The Valencia International Film and Human Rights Festival, Humans Fest, organized by Fundación por la Justicia, has begun its XIII edition with a first cinematographic proposal that addresses the situation of displaced people on the occasion of a war. The screening, which was held last night at La Filmoteca, opened the thematic axis of 2022: migration and refuge.
Specifically, the proposal chosen for this occasion was the multi-award-winning documentary For Sama, directed by activist and filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab, who narrates his experience during the Aleppo war (Syria); a conflict that coincided with the moment of meeting her partner and having her first daughter. The work therefore raises the personal dilemma between migrating for the future of little Sama or staying to continue fighting for human rights in their country.
This is Waad Al-Kateab's debut feature film, with which she won a BAFTA for Best Documentary and was nominated for an Oscar. Although she has lived in London with her family since 2016, Waad Al-Kateab stands out for her strong commitment to the injustices of Syria in particular and the injustices suffered by refugees around the world. For this reason, Humans Fest grants its honorary Pau i Justícia award, which recognizes the defense of human rights in audiovisuals.
“We are sorry that Waad Al-Kateab was unable to accompany us due to visa issues. This fact is a small example of the complexity of being a refugee, even when it is a person with the status granted and everything in order. “We would like to raise awareness about the difficulties of migrating in every sense and the need to be a welcoming and inclusive society,” he explained. Majo Siscar, director of the festival, in her opening speech. “With Humans Fest we want to seek structural changes, challenge power and make the invisible visible, denouncing policies that benefit a few and making proposals to benefit the majority. All of this, connecting with citizens and sharing awareness,” he stated. José María Tomás and Tío, President of Foundation for Justice.
THE BEGINNING OF A PROGRAMMING THAT JUMPS INTO THE STREET
Humans Fest will run non-stop until Saturday, June 18. In these ten days the projection of more than 60 films and documentaries, both short and feature films, which will be accompanied by colloquia y debate tables with filmmakers and activists. The Babel Cinemas will host the selection of feature films in competition, while the rest of the programming will be held at the SGAE Room Cultural Center, he Rector Peset Residence Hall and the MuVIM.
In the first days of the 13th edition, for example, fiction feature films stand out The Volunteer y Europe, as well as documentaries The Queenciañera y A journey towards us. Likewise, a Sample of short films from the Sahara Film School; the presentation of the documentary You choose, made by men imprisoned in the Picassent prison (València); and a table on the narration of the war with a gender perspective based on viewing the documentary The return: life after ISIS.
Added to all this are a series of “fresh” projections, since Humans Fest has taken to the city streets this year. Thus, screens will be installed in the Enrique Granados Park in Patraix (Saturday the 11th), the Plaza del Santísimo Cristo de Nazareth (Sunday the 12th) and the Plaza Jardín de la Ermita de Orriols (Friday the 17th), where you can enjoy, for example, the European premiere of the feature film The Pampa.
In addition, Humans Fest has given space in its programming to Ukrainian festival Docudays U.A., which could not be celebrated this year due to the war. Thus, La Filmoteca will screen the documentaries at 10:30 p.m. Plai. A Mountain Path, about the consequences of the war on a rural family, this Friday, June 10 and Pryvoz, on one of the markets largest in Europe, on Saturday June 11.
IN PARALLEL: AN EXHIBITION AGAINST HATE SPEECH
The festival has also organized this year the photojournalism exhibition titled Marked by hate, a work carried out by the collective Noise Photo and the Magazine 5W which addresses the consequences of far-right speeches for society in different parts of the world. This exhibition will remain open to the public in Plaça de Manises in València until Sunday, June 20.
The Humans Fest festival, organized by Fundación por la Justicia since 2009, is celebrating its 13th edition thanks to the support of the Generalitat Valenciana, the Valencia City Council, the Valencian Provincial Council and Caixa Popular; in addition to the collaboration of more than 30 organizations and entities; as well as a large team of volunteers. À Punt, the Valencian regional radio and television station, is the official media of the festival.