Chicken & Egg Pictures at Human Rights Watch Film Festival.
Five films -- recipients of I BELIEVE IN YOU grants and LIBERTY COMPLETION grants -- Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, Bidder 70, Call Me Kuchu, The Invisible War, and Words of Witness are each making their New York City debut with premieres at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival.
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by Alison Klayman
At his Beijing studio, internationally heralded conceptual artist and dissident Ai Weiwei oversees an expert staff busily executing his ideas ahead of an upcoming show at the Tate Modern, a colony of cats freely roams the grounds (one, marvels Ai, can even open doors) and a bulky surveillance camera squats conspicuously atop a nearby pole—impatient to remind the tenants the state is watching. The battle between the Chinese government and Ai, a savvy devotee of Twitter and online activism, acquires many forms and shades. Alison Klayman’s camera captures an impressive range of them in this persuasive firsthand portrait, which doubles as a rousing snapshot of the New China.
New York City Screening Date & Time
June 15th, 7:00 PM @ Walter Reade Theater (Opening Night Film)
Screening followed by discussion with filmmakers and activists.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
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Bidder 70, directed by Beth & George Gage
Bidder 70 tells the story of Tim DeChristopher and his stunning act of civil disobedience in a time of global climate chaos. On December 19, 2008, DeChristopher, as Bidder #70, derailed the Bush administration's last minute, widely disputed federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Oil and Gas lease auction, acting to safeguard thousands of acres of Utah land. Bidding $1.7 million, Tim won 22,000 acres of land with no intention to pay or drill. For his disruption of the auction, DeChristopher was indicted on two federal charges. Tim's civil disobedience has drawn national attention to America's energy policy and criticism to the BLM's management of public lands. Refusing to compromise his principles and rejecting numerous plea offers by the prosecution, Tim is willing to sacrifice his own future to bring this vitally important issue to global attention. Bidder 70 is Tim's story: his actions, his trial and his possible prison sentence. It is also the story of the scientists, activists, writers, and movements that influence and support his actions.
New York City Screening Dates and Times
June 19th, 6:30 PM @ Walter Reade Theater
June 20th, 9:15 PM @ Walter Reade Theater
June 22nd, 4:00 PM @ Walter Reade Theaer
Screenings followed by discussion with filmmakers.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
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Call Me Kuchu, directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright & Malika Zouhali-Worrall
In an office on the outskirts of Kampala, veteran activist David Kato labors to repeal Uganda's homophobic laws and liberate his fellow lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender men and women, or "kuchus." But David's formidable task just became more difficult. A new "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" proposes the death penalty for HIV-positive gay men and prison for anyone who fails to turn in a known homosexual. David is one of the few who dare to publicly protest the country's government and press. Working with a dedicated group of fellow activists, he fights for Kampala's kuchus on Ugandan television, at the United Nations, and in the courts. Because, he insists,"if we keep on hiding, they will say we are not here." With unprecedented access, Call Me Kuchu examines the astounding courage and determination required to battle an oppressive government, a vicious media and a powerful church in the fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.
New York City Screening Date & Time
June 28th, 7:00 PM @ Walter Reade Theater (Closing Night Film)
Screening followed by discussion with filmmakers and activists.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
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The Invisible War, by filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering
Oscar- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering deliver a hard-hitting, emotionally powerful investigative documentary exposing the epidemic of rape within the United States military. Incredibly, twenty percent of all service women have been assaulted. A female soldier in Afghanistan is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. The number of assaults in the last decade alone is believed to be in the hundreds of thousands, and it’s not just women who are victimized. What emerges from the personal stories of multiple rape victims, many of whom are telling their stories for the first time, is a horrifying picture of the rights Americans give up when they choose to serve their country. Interviews with high-ranking officials and members of Congress describe the perfect storm of conditions that make rape in the military so prevalent and contribute to its long-hidden history—an eye-opening depiction that culminates in a forceful call for much-needed change. Winner of the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, The Invisible War urgently confronts the enemy within.
New York City Screening Dates & Times
June 18, 2012, 8:45 PM @ Walter Reade Theater
June 20th, 6:30 PM @ Walter Reade Theater
Screening followed by discussion with the filmmakers & activists.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
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Words of Witness, directed Mai Iskander
Defying cultural norms and family expectations, 22-year-old Heba Afify takes to the streets to report on an Egypt in turmoil, using tweets, texts and Facebook posts. Every time Heba heads out to cover the historical events shaping her country's future, her mother is compelled to remind her, "I know you are a journalist, but you're still a girl!" Her coming of age, political awakening and the disillusionment that follows, mirrors that of a nation seeking the freedom to shape its own destiny, dignity and democracy. Heba’s words bear witness to the heady optimism of a country on a path to self-determination, the toppling of a dictator, the difficult transition toward democracy, the courageous challenge to the ruling military who cracks down on the opposition, and the celebration of a cultural shift where a younger generation inspired a country to “lead themselves.”
New York Screening Dates & Times
June 23rd, 6:00 PM @ Walter Reade Theater
June 24th, 1:30 PM @ Walter Reade Theater
June 26th, 8:45 PM @ Walter Reade Theater
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
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Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights.The film festival brings to life human rights abuses through storytelling in a way that challenges each individual to empathize and demand justice for all people.
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