Winner of the Special Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance Film Festival, The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo will be screened at HRAFF. (www.hraff.org.au)
“The power of film is that you go along with them – it is a portal into people’s lives…whether it be a narrative or documentary or animation, it tells a story and that is a very, very powerful thing…that’s the power of film.”
This portal can then be a vehicle, not only to educate audiences about the reality of human rights violations, but also to motivate audiences into action, she said.
These are the ultimate goals behind the HRAFF, which takes place at the RMIT Capitol Theatre for eight days from November 13.
“These young people are not just talking about human rights, but actually doing something with imagination and vitality,” Professor John Langmore, the National president of the United Nations Association of Australia, told the audience at the launch of the Festival.
These art works and films “are able to provide a mirror to the misery of the world”, he said. “Because we are experiencing a period of disturbance [around the globe], it may lead to paying greater attention to the rights of human beings.”
Launched in 2007, HRAFF has grown to be “bigger than Ben Hur”, says Ms Tadros. Over 200 films were submitted for this year’s festival, which will see 67 films screened, 20 of them feature films.
There is also a selection of shorts, some which will be shown before the features and others as part of specialist sessions.
A new competition this year to make poverty history is called Reel Change, which involves a session of about 10 short films ranging from 2 minutes to 15 minutes about the human impact on climate change.
Ms Tadros says that the aim of the festival is to raise awareness of human rights issues. She sees art and film as a powerful medium to educate people about human rights, rather than human rights being “some abstract legal instrument that was made in Geneva far away from the everyday reality of Australians”.
The concept of human rights is often attacked as being the domain of the West, a perception Ms Tadros challenges.
“There is still a lot of debate about the origins of the Declaration of Human Rights. The composition of the UN was such that Western nations were more represented and were more involved,” she said. “…But if you ask people from any cultural background: ‘Would you like to be tortured?’ they would say ‘No’. Do you want to have a life that is worth living? Do you want a life of dignity? And I think you would say ‘Yes’ in what every language or background you came from. And I think the basic, basic principle that people have to look after is…people have human rights regardless of their culture, religion social or political background.”
Ms Tadros notes that human rights translate into “action, not words”. For this reason, an “Action House”, which contains a number of rights organisations, has been provided in the foyer of the theatre.
“They provide audiences with ways to do something. We don’t want them just to see a film and go home,” she said. “We want them to see a film, be inspired, which is what our films do. They come to our festival and are empowered through the Action House.”
The films will be screened at the Keno theatre in Carlton. There is also an art exhibition, “Collective Conscience”, at the Carlton Galleries, 193 Bourke St and musical performances, “Rhythm and Rights” each evening at the Red Violin Festival Lounge, 231 Bourke St.
For information on the programme and tickets, see www.hraff.org.au.
