of a country of 4 million inhabitants to the arrival of 1 million refugees.
The pressing need for systemic change in US police and justice institutions is another focus of this year’s selection. The Blood is at the Doorstep follows Dontre Hamilton’s family’s demand for justice following his fatal shooting by police in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Force gains unprecedented access to the Oakland Police Department, exposing layers of corruption and undertrained officers. The grave mishandling of domestic violence cases is profiled in Home Truth, causing a grief-stricken mother to take up the fight for legal change. In Lindy Loo, Juror No 2, Lindy crosses political and religious divides in the rural South to explore the personal impact on fellow jurors after sentencing a man to the death penalty.
Holding governments and powerful forces to account is just as important as ever, both at home and abroad. City of Ghosts follows a team of Syrian citizen journalists risking their lives to expose atrocities in the ISIS-occupied town of Raqqa. Global digital activists from North America to Brazil and Tibet covertly counter governments’ expanding invasions of privacy in Black Code. In our special event discussion panel, From Audience to Activist, filmmakers, journalists and activists will discuss the power of citizen-produced media and security challenges faced by those bringing truth to light. Closing Night’s Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press unpacks the Hulk Hogan vs. Gawker case and the purchase of the Las Vegas Review-Journal to expose the threat to independent journalism when billionaires and politicians are armed with an agenda.
As always, the festival will host in-depth discussions after the screenings with filmmakers, film subjects, Human Rights Watch researchers, and activists to offer you, the audience, a unique opportunity to engage with the topics covered in each film.
We are delighted to bring this program to you, and hope that you will continue to join us in supporting and celebrating powerful human rights achievements in film through 2017 and beyond.
Additional screenings take place at the IFC Center.
In film there are no borders. Support the arts. Embrace cinema. Film Lives Everywhere.
In an era of global advances by far-right forces into the political mainstream, assaults on the free press, and the rise of citizen journalism, the 28th New York Human Rights Watch Film Festival will present 20 topical and provocative feature documentaries and panel discussions that showcase courageous resilience in challenging times, and celebrate the ongoing fight for justice, progress, and transparency.
In film there are no borders. Support the arts. Embrace cinema. Film Lives Everywhere.
Lineup
Nowhere to Hide
Opening Night Film · Post-Screening Discussion
Nowhere to Hide is an immersive and uncompromising first-hand reflection of the resilience and fortitude of a male nurse working and raising his children in Jalawla, Iraq, an increasingly dangerous and inaccessible part of the world.The Apology
U.S. Premiere · Post-Screening Discussion
Grandma Gil in South Korea, Grandma Cao in China, and Grandma Adela in the Philippines were amongst thousands of girls and young women who were sexually exploited by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, many through kidnapping, coercion and sexual slavery.Black Code
U.S. Premiere · Post-Screening Discussion
Nicholas de Pencier’s gripping Black Code follows “internet sleuths”—or cyber stewards—from the Toronto-based group Citizen Lab, who travel the world to expose unprecedented levels of global digital espionage.Bill Nye: Science Guy
Post-Screening Discussion
A famous television personality struggles to restore science to its rightful place in a world hostile to evidence and reason.The Blood Is at the Doorstep
Post-Screening Discussion
Filmed over three years in the direct aftermath of Dontre's death, this intimate verité documentary follows his family as they struggle to find answers and challenge a criminal justice system stacked against them.City of Ghosts
Post-Screening Discussion
With deeply personal access, this is the untold story of a brave group of citizen journalists forced to live undercover, on the run, and in exile—risking their lives to stand up against one of the most violent movements in the world today.Complicit
U.S. Premiere · Post-Screening Discussion
Shot under-the-radar, Complicit follows the journey of Chinese Foxconn factory migrant worker-turned-activist Yi Yeting, who takes his fight against the global smartphone industry from his hospital bed to the international stage.The Force
Post-Screening Discussion
The Force presents a deep look inside the long-troubled Oakland Police Department in California as it struggles to confront federal demands for reform, civil unrest in the wake of the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and layers of inefficiency and corruption.Home Truth
World Premiere · Post-Screening Discussion
Shot over the course of nine years, Home Truth chronicles one family’s incredible pursuit of justice, shedding light on how our society responds to domestic violence and how the trauma from domestic violence can linger through generations.The Good Postman
The Grown-Ups
Post-Screening Discussion
Director Maite Alberdi’s observational approach is warm and compassionate, allowing the characters to voice their innermost longings and aspirations.Lindy Lou, Juror Number 2
Post-Screening Discussion
For 20 years, Lindy has lived with an unbearable feeling of guilt. Committed to fulfilling her civic duty, Lindy sat on a jury with 11 other jurors that handed down the death penalty to a Mississippi man convicted…
Lost in Lebanon
U.S. Premiere · Post-Screening Discussion
As the Syrian war continues to leave entire generations without education, health care, or a state, Lost in Lebanon closely follows four Syrians during their relocation process.Muhi – Generally Temporary
Post-Screening Discussion
Made by two filmmakers from Jerusalem, this documentary lays out the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in human terms, documenting the impact these paradoxical circumstances have on individual lives.No Dress Code Required
Post-Screening Discussion
No Dress Code Required is a rallying cry for equality, a testament to the power of ordinary people to become agents of change, and above all, an unforgettable love story that touches the heart and stirs the conscience.Special Events
Panel: From Audience to Activist
Moderated by Amy Goodman, Featuring Jackie Zammuto, Jennifer MacArthur, Courtney Radsch, and Dennis Flores
Join us for a discussion exploring how publicly sourced media is being utilized for impact, as well as the issues civilians face when recording and distributing information, as our panel of filmmakers, journalists and activists share best practices on how to safely and effectively keep powerful institutions accountable.The Resistance Saga: When the Mountains Tremble
The Resistance Saga: Granito: How to Nail a Dictator
Post-Event Discussion & Reception
Granito: How to Nail a Dictator (2011) is a political thriller detailing international efforts to build a genocide case against Guatemalan General Efraín Ríos Montt. The case included outtakes from When the Mountains Tremble as forensic evidence in the prosecution of Montt.The Resistance Saga: 500 Years
New York Premiere · Post-Event Discussion & Reception
500 Years: Life in Resistance, picks up where Granito leaves off, providing inside access to the first trial in the history of the Americas to prosecute the genocide of indigenous people.Tickets are now on sale! To begin the purchase process, log in to your account. Don’t have an account? Sign up for one today.
To purchase tickets to individual films, please click on the “Films” or “Schedule” tabs at the top of this page and then click on your desired films or showtimes.
3+ Film Package – Minimum of 3 films required. Tickets just $9 Members / $11 Students & Seniors / $14 General Public.
The Resistance Saga – For $20, see the special event featuring When the Mountains Tremble, Granito: How to Nail a Dictator, and 500 Years: Life in Resistance.
Note: Member complimentary tickets can be used for this series.
Not a member? Take advantage of discounted tickets, early access periods, complimentary offers year-round, and more by becoming one today! Join here.
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