The beginning of spring in Geneva is marked by the annual film festival and human rights forum FIFDH — international gatherings that take place simultaneously with the session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Three themes of the festival
Singer Barbara Hendricks, patron of the festival since its inception in 2003, opened the event by recalling that 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the anniversary year, the festival hosts 36 films, 7 of which are world premieres. More than two dozen seminars and debates are planned, half can be viewed live.
«This year we are covering three main topics at the festival,» says Irene Schalland, Director of FIFDH. «They are related to the issues of migration, nationalism ; conflicts and wars, as well as global warming. We are indeed witnessing the process of transformation of society at all levels — geopolitical, social and individual.»
«Earth inside»
In the feature film category, «The Land Within» by Fisnik Maxwill tackles the intertwined issues of war and migration. The story centers on the story of a Kosovar living in Switzerland. He will have to return to his homeland in order to literally resurrect the ghosts of the past — to identify relatives found in a mass grave. Without naming a country divided between Serbian and Albanian populations in the film, the director, an ethnic Kosovar, reveals the complexity of life in a divided society.
«Such stories, when bodies are buried and then removed from a mass grave, happened in many corners, not only in Europe, but also on other continents,” he says. “If the secret remains underground and does not come to light, then, I think, not only the peace process is slowing down, but also the process of reconciliation with the land on which we We live. This land is a very powerful symbol, all the more so when we see the scale of geopolitical issues that are not resolved today in Europe, which will never be resolved.»
What to do with the devil?
«We will not disappear» is a poignant Ukrainian film by Alisa Kovalenko. The film tells about the dreams and fears of 5 young people of Donbass before the expected Russian invasion. The screening of the film was accompanied by a debate about the legitimacy and effectiveness of the creation of an international tribunal for crimes of aggression against Ukraine
A difficult question for lawyer and writer Pierre Hazan, moderator of the session. «The question is: what to do with the one whom we perceive as the devil? Can we come to an agreement with him? Should we put him in jail, is this possible? Or, when dealing with him, do we need to keep our distance?» Hazan thinks aloud. — There are opinions that we cannot speak with Putin at all, because he is responsible for the aggression, and his troops commit war crimes, crimes against humanity, and there are others, for example, the President of France, who believes: we should talk to him in any case, because that one day we will have to find some political solution.»
Murals by migrants
Other human rights projects are also organized within the framework of the festival and forum: for example, Kids Guernica — frescoes created by migrants, some of which are undocumented. The artist Francois Bourland leads the wards. «We work together, we create connections. When the guys paint such a surface, at some point they realize: «Oh, yes, this is real work!» Here you need to be hardy, disciplined, — says Burland. — The goal is not just to create a work of art , but to help young people enter a world they don't know».
A whole life ahead
Among the special events of the festival is the screening of the latest film by journalist and director Manon Loiseau in a tent on the shores of Lake Geneva about a young Afghan refugee, Elah, whom she met in Greece. «We spent over a year filming the girl, and she filmed her own way,» Loiseau recalls. about growing up on the road.
The picture reflects the courage and doubts, pain and joy of a brave girl. More than a third of the video material included in the film was made by Elaha herself. «This is a truly collective work, and this is a beacon of hope,» the director comments. «For me, Elaha Iqbali is a symbol of all children who have incredible courage and strive for their dream, no matter what happens around.»
The international festival and forum on human rights will last in Geneva until March 19.