Opening tonight and running through June 24, the Human Rights Watch film festival in New York City will feature 30 films from 25 countries, touching on three main themes: accountability and justice; development and migration; and societies in conflict, focusing on Afghanistan and Iraq. Human Rights Watch and The Film Society of Lincoln Center put together an impressive line-up, with 28 films making their New York debuts.
Here are a few that we think Enough Said followers might be particularly interested to see, with links to pages with showtimes at the festival and trailers:
Enemies of the People
Follow filmmaker Thet Sambath as he uncovers terrifying personal explanations for the Cambodian genocide by allowing the perpetrators to speak for themselves.
Moloch Tropical
Master filmmaker Raoul Peck takes us to a hilltop fortress in Haiti where we watch the nation’s President disintegrate before our eyes—destroyed by a combination of his own paranoia and an increasingly absurd political situation.
Pushing the Elephant
The story of Rose Mapendo, who was separated during the conflict from her five-year-old daughter, Nangabire. Through the story of their reunion, we come to understand the excruciating decisions Rose made in order to survive and the complex difficulties Nangabire faces as a refugee in the U.S.
The Balibo Conspiracy
The Balibo Conspiracy dramatizes the importance of bearing witness, no matter the risk. Set in 1975 East Timor, The Balibo Conspiracy tells the true story of crimes that have been covered up for over 30 years. (Screened last night as part of a Human Rights Watch benefit.)
War Don Don
The story of the sensational trial of Issa Sesay at the Special Court for Sierra Leone – a case that illustrates both the complexities of achieving justice and addressing a nation’s traumatic past.
Youth Producing Change
Youth Producing Change presents stories from teen filmmakers across the globe as they turn the camera on their own lives and invite audiences to experience the world as they do every day.
Tickets are available here for individual films or as packages, and most films are shown at The Film Society of the Lincoln Center.
If Enough Said’s experience at the film festival last year was any indication (and we think it was), filmmakers and special guests – often the “movie stars” featured in the documentaries – attend many of the screenings and sometimes take audience questions. Be sure to peruse the schedule for those special events.