The Toronto Star
Nov 22, 2007 04:30 AM
Bruce DeMara
In a dark and dangerous world, the second annual Reel Awareness: Toronto Human Rights Film Festival offers some reason for hope.
The volunteer-driven festival, sponsored by Amnesty International's Toronto chapter, kicks off tonight with films and guest speakers offering personal perspectives on issues such as child slavery, the devastation of war and the ongoing oppression of women.
Spokesperson Shanaaz Gokool said organizers have sought to find a "balance" between despair and hope in the films offered.
"Sometimes you watch a documentary and it's difficult to watch because it seems hopeless in the end," Gokool said.
"One of the things about some of the films that have been chosen this year is it really shows how local activism can make a difference in terms of changing the outcome," she added.
That is certainly the case in tonight's festival opener, Tambogrande: Mangos, Murder, Mining, about the Peruvian farmers who transformed a remote region of their country into a fertile oasis only to have their livelihoods threatened when gold is discovered there by a Canadian mining company.
Ulises Garcia, one of the key players in the non-violent resistance movement to battle the intimidation against local farmers, is the guest speaker.
Toronto, and the GTA in general, is an ideal place to stage the festival because of the large number of new Canadians, refugees and people who are deeply concerned about human rights issues, said Gokool, a member of Amnesty's business and human rights team.
"It (the schedule) has a broad range of appeal for Torontonians in general, partly because we love film and partly... a lot of people are interested in human rights," Gokool said. Some highlights:
Two films focus on the ongoing oppression of women in developing countries. Enemies of Happiness explores the difficulties faced by a female parliamentarian in Afghanistan. Shame looks at the brutal rape endured by a Pakistani woman – while male relatives looked on – to atone for an offence allegedly committed by her brother. In the well-publicized case, Mukhtaran Mai went on to press charges against her assailants and became an advocate for women's rights.
Bling: A Planet Rock takes an unconventional look at the obsession of the hip-hop culture with "bling" and the consequences of that in Sierra Leone, which endured a 10-year civil war largely fuelled by the diamond trade. It features three hip hop artists, Raekwon, Paul Wall and Tego Calderon, who travel to Sierra Leone to see first-hand the effects on child soldiers and refugees.
Radio Okapi, The Peace Weapon, which has its Toronto premiere on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., tells how dedicated journalists struggle to present balanced journalism in the aftermath of Rwanda's devastating genocide.
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