FACETS CINÉMATHÈQUE

June 2010

The Facets Cinémathèque is located at 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. in Chicago. For more information on films playing in the Cinémathèque, please call 773-281-4114. To order advance tickets online, visit the TicketWeb website by clicking here.

The 8th Annual
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH FILM FESTIVAL

June 3-10, 2010

"Stories revolve around war, and the unchanging, unrepentant and frighteningly eternal twin Gorgons of unbridled corporate expansion and government corruption. Justice continues to be elusive and human misery undeniable, yet what emerges from these films -- and from the filmmakers -- are refreshing expressions of humanity. It is that optimism, and an unshakable belief in the transformative power of cinema, that inspires every Human Rights Watch Festival"
-Film Journal

Opening Night, June 3rd will be presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art. All of the other films will be shown at the Facets Cinematheque.

Human Rights Watch is widely recognized for their in-depth investigations, informed policy recommendations, and ability to generate intense pressure to confront human rights abusers and defend basic freedoms. Through vigilant monitoring and advocacy in over seventy countries, we are dedicated to advancing the protection and promotion of human rights for all. Since its inception, The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival has embodied the power of film to make a difference and The Facets Cinémathèque, in collaboration with The Human Rights Watch Chicago Committee, is very proud to present The 8th Annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival, which showcases the heroic stories of activists and survivors from all over the world. The works featured help to put a human face on threats to individual freedom and dignity, and celebrate the power of the human spirit and intellect to prevail. We seek to empower everyone with the knowledge that personal commitment can make a very real difference and these courageous and committed filmmakers have produced impressive documentary and feature films, which stimulate passionate conversations about human rights and inspire human rights activists. Through the universal language of film, we connect the experiences of survivors and activists with our own experiences.

TimeOut Chicago Chicago Sun-Times

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH FILM FESTIVAL
BENEFIT SCREENING

THE OATH

Thursday, June 3
The Museum of Contemporary Art
220 East Chicago Ave., Education Center Entrance

OFFICIAL
SELECTION
Berlin Intl
Film Fest

OFFICIAL
SELECTION
SXSW Film
Fest

WINNER
Excellence in Cinematography:
U.S. Documentary
Sundance Film Fest

"Fascinating, however uneasy, viewing"
-Hollywood Reporter

"The complications emerging from a life devoted to jihadist revolution are considered with genuine fascination"
-Variety

"Like many of the best documentaries, Laura Poitras's film places the audience in an ambiguous and untenable relationship with the movie's subjects"
-Artforum

"Provocative"
-TimeOut Chicago

The Oath tells the story of Abu Jandal, Osama bin Laden's former bodyguard, and Salim Hamdan, a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay Prison and the first man to face the controversial military tribunals. Filmed in Yemen and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, The Oath is a family drama about two men whose fateful encounter in 1996 set them on a journey that would lead to Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Guantanamo Bay Prison, and the U.S. Supreme Court. The film begins as Salim Hamdan is set to face war crime charges at Guantanamo, and Abu Jandal is a free man and drives a taxi in Yemen.

We enter the story in a taxicab in Yemen. Here we meet Abu Jandal, the film's central protagonist, as he transports passengers through the chaotic streets of Yemen's capital city, Sana'a. Salim Hamdan is the film's "ghost" protagonist. He was arrested in Afghanistan shortly after 9/11 and taken to Guantanamo. His seven-year captivity at Guantanamo is narrated through his prison letters.

Directed by Laura Poitras, USA, 2010, 96 min.

Official site Chicago Public Radio interview (podcast) Variety Artforum

Time TimeOut Chicago

5:30 pm reception

6:30 pm screening

8:00 pm discussion with filmmaker Laura Poitras and Joanne Mariner, Human Rights Watch Terrorism/Counterterrorism Director. A Q&A with the audience will follow.

Click here to purchase tickets, or to make a donation.
All proceeds benefit Human Rights Watch.

For further information please contact Jobi Cates at 312-573-2451 or jobi.cates@hrw.org.

Thanks to Benefit Screening Co-Chairs De Gray and Cathy Stein and Benefit Screening Committee Marshall Bouton, Liz Cicchelli, Aruna Dhingra, Peg Duncan, Maya Friedler, Judy Gaynor, Carolyn Grisko, Lynette Jackson, Marilyn Katz, Susan & Jim Krantz, Carol Lee, Rose Lizarraga, Susan Manilow, Colleen Murphy, Dorothy Press, Anna Roosevelt, Jane M Saks, Jim Swinerton, Salma Syed, and Angel Ysaguirre.

Chicago Premiere

BACK HOME TOMORROW

"[Back Home Tomorrow's] strength lies in helmers' magnificent cinematography and in Clelio Benevento's organic intercutting between Kabul and Khartoum; [it] slips almost imperceptibly from one place to another without apparent contrast, seamlessly adjusting to the contrasting tempos of each culture"
-Variety

"Beautifully photographed and scored"
-Film Journal

-Chicago Sun-Times

Back Home Tomorrow focuses on two children who confront changed lives in very different circumstances after becoming victims of war-torn environments. Yagoub has fled Darfur to the Mayo refugee camp in Khartoum, Sudan, where he waits for a heart operation to save his life. Seven-year-old Murtaza has lost his left hand to a land mine in Afghanistan and in heart-rending detail, filmmakers Fabrizio Lazzaretti and Paolo Santolini follow Murtaza and Yagoub from their initial admission into hospitals in Kabul and Khartoum, respectively, to their release months later. They expertly interweave these two fascinating and heartfelt stories without commentary to create a film of rich complexities and emotional resonance.

Directed by Fabrizio Lazzaretti and Paolo Santolini, Italy, 2008, 90 mins. In Dari, Nuba and Arabic with English subtitles.

Film Journal Slant Magazine TimeOut Chicago

Showtimes:
Fri., Jun. 4 at 7 pm
Thurs., Jun. 10 at 9 pm

BURMA VJ

"Filmmaking at its most fearless"
-Los Angeles Times

"A flawlessly constructed piece of work, as relentlessly gripping as it is educational, a righteous and even uplifting paean to the continued importance of collective protest, and a stirring testament to individual bravery. For truthseekers everywhere, Burma VJ is simply unmissable"
-TimeOut London

"Burman VJ...is as action-packed, thrilling and suspenseful as anything at the multiplex, and vastly more moving. In fact, it is as extraordinary a spectacle as you are likely to see all year"
-The Independent

Recommended! "[A] chilling exposé"
-Chicago Reader

-Chicago Sun-Times

While 100,000 people, including thousands of Buddhist monks, took to the streets to protest the country's repressive regime that has held them hostage for over 40 years, foreign news crews were banned to enter and the Internet was shut down. The Democratic Voice of Burma, a collective of 30 anonymous and underground video journalists VJs recorded these historic and dramatic events on camcorderss and smuggled the footage out of the country, where it was broadcast worldwide via satellite. Risking torture and life imprisonment, the VJs vividly document the brutal clashes with the military and undercover police – even after they themselves become targets of the authorities.

Directed by Anders Østergaard, Norway/Sweden/Denmark/UK, 2008, 84 mins. In English and Burmese with English subtitles.

Official site Los Angeles Times TimeOut London Guardian UK

The Independent Chicago Reader

Showtimes:
Fri., Jun. 4 at 9 pm
Thurs., Jun. 10 at 7 pm

Chicago Premiere

YOUTH PRODUCING CHANGE

"The offerings make up in sincerity what they sometimes lack in polish"
-TimeOut Chicago

A program of short films created by filmmakers under the age of 19. Armed with digital cameras and their own creativity, young people across the globe are bravely exposing human rights issues faced by themselves and their communities.

Founding presenter: Adobe Youth Voices. (Total Running Time: 68 mins.)

Leila by 16 youth filmmakers from Camera-etc. (Burkina Faso, 2007, 4 min). This enchanting animated short tells the story of Liela, that focuses on the lives of children that are sold into servitude. In French with English subtitles.

Sako by Aram Abrahamyan and David Martirosyan of Manana Youth Center (Armenia, 2005, 5 min.). Meet Sako, a 13 year old boy who works in a gravestone factory in order to support his family, while dreaming of going to school. In Armenian with English subtitles.

Mozambique by Alcides Soares in association with BYkids (US/Mozambique, 2008, 12 min). Alcides, who recently lost both parents to HIV/AIDS, documents the community impact of the epidemic. His story focuses on the realities for children left to fend for themselves; their resilience to recreate family and to persevere. In English and Portuguese with English subtitles.

Thoughts In A Hijab by Cliona Byrne, Eimanne El Zein, and Sahar Shakeri of Reel Grrls (US, 2008, 7 min). A young woman who recently emigrated from Iran, and her choice to continue wearing the hijab (Islamic head covering) that once symbolized oppression for her family. In English and Persian with English subtitles.

Noè's Story by Noè in association with Beyond Borders: Mas Alla de las Fronteras (US, 2008, 5 min.). Noè, 15, a recent immigrant to the US, explores his identity in his new country. Driven to succeed despite obstacles he faces, he challenges other new immigrants not to give up hope. In Spanish with English subtitles.

What Courage Means to Me by Lekphel, Lungsang, Pema, Tashi, and students at Tibetan Children's Village in collaboration with Bridges to Understanding (US/Tibet, 2008, 4 min.). Inspired by the courageous story of a Tibetan nun and former political prisoner who escaped Tibet, Lungsang resolves to keep Tibetan culture alive for the next generation. In English.

Aquafinito by Annalise Littman in association with the Fast Forward Program at the Insitute of Contemporary Art (US, 2009, 10 min.). Access to clean water is a basic human necessity, yet corporations seeking profit are purchasing community water supplies around the world. Aquafinito raises awareness of the human rights and environmental impact of bottled water. In English.

It's Not About Sex by Ibrahim Al Hashidi, Aaron A. Alberto, David Brice, Jessica Cele, Everin Khatun, Will Lucas, Shon McGoy, Justin Miro, Paola Pazymino, Daniel Potts, Luis Rodriguez, Sara Siddique Akeem Smith in association with Educational Video Center (US, 2009. 8 min.). Shocked by the claim that more than half of all rapes happen to people under 18, young filmmakers search for the roots of sexual violence and call for change. In English.

Just a Normal Day by Fiona Whelan, Samantha Williams, and Arran Walker in association with BFI Reel Lives (UK, 2008, 5 min.). The grim reality of life for young people in London who are targets of arbitrary "stop and search" and maltreatment by police. In English.

In My Shoes by 12 youth filmmakers from Urban Arts Partnership (US, 2008, 8 min.). Each night 1,600 teenagers in New York City find themselves homeless. Clevins and Jackie, two formerly homeless teens from New York City share their stories of overcoming adversity and their work to create a community of support around teen homelessness. In English.

Adobe Youth Voices Slant Magazine TimeOut Chicago

Showtimes:
Sat.-Sun., Jun. 5-6 at 12:30 pm

AFGHAN STAR

WINNER
World Cinema:
Audience &
Directing Awards
Sundance
Film Fest

"This eye-opening film reveals that even systems as dubious as the Idol format mean dramatically different things when transferred to radically dissimilar cultures"
-Los Angeles Times

"Engrossing"
-New York Times

"Its success lies in creating an accessible, fun way into serious issues"
-TimeOut London

"Uplifting"
-TimeOut Chicago

Recommended! "Fascinating"
-Chicago Reader

"Reflect[s] the splintered terrain of Afghan culture, religion and politics"
-Chicago Sun-Times

Afghan Star tells the story of an Afghan version of the "Pop Idol" TV series in which people from across the country compete for a cash prize and record deal. After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, "Afghan Star" takes the nation by storm. More than 2,000 people audition, including three brave women, as viewers vote for their favorite singers by mobile phone. For many, this is their first encounter with democracy and the organizers, Tolo TV, believe the program will move people from guns to music. But in a troubled country like Afghanistan, even music is controversial, as it is considered to be sacrilegious by the Mujahideen as well as banned by the Taliban. Music has come to symbolize freedom for the youth and Afghan Star follows four young contestants looking for a new life, but things take a terrifying turn when one young woman dances on stage, threatening her own safety and the future of the show.

Directed by Havana Marking, Afghanistan, 2008, 87 mins. In English, Dari, and Pashto with English subtitles.

Official site Director interview Los Angeles Times New York Times

Village Voice TimeOut London Chicago Reader Chicago Tribune

Showtimes:
Sat., Jun. 5 at 3 pm
Sun., Jun. 6 at 7:30 pm

THE RECKONING:
THE BATTLE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

NOMINATATED
Jury Prize
Sundance
Film Fest

"A potent argument"
-Variety

-Chicago Sun-Times

The International Criminal Court represents the most ambitious attempt ever to apply the rule of law on a global scale and to protect the most basic human rights. The Reckoning follows ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo for three years across four continents as he and his team tirelessly issue arrest warrants for Lord's Resistance Army leaders in Uganda, prepare to put Congolese warlords on trial, challenge the UN Security Council to bring Sudan's president to justice for the Darfur massacres, and shake up the Colombian justice system. Moreno-Ocampo has a mandate but no police force, and at every turn, he must put pressure on the international community to muster political clout for the cause. Will the court succeed and will the world ensure that justice prevails?

Directed by Pamela Yates, Paco de Onis, and Peter Kinoy, U. S.A., 2009, 95 mins. In English and Acholi, French, Spanish and Swahili with English subtitles

PBS/POV

Showtimes:
Sat., Jun. 5 at 5 pm
Wed., Jun. 9 at 9 pm

Chicago Premiere

TAPOLOGO

"The directors' judicious patience with their subjects allows them to capture some remarkable storytelling"
-Slant Magazine

Freedom Park squatter camp, situated in the Northwest province, accommodates a migrant workforce that mines the world's largest single source of platinum. The women in this community service the needs of the male miners as a means of basic survival. A group of former sex workers living with HIV have created a network called Tapologo and have learnt to be home-based care-workers, joining in solidarity to care for others in the community living with HIV. As we learn each woman's story, we come to understand how she herself was transformed -- from someone who had lost hope into someone who decided to help others in the same situation.

Directed by Gabriela Gutierrez Dewar and Sally Gutierrez Dewar, South Africa/Spain, 2008, 88 mins. In English and Tswana with English subtitles.

Official site Village Voice

Showtimes:
Sat., Jun. 5 at 7 pm
Tues., Jun. 8 at 9 pm

Chicago Premiere

MY NEIGHBOR, MY KILLER

OFFICIAL
SELECTION
Cannes Film
Fest

"Restrained and ethically nuanced"
-New York Times

"Quietly devastating"
-Los Angeles Times

"Deeply moving"
-Washington Post

"[A] valuable historical document"
-Variety

"Accusations, denials, apologies and sentences make for wrenching human drama on a micro-local scale"
-Chicago Sun-Times

In 1994, hundreds of thousands of Rwandan Hutus were incited to wipe out the country's Tutsi minority. In 1999 the government began Gacaca -- open-air hearings with citizen-judges meant to try their neighbors and rebuild the nation. As part of this experiment in reconciliation, confessed genocide killers are sent home from prison, while traumatized survivors are asked to forgive them and resume living side-by-side. Filming for close to a decade in a tiny hamlet, award-winning filmmaker Anne Aghion has charted the impact of Gacaca on survivors and perpetrators alike. Through their fear and anger, accusations and defenses, blurry truths, inconsolable sadness, and hope for life renewed, she captures the emotional journey to coexistence.

Directed by Anne Aghion, U.S.A., 2009, 80 mins. In French and Kinyarwanda with English subtitles.

Official site Director site New York Times: Director interview New York Times

Los Angeles Times Film Journal

Showtimes:
Sat., Jun. 5 at 9 pm
Mon., Jun. 7 at 7 pm

Chicago Premiere

LOOK INTO MY EYES

-Chicago Sun-Times

Filmmaker Naftaly Gliksberg sets out to investigate what anti-Semitism looks like today, crossing two continents to see how people react to direct questions about their attitudes toward Jews, Israel, and the notion that there is such a thing as anti-Semitism. It is a startling personal journey of painful discoveries as he explores representations and impressions of Jews and Israelis around the world. As he visits individuals in Poland, France, the United States, and Germany, Gliksberg discovers that people's responses to his pointed questions are often a mixture of their own culture, some version of history, and a certain collective psychology.

Directed by Naftaly Gliksberg, Israel, 2008, 80 mins. In English and French, German, Hebrew and Polish with English subtitles.

Official site Director interview

Showtimes:
Sun., Jun. 6 at 3 pm
Wed., Jun. 9 at 7 pm

Double Feature:

Chicago Premiere

MRS. GOUNDO'S DAUGHTER

"Mrs. Goundo's Daughter probes the subaltern core of Mali's feminine psychology"
-Slant Magazine

"[A] heart-wrenching testament to the integrity and solidarity of women in the face of staggering adversity... humanist filmmakers Barbara Attie and Janet Goldwater demonstrate a nerve-shredding talent for cinematic juxtaposition"
-Village Voice

-Chicago Sun-Times

Bridging two worlds, Mrs. Goundo's Daughter tells the moving story of one Malian mother's fight for asylum in the US to protect her two-year-old daughter from female genital cutting. Expertly interweaving scenes from Mali of girls preparing for an excision ceremony and scenes from Philadelphia where those who have survived the ceremony share their stories, the film demonstrates precisely why and how Mrs. Goundo fights for her daughter and her future.

Directed by Barbara Attie and Janet Goldwater, U.S.A./Mali, 2009, 60 mins. In English and Bambara and French with English subtitles.

Directors' site Sundance interview

with: Chicago Premiere

REMNANTS OF A WAR

"With intense visual and moral clarity, Remnants of a War reveals the absurd tragedy of people in the region making a living dismantling explosives"
-Village Voice

"With his insider view, [Jawad] Metni is able to explain the complicated economic and social meltdown of Lebanese society through the travails of the de-miners"
-Film Journal

"A powerful insight into the lives of the Lebanese civilians who have taken on the dangerous job of clearing their homeland of this ever-present threat"
-TimeOut London

-Chicago Sun-Times

The men and women of south Lebanon work to clear their land of unexploded cluster munitions left after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. One million cluster bombs were dropped on south Lebanon and hundreds of thousands remain strewn across fields, orchards and groves, injuring and killing civilians long after the war's end. An estimated 35 percent failed to detonate and one year later, teams of locally recruited and trained deminers race to make their land safe again, while their country endures the worst political and economic crisis in 15 years.

Directed by Jawad Metni, U.S.A., 2009, 76 mins. In English and Arabic with English subtitles.

Official site Slant Magazine Village Voice Film Journal

Showtimes:
Sun., Jun. 6 at 5 pm
Tue., Jun. 8 at 6:30 pm

CRUDE

"An engrossing case for justice. Colorful personalities on both sides, incriminating news/archival footage, slick assembly and Berlinger's narrative smarts make this unusually involving"
-Variety

Critics' Pick! "Thorough and impassioned... Mr. Berlinger has both a strong narrative instinct and a keen eye for incongruous, evocative and powerful images"
-New York Times

"A polished and haunting work of humanistic journalism"
-Slant Magazine

"A Herculean work of investigative journalism"
-Village Voice

"What Crude does best is take us behind the scenes and show in often candid detail how campaigns are waged, tactics decided on and strategies prioritized"
-Los Angeles Times

Recommended! "What might have been a rote exercise in green sentimentality becomes a gripping, multifaceted thriller about media politics, global economics, and legal infighting"
-Chicago Reader

"Morally complex"
-TimeOut Chicago

-Chicago Sun-Times

Three years in the making, this riveting new documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Brother's Keeper, Paradise Lost, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster) tells the epic story of one of the largest and most controversial legal cases on the planet. An inside look at the infamous $27 billion "Amazon Chernobyl" case, Crude is a real-life, high stakes legal drama involving global politics, the environmental movement, celebrity activism, human rights advocacy, multinational corporate power, and the fate of disappearing indigenous cultures. Subverting the conventions of advocacy filmmaking, this award-winning film explores a complex situation from all angles, bringing an important story of environmental peril and human suffering into focus.

Directed by Joe Berlinger, Ecuador/UK, 2009, 101 mins. In English and Spanish, A'ingae and Secoya with English subtitles.