FLAHERTY NYC: WITNESS
Monday: December 14, 7:30 pm
Anthology Film Archives
Don’t miss this month’s Flaherty NYC screening presented by Witness, Monday, December 14th at Anthology Film Archives.
For the December installment of theFlaherty NYC monthly screening series,The Flaherty will present and discuss recent advocacy videos produced by WITNESS and the grassroots human rights defenders it works with around the world. WITNESS staff will also highlight recent short videos from US-based collaborative production and editing campaigns focused around elder justice in the USA, and legislative action for effective genocide prevention. The program is a perfect complement to the current season of Flaherty NYC, which revolves around the theme of the 2009 Robert Flaherty Film Seminar, “Witnesses, Monuments Ruins.” There will be a post-screening discussion with representatives from WITNESS: Sam Gregory (Program Director), Kelly Matheson (Program Coordinator for North America), and Violeta Krasnic (Program Coordinator for Europe and Central Asia). Since its founding in 1992, WITNESS has empowered human rights defenders to use video as a tool to shine a light on those most affected by human rights violations, and to transform personal stories of abuse into powerful tools of justice. On the creation of WITNESS, co-founder and musician Peter Gabriel online told Paste Magazine Buy , “Time after time, good, written evidence has been ignored by the media or governments. When a WITNESS partner has produced a short and powerful video on the same issue, there is often immediate action.”
Films to be screened:
*Hear Us: Zimbabwean Women Affected by Political Violence Speak Out
(Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) and WITNESS, 2009, 16min, Zimbabwe/USA)
In 2008, political violence erupted throughout Zimbabwe as a result of the contested national elections. Zimbabwean women of all ages, targeted for their political affiliations, were abducted from their workplaces and homes and raped, tortured, and beaten in secret torture centers. Hear Us features four of these women, who have come forward to demand justice from the Zimbabwean government and the Southern African Development Community. Cheap
*An Age for Justice: Confronting Elder Abuse in America
(National Council on Aging and WITNESS, 2009,16min, USA)
Imagine if someone you love was beaten, neglected or exploited and you were in a position to help. This film shares powerful stories of the reprehensible abuse endured by our elders in every community across the country and gives us a critical and historic step we can take to protect older Americans. The associated ‘100 Voices’ online campaign at elderjusticenow.org shares personal perspectives from elders across the country on the need for action.
Pills *Crying Sun: The Impact of War in the Mountains of Chechnya
(Memorial and WITNESS, 2007, 26min, Chechnya/USA)
Chechnya has been deeply scarred by years of fighting between separatists and Russian federal forces. In the Chechen Mountains, the conflict has forced families from their homes and is gradually destroying the unique culture of these communities. Crying Sun is the story of Zumsoy, a village torn apart by war. The video amplifies voices of the people who are struggling to preserve their identity amidst violence and suffering.
Anthology Film Archives is located in the old Second Avenue Courthouse building in the East Village at 32 Second Ave. at the corner of 2nd Street. General admission tickets to the Flaherty NYC series are $9. Tickets are $7 for IFP members, NALIP members, and students with valid I.D., and $6 for Anthology members. Tickets can be purchased at the Anthology box office the day of the show. For more information, call the Flaherty at 212-448-0457.
