Running from this Friday June 10th through June 19th is the 2016 annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival, which brings New York City and local audiences a special array of 18 topical feature films that grapple with the global struggles toward defending human rights.
“This year’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival presents an array of women’s rights issues through inspirational and personal stories of remarkable women,” said John Biaggi, the festival’s creative director. “From a tenacious women’s rights activist in China to a teenage Afghan rapper fighting child marriage to a courageous director of a women’s health clinic in Mississippi—the festival is spotlighting women and amplifying their voices in society through film. It’s especially noteworthy that over half of the films in the 2016 program are directed or co-directed by women.”
Films of special interest to Bold as Love readers include former Black Panther Jamal Joseph’s drama Chapter & Verse, which focuses on a former gang leader who struggles to restart his life in Harlem after eight years of incarceration; Do Not Resist, winner of the top documentary prize at the Tribeca Film Festival, an alarming investigation into the increasing militarization of American police departments, and how it overwhelmingly affects black Americans; and the New York City premiere of the documentary Jackson which takes a close look at the politics of reproductive rights at Mississippi’s last remaining abortion clinic, and The Uncondemned, a gripping portrayal of a young group of lawyers and activists who fought to have rape recognized as a war crime in a landmark trial in Rwanda, the two latter of which broadens the theme of women’s rights at this year’s event.
Look out on Bold as Love in the coming days for a review of Chapter & Verse.
These films are highlighted below, though the brunt of the lineup possesses equally powerful stories.
The festival is co-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and IFC Center. Most screenings will be followed by in-depth Q&A discussions with filmmakers and Human Rights Watch experts. There are also special events and immersive experiences provided by the festival. The entire lineup, can be found on the Human Rights Film Festival website.
CHAPTER & VERSE
(Screening + Q&A with filmmaker)
Jamal Joseph—2015—97m—drama—In English
After serving eight years in prison, reformed gang leader S. Lance Ingram re-enters society and struggles to adapt to a changed Harlem. Living under the tough supervision of a parole officer in a halfway house, he is unable to find a job that will let him use the technological skills he gained in prison, and is forced to deal with racism, gang violence, and the gentrification of the historic New York City neighborhood in which he was raised. Directed by Jamal Joseph, a leader of the Black Panther Party who spent time in prison as a result of his involvement in the organization, Chapter & Verse pulls you into its vibrant world and reflects upon what it means to forge your own destiny in an outwardly harsh society.
Sunday, June 12, 5:00 pm – Film Society of Lincoln Center
DO NOT RESIST
(Screening + Q&A with filmmaker)
Craig Atkinson—2016—72m—doc—In English
Winner of Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival, Do Not Resist opens with shocking scenes from Ferguson, Missouri, to introduce an array of stories that collectively detail the disturbing realities of American police culture. The film depicts a high-end weapons expert who instructs police departments around the nation on the need for force and intimidation; a growing number of small towns and cities being armed with expensive military-grade equipment; and the development of face-recognition technology that makes the automated scanning of cities for wanted offenders a likely reality. Director Craig Atkinson presents a unique and powerful portrait of the individuals and institutions each playing their part in a growing billion-dollar industry. Do Not Resist begs the question—who is it we “protect and serve.”
Tuesday, June 14, 6:30 pm – Film Society of Lincoln Center
Wednesday, June 15, 9:00 pm – IFC Center
JACKSON
(New York premiere screening + Q&A with filmmaker and film subject Shannon Brewer)
Maisie Crow—2015—90m—doc—In English
What is life like in a place where the anti-abortion movement has made access to legal abortion almost impossible? Since the ruling in Roe v. Wade over four decades ago, the self-labeled “pro-life” movement has won significant legal, cultural, and political battles. Now, the stigma of abortion is prolific in the American South, leaving women in poverty and women of color particularly vulnerable. Set against the backdrop of the fight over the last abortion clinic in Mississippi, Jackson takes a close look inside the issues surrounding abortion.
Friday, June 10, 7:00 pm – IFC Center
Sunday, June 12, 8:30 pm – Film Society of Lincoln Center
THE UNCONDEMNED
(Screening + Q&A with filmmaker and film subject Sara Darehshori)
Michele Mitchell and Nick Louvel—2015—86m —doc—In English, French and Kinyarwanda
Both a real-life courtroom thriller and a moving human drama, The Uncondemned tells the gripping story of a group of young international lawyers and activists who fought to have rape recognized as a war crime, and the Rwandan women who came forward to testify and win justice for the crimes committed against them. This odyssey takes the crusaders to a crucial trial at an international criminal court, the results of which changed the world of criminal justice forever.
Saturday, June 11, 6:30 pm – Film Society of Lincoln Center
Sunday, June 12, 7:00 pm – IFC Center
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