The Nelson contingent of Amnesty International is presenting the 15th annual Human Rights Film Festival on Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7.
“This volunteer-run festival, taking place at the Shambhala Music and Performance Hall at Selkirk College…brings together inspiration and information in a collection of eye-opening, critically acclaimed documentaries from around the world,” reads their press release.
Amnesty International volunteer George Chandler said the experience will be both entertaining and educational.
“We invite people to come and learn from—and celebrate—the remarkable work of these talented filmmakers, who brave threats and danger to capture moving stories about human rights abuse, resistance and triumph,” he said.
The festival begins on Friday evening at 7 p.m with The Secret Trial 5, an examination of one of the human costs of the war on terror, specifically the government’s use of security certificates, which have allowed for the indefinite detention of Musion men without charges of revealed evidence.
This will be followed at 8:50 by Music and Coexistence, a film about musicians from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. The film is an exploration of the possibilities and limitations of music in parts of Europe and the Middle East.
(The Secret Trial 5 is also showing Thursday, February 5 at 7 p.m. at the Mir Centre for Peace at Selkirk College’s Castlegar campus.)
Saturday afternoon begins at 1:00 with Apartheid: Voices in Black and White. Twenty years after the fall of the apartheid regime and one year after the death of Nelson Mandela, filmmakers explore apartheid’s legacy in South Africa.
At 2:00 Everyday Rebellion, an award-winning film about the art of change, celebrates the power of creative non-violent protest and civil disobedience by drawing on examples from around the world.
The festival closes on Saturday evening, which starts with a 7 p.m show of Granito: How to Nail a Dictator. Part political thriller and part memoir, this documentary reveals the 30-year struggle to bring Guatemala’s ex-dictaor Ríos Montt to justice for genocide against the Mayan population. The film’s producers will connect via Skype to introduce the film.
The 8:30 p.m. film is Kismet, which shows how Turkish soap operas have conquered the hearts of millions of viewers in the Middle East, North Africa, the Balkans and Asia—and how these taboo-breaking soaps are helping women across the region reclaim their rights and transform their lives.
Tickets are available at Otter Books in Nelson or at the door. Seating is limited, so people are encouraged to buy advance tickets.
Each evening presentation is $10. Saturday afternoon is by donation. Doors open Friday and Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m., 12:30 on Saturday afternoon.
“These films have the power to take us away from our own lives, and to awaken our curiosity and concern about the human condition.” said Chandler, “As well, they communicate inspiration that helps make hope possible, not despair convincing, as we aspire to a more just world.”
Go to Facebook "Nelson BC Amnesty International FilmFest 2015" to see film trailers. Call 352-7600 for more information.