12th

International

Film FestivalH U M A N

R I G H T S

W A T C H

Co-presented by

supported by

www.hrw.org/iff

London | 12–21 March

Opening NightFilm & ReceptionThursday, 13th MarchThe Ritzy Cinema19.00, Filmmakers Marjane Satrapiand Vincent Paronnaud present

PERSEPOLISMarjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud— France—2007—95m—35mm—animated dramaIn French with English subtitles

“I believe that an entire nation should not be judged by the wrong-doings of a few extremists.”—Marjane Satrapi

The Ayatollah Khomeini meets Iron Maiden in this spirited, beautifully animated adaptation of Marjane Satrapi’s celebratedgraphic novel. When Iran’s Islamic Revolution hits home, nine-year-old Marjane remains willful in the face of repression. Afterthe fall of the Shah, the religious fundamentalism that sweeps the country (women must wear veils, rock ‘n’ roll is banned)takes a particular toll on the outspoken Marjane and her family. Marjane’s uncle is executed and bombs fall around Tehranduring the Iran-Iraq war. Fearing for her safety and concerned about Marjane’s continued rebelliousness, her parents makethe difficult decision to send their daughter to study in Austria, where she must endure teenage ordeals while adapting toWestern culture. A very personal memoir, Persepolis is also a bold testament to the universal need for preservation of indi-vidual rights. Splendidly voiced by an all-star cast including Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Sean Penn and Iggy Pop.

*Academy Award Nominee, Best Animated Feature Film of the Year. Winner of the Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival 2007.

Persepolis courtesy of Optimum Releasing

BENEFIT GALAWednesday, 12th March | Curzon Mayfair Cinema18.15 for 18.45

Show your support for Human Rights Watch by attending theBenefit screening of Persepolis in the company of Marjane Satrapiand Vincent Paronnaud and meet them at the reception afterwards.

For Benefit Gala tickets, donations, or more informationplease contact Erin Rattazzi on 020 7713 2773or email erin.rattazzi@hrw.org. Tickets start at £75.

12th

International

Film Festival

H U M A N

R I G H T S

W A T C H

BUDDHA COLLAPSED OUT OF SHAME(UK premiere)Hana Makhmalbaf – Iran/France – 2007 – 81m – video - dramaIn Dari (Persian) with English subtitles

From Hana Makhmalbaf, daughter of acclaimed director Mohsen Makhmalbaf,comes her second feature film, Buddha Collapsed out of Shame. Set in Bamian,amidst the rubble of the massive statues of Buddha blown up by the Taliban in2001, the film is a deeply-felt political allegory of the impossible situation facinggirls and women in Afghanistan today. Intimately told from a child’s perspective,including a world of make-believe that is both exhilarating and terrifying, the filmfollows six-year-old Bakhtay, who decides she will at all costs go to school. She setsout on an odyssey that pits this endearingly obstinate girl against numerous,seemingly insurmountable obstacles—including, most ominously, a band of boyspretending to be the Taliban. *Official selection, Berlin Film Festival 2008.

Wednesday, 19 March 18.30, Gate filmmaker present (TBC)Thursday, 20 March 21.30, Ritzy filmmaker present (TBC)

CALLE SANTA FÉ (UK premiere)Carmen Castillo—Chile/France/Belgium—2007— 163m—35mm—docIn Spanish with English subtitles

Chile, October 1974. A house on a suburbanstreet in Santiago is the scene of a shoot-out with Pinochet’s secret police. MiguelEnriquez, a rebel leader, is killed. His com-panion and comrade Carmen Castillo iswounded. Calle Santa Fé is this courageouswoman’s story as she embarks on a raw,uncompromising journey into the present,and into the memory of rebellion defeated.Were those heroic acts of resistance reallyworth it? Did Miguel die in vain? Through aseries of remarkable re-encounters—withthe house on Santa Fé street, her family, theneighbour who saved her life, her formercomrades—Castillo retraces the path from resistance to exile, from the luminousdays of Allende to the long, somber years under Pinochet, remembering the menand women who rose up against his tyranny.

Presented in association with Discovering Latin America Film Festival (DLA),www.discoveringlatinamerica.com

Sunday, 16 March 15.00, Ritzy filmmaker present (TBC)Tuesday, 18 March 19.45, ICA filmmaker present (TBC)

BEHAVE (UK premiere)Maria Ramos—Brazil—2006—80m—35mm—docIn Portuguese with English subtitles

Following Justice, Maria Ramos’s razor-sharp scrutiny of the Brazilian judicialsystem, in Behave Ramos turns her lens on Rio’s juvenile courts and detentioncentres. In her beautifully-framed, unadorned documentary style, Ramos allows usto watch court cases play out, and reveals a system overwhelmed. Brazilian lawforbids filming juveniles in the judicial process, so Ramos faced the challenge ofhow to present her teenage subjects without showing them. Her brilliant solution:she found teens from the Rio favelas, or slums—some themselves veterans of thedetention system—to portray their peers. The hearings were all shot facing thejudge, so the “actors” could be edited in as countershots, each one carefully butnaturally repeating the words spoken by the real, unseen defendants. The onefigure who remains a constant and on screen throughout is Judge Luciana Fiala, ano-nonsense type who knows the system has little chance of saving these kids,and yet through irony, cajoling and sternness still tries to tailor her interrogationsand punishments to the individuals on trial. Behave shows the process of judging,and how easily we are swayed over questions involving minors breaking the law.Who really knows what to do?

Presented in association with Discovering Latin America Film Festival (DLA),www.discoveringlatinamerica.com

Saturday, 15 March 16.00, RitzyTuesday, 18 March 18.30, Ritzy

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DARFUR NOWTed Braun—US/Sudan—2007—97m—film—docIn English

Since early 2003, violence raging across Sudan’s western region of Darfur hasclaimed at least 200,000 lives and displaced 2.5 million people. In a fast-pacedchronicle of the crisis as it unfolds in Darfur, filmmaker Ted Braun expertly followssix individuals—refugee camp leader Ahmed Mohammed Abakar; female rebelsoldier Hejewa Adam; Academy Award-nominated actor/activist Don Cheadle; LuisMoreno-Ocampo, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court; Pablo Recalde,leader of the World Food Programme team in West Darfur; and Adam Sterling, ayoung activist in the United States—with different strategies and different storiesas they tackle head-on the challenge of ending the crisis. This moving story unveilsthe power of compassion and commitment from total strangers who, by demon-strating their belief in justice for people in every corner of the world, renew faith inthe tenacity of the human heart.

Friday, 14 March 21.30, RitzySunday, 16 March 15.30, ICATuesday, 18 March 18.30, Gate

THE DICTATOR HUNTER (UK premiere)Klaartje Quirijns— The Netherlands—2007—75m—video—docIn English, French and Arabic with English subtitles

“If you kill one person, you go to jail. If you kill 40 people, they putyou in an insane asylum. But if you kill 40,000 people, you get acomfortable exile with a bank account in another country, and that’swhat we want to change here.”

—Reed Brody, Counsel, Human Rights Watch

Souleymane Guengueng, a former civil servant, watched hundreds of his cellmatesperish from torture and disease during two years in prison under Chadian dictatorHissene Habré. Guengueng took an oath before God that if he ever got out alive, hewould bring his tormentors to justice. Habré fell from power in 1990, andGuengueng’s quest for justice began. Guengueng used his considerable charm topersuade still-frightened victims to seek Habré’s trial for killing thousands of hiscountrymen. For the past eight years Guengueng has been joined in the chase byReed Brody—known as Human Rights Watch’s “dictator hunter.” Now Habré livesin Senegal, where Brody and Guengueng are attempting to have him broughtto trial or extradited. In The Dictator Hunter we follow Brody and Geungueng overthe course of two suspenseful and critical years. The Dictator Hunter shows whatcommitted individuals can accomplish when working relentlessly to break thecycle of impunity.

Sunday, 16 March 16.00, Claphamfilmmaker and special guest Reed Brody presentMonday, 17 March 18.45, ICAfilmmaker and special guest Reed Brody present

THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGO(UK premiere)Lisa Jackson—US—2007—76m—video—docIn English, French, Swahili, Lingala and Mashi, with English subtitles

Shot in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this extraordinaryfilm sensitively yet unflinchingly brings to light the plight of women and girlscaught in that country’s intractable conflicts. A survivor of rape herself, EmmyAward-winning filmmaker Lisa Jackson travels through the DRC to understand whatis happening and why. The film features interviews with activists, peacekeepers,physicians, and even the indifferent rapists. But the most remarkable moments of

the film come as survivors recount their personal stories—inspiring examples ofresilience, resistance, courage and grace. *Official selection, Sundance FilmFestival 2008

Monday, 17 March 18.30, Ritzy filmmaker presentWednesday, 19 March 18.30, ICA filmmaker present

IRON LADIES OF LIBERIA (London premiere)Daniel Junge & Siatta Scott Johnson—US—2007—76m—video—docIn English

In a poignant story of recovery and strength, Liberian journalist Siatta ScottJohnson documents the first year of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s presidency in her war-torn country, highlighting the battles and accomplishments of the first female pres-ident in Africa. The brutal, ruinous rule of Charles Taylor left Liberia a legacy of lostchildhoods and looming unrest. President Sirleaf and her newly appointed advi-sors face a daunting task: to maintain the country’s momentary stability andrestart development of a society long plagued by struggles and despair. This is thestory of a woman’s iron strength in tackling the challenges of a society desperatefor recuperation, and the struggle that her female government members and eventhe filmmaker herself endure in their efforts to move their country forward.

Sunday, 16 March 19.00, Ritzy filmmaker present (TBC)Monday, 17 March 20.45, Ritzy filmmaker present (TBC)Tuesday, 18 March 18.30, Greenwich

EVERYTHING’S COOL (UK premiere)Daniel B. Gold and Judith Helfand—US—2007—94m—video—docIn English

In Everything’s Cool, filmmakers Gold and Helfand bring their comedic, insightfulstyle to explore one of the most intriguing and troubling questions among interna-tional environmentalists: why have Americans lagged so far behind the rest of theworld in accepting global warming? In 2004, when US polls showed that globalwarming ranked last as a voting issue, the filmmakers rented a bio-diesel truck totour cross-country to find out if the polls were right, and Americans really didn’tcare. In this new self-described “toxic comedy,” Gold and Helfand chronicle thestruggle between two groups of global warming messengers: the “good guys”—which include a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who repeatedly tries to retire butcan’t and the Weather Channel’s first climatologist with a “global-warming remit”who must pack her Ph.D. into 30-second sound bites—and the “bad guys,” mostlyindustry-sponsored hacks who derailed media and public attention and paralysedthe nation with their manufactured doubt. As much about messaging as it is aboutthe messengers, as much about human nature as it is about humans’ impact onnature, Everything’s Cool explores what it will take to move the US from laggardnation to world leader on global warming. *Official selection, Sundance FilmFestival 2007

Saturday, 15 March 18.15, ICA filmmakers present (TBC)Monday, 17 March 18.30, Gate filmmakers present (TBC)

KALINOVSKI SQUARE (UK premiere)Yury Khashchavatski— Estonia—2007—73m—video—docIn Russian and Belarusian with English subtitles

From Belarus’s most celebrated film director, Yury Khashchavatski (An OrdinaryPresident), comes Kalinovski Square, a film that ramps up the volume of his long-standing and personally dangerous film confrontation with ‘Europe’s last dictator’,Belarusian President Lukashenko. Employing his trademark wit and black humour,Khashchavatski fashions a razor-sharp critique of the 2006 rigged elections,Lukashenko’s surreal propaganda machine, as well as astonishing scenes of thepro-democracy rallies and protests in Kalinovski Square that were literally sweptaway by army and police forces. What emerges is an astonishing piece of work thatexpertly presents the reality in Belarus today, while poignantly expressing thestrong will for democracy and freedom that is growing in the country.

Tuesday, 18 March 21.00, ClaphamThursday, 20 March 18.30, ICA

LIONESS (London premiere)Meg McLagan—US—2008—81m—video—docIn English

Lioness presents the untold story of the first group of women soldiers in US histo-ry to be sent into direct ground combat, in violation of official policy. Told throughintimate accounts, journal excerpts, archive footage, as well as interviews withmilitary commanders, the film follows five women who served together for a year inIraq. With captivating detail, this probing documentary reveals the unexpected

course of events that began with using US women soldiers to defuse tensions withlocal civilians, but resulted in the women’s fighting in some of the bloodiestcounter-insurgency battles of the war. Together the women’s candid narratives andscenes from their lives back home form a portrait of the emotional and psycholog-ical effects of war from a female point of view. Lioness is the first film to bridge thegap between perception and reality of the role women in the military are playing inIraq, capturing an historical turning point for American society.

Tuesday, 18 March 18.30, Ritzy filmmaker presentWednesday, 19 March 21.00, Ritzy filmmaker present

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MILOSEVIC ON TRIAL (UK premiere)Michael Christoffersen— Denmark—2007—69m—video—docIn English and Serbian with English subtitles

Slobodan Milosevic, nicknamed the Butcher of the Balkans, died of a heart attackon March 11, 2006. His death brought to a premature end the first trial in history ofa former head of state before a United Nations court. Filmmaker MichaelChristoffersen culls 2,000 hours of trial footage to create a taut and stirring narra-tive documentary. Milosevic On Trial not only provides a journalistic overview of ahistoric event, but describes the immensely complex issues involved in a trial ofthis magnitude and significance. Milosevic considered the trial illegal and a trav-esty, and conducted his own characteristically brazen defence before the court.However, it is Geoffrey Nice, the trial’s chief prosecutor, who emerges as the film’smost fascinating protagonist and guiding force.

Saturday, 15 March 18.30, RitzySunday, 16 March 18.30, ClaphamTuesday, 18 March 18.00, ICA

MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPESJennifer Baichwal— Canada—2005—87m—film—docIn English

Manufactured Landscapes is both a stunning portrait of Edward Burtynsky,internationally celebrated photographer who specialises in large-scale studies ofindustrial vistas, and an exploration of the aesthetics and social and spiritualdimensions of globalisation around the world today. Acclaimed filmmaker,Jennifer Baichwal (Let it Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles; The True Meaning ofPictures: Shelby Lee Adams’ Appalachia) follows Burtynsky to China and toBangladesh, where he captures the effects of the massive industrial revolutionthose countries are undergoing. Baichwal focuses on the human cogs in themachine, contrasting Burtynsky’s epic photographs with the tedium the workersendure and the sometimes toxic and alienating impact of globalisation on the verypeople the transformations are supposed to benefit most. Beautifully shot andedited, and conceived with a startling awareness of the repercussions of our maniato control and repackage our environment, Manufactured Landscapes is a trulyunsettling look at contemporary existence. *Official selection, TorontoInternational Film Festival 2006

Friday, 14 March 19.00, ClaphamSaturday, 15 March 21.00, ICA

MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES courtesy of BFI

Photos © Edward Burtynsky

PRISONERS IN TIMEStephen Walker, Director; Ariel Dorfman & Rodrigo Dorfman, ScreenplayUK—1995—66m—video—dramaIn English

This film features a powerful performance by John Hurt as Eric Lomax, a formerBritish soldier who was tortured as a POW of the Japanese and who, fifty years on,still suffers daily bouts of post-traumatic stress. Concluding that revenge is the onlyway to exorcise his ghosts, he goes in search of Nagase Takashi, the Japanese sol-dier he believes tortured him. But his quest leads Lomax into dangerous territory,forces him and us to question if redemption is ever possible after terrible crimeshave been committed, if those who are most damaged can ever truly find peace, ifrepentance is enough. *Winner of the 1995 Writer's Guild of Great Britain Award forBest Teleplay.

Preceded by: MY HOUSE IS ON FIRE (London premiere)Rodrigo Dorfman & Ariel Dorfman—US—1997—18m—35mm—dramaIn English and Spanish with English subtitles

Based on Dorfman’s poem and story about two children who play “waiting for theenemy” under the shadow of a dictatorship, the film beautifully transfers thissituation of terror to undocumented immigrant kids hiding in a house in Durham,North Carolina.

Saturday, 15 March 15.30, ICA special guest Ariel Dorfman present

A PROMISE TO THE DEAD (London premiere)Peter Raymont—US—2006—92m—video—docIn English and Spanish with English subtitles

“... my first September 11th had been in 1973, when terror was alsoinflicted on the innocent, when death also rained down from the sky,sending me into exile, making me into the man I have now become...”

—Ariel Dorfman

On September 11, 1973, Chile’s military attacked its government. As the coup tookhold, the democratically elected president Salvador Allende called governmentmembers to the presidential palace to stand against their attackers, facing certaindeath. Ariel Dorfman was Allende’s cultural advisor, and should have been calledtoo; he later discovered his name had been struck from the list so he could live totell what happened that day. Three decades later, Dorfman is an internationallyrespected writer and human rights activist, winner of the Sir Laurence OlivierAward for the play “Death and the Maiden.” Filmmaker Peter Raymont travels toChile with Dorfman in late 2006, at the time when Augusto Pinochet, Allende’soverthrower and Dorfman’s long-time nemesis, is dying. Raymont follows Dorfmanthrough emotional reunions with his friends and fellow resistors, to personal land-marks that are powerful both emotionally and historically. During the journey theyexplore exile, memory and the search for justice.

Presented in association with Discovering Latin America Film Festival,www.discoveringlatinamerica.com

Friday, 14 March 21.00, ICAfilmmaker and special guest Ariel Dorfman presentSaturday, 15 March 20.45, Ritzyfilmmaker and special guest Ariel Dorfman presentMonday, 17 March 18.30, Greenwich

THE SARI SOLDIERS (World premiere)Julie Bridgham—US/Nepal—2008—90m—video—docIn Nepali with English subtitles

Filmed over three years during the most historic and pivotal time in Nepal’s mod-ern history, The Sari Soldiers is an extraordinary story of six women’s courageousefforts to shape Nepal’s future in the midst of an escalating civil war againstMaoist insurgents, and the King’s crackdown on civil liberties. When Devi, moth-er of a 15-year-old girl, witnesses her niece being tortured and murdered by theRoyal Nepal Army, she speaks publicly about the atrocity. The army abducts herdaughter in retaliation, and Devi embarks on a three-year struggle to uncover herdaughter’s fate and see justice done. The Sari Soldiers follows her and five otherbrave women, including Maoist Commander Kranti; Royal Nepal Army OfficerRajani; Krishna, a monarchist from a rural community who leads a rebellionagainst the Maoists; Mandira, a human rights lawyer; and Ram Kumari, a youngstudent activist organising the protests to establish democracy. The Sari Soldiersintimately delves into the extraordinary journey of these women on all sides of theconflict, through the democratic revolution that reshapes the country’s future.

Friday, 14 March 19.00, Ritzy filmmaker present (TBC)Saturday, 15 March 16.00, Renoir filmmaker present (TBC)Sunday, 16 March 16.00, Gate filmmaker present (TBC)

ARIEL DORFMAN SPECIAL

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THIS WAY UP (UK premiere)Georgi Lazarevski—France—2007—60m—video—docIn Arabic with English subtitles

Just east of Jerusalem lies the formerly bucolicOur Lady of Pains, a senior citizens’ home forPalestinians. A few metres from the front doorrises the grimly spectacular and unavoidablewall of separation, whose unstoppable pro-gression gradually isolates the seniors fromtheir children’s visits, the outside world, evenfrom the very staff that attends to them. Withbeautiful imagery, contemplative pacing,moments of laughter, and brilliant use of aquietly humorous ‘guide’—a memorable char-acter with a trademark knitted cap, weatheredexpressive face, and savouring appreciationfor smoking—filmmaker Lazarevski has fash-ioned a film whose political message growslike an approaching thundercloud.

Preceded by:OPEN HEART (London premiere)Claire Fowler—UK/Palestine—2006—22m—video—docIn Arabic and English with English subtitles

An emotional journey highlighting the plight of the struggling Palestinian health-care system under occupation. A Palestinian couple’s son’s life is threatened bycongenital heart disease. A charity offers a life-saving surgery in Jerusalem, but toget there the family must make an uncertain trip through Israeli checkpoints.

Tuesday, 18 March 18.45, ClaphamtWednesday, 19 March 18.30, Ritzy

UNDER THE BOMBS (UK premiere)Philippe Aractingi—France/Lebanon/UK/Belgium—2007—98m—35mm—dramaIn Arabic with English subtitles

There is a fine line between fiction and documentary, and Lebanese filmmakerPhilippe Aractingi walks this line stunningly in his new film, Under the Bombs.Aractingi takes us to Lebanon, to the Israeli-Hezbollah war of summer 2006, andcombines real footage of the massive destruction with a moving narrativestory. The Israelis have just bombed the south. Into the chaos comes Zeina, a Shiitewoman in her thirties, searching for her sister and her six-year-old son, both ofwhom are reported missing. Zeina pays Tony, a Christian taxi driver, who is the onlydriver willing to take her to the south. At first they keep their distance, but duringthe search they grow closer. Aractingi captures remarkable and unscripted scenes,as Zeina and Tony encounter victims of the war and sights of bombed-out build-ings, witness a Hezbollah rally, and see peacekeeping forces and internationaljournalists arrive. The only side that Aractingi takes is the side of the civilian vic-tims. Under the Bombs asks us to join Zeina and Tony’s journey and keep our eyesopen throughout.

Friday, 14 March 21.00, Renoirfilmmaker and lead actress Nada Abou Farhat presentSunday, 16 March 18.15, Ritzy filmmaker present

UNDER THE BOMBS courtesy of Artificial Eye Films

STRANGE CULTURE (London premiere)Lynn Hershman Leeson—US—2007—76m—video—docIn English

Strange Culturechronicles thebreathtaking mis-carriage of justicethat has befallenSteve Kurtz, a col-lege professor,artist, and mem-ber of the politi-cally-charged artand theatrecollective CriticalArt Ensemble.Kurtz, whosework provokeddebate about eth-

ical issues involved with genetic engineering, is currently in the midst of anextraordinary legal battle which began in 2004 and could see him serving 20 yearsin prison. This surreal case began when Kurtz’s wife, Hope, died in her sleep ofheart failure. Police who responded to Kurtz’s 911 call deemed his artworks andequipment (standard off-the-shelf scientific equipment found in any school lab)suspicious, and called in the FBI. Kurtz was arrested as a suspected bio-terroristand agents in Hazmat suits sifted through his work, impounded computers, man-uscripts, his cat and confiscated his wife’s body. In Strange Culture acclaimed film-maker Lynn Hershman Leeson creatively enlists actors Tilda Swinton, Thomas JayRyan, Josh Kornbluth, and Peter Coyote to dramatise part of the story that Kurtzcannot legally discuss, while skillfully interweaving news footage, animation, tes-timonials, and footage of Kurtz himself—creating a fascinating, highly provocativedocumentary about post-9/11 paranoia and the risks artists face when their workquestions government policies. *Official Selection, Berlin International FilmFestival 2007.

Preceded by: VIRTUAL FREEDOM (London premiere)Gef Senz & Maung Maung Aye—Australia—2006—5m—video—docIn English

Animation, exile and the internet—a Burmese love story online.

Sunday, 16 March 21.00, ICAfilmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson presentMonday, 17 March 18.30, Renoirfilmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson present

London | 12–21 March

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UP THE YANGTZE (UK premiere)Yung Chang— Canada—2007—93m—video—docIn Mandarin with English subtitles

A symbol of China’s economic prowess, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze Riveris the world’s largest, and China’s biggest engineering feat since the Great Wall. Italso represents the end to a way of life and livelihood for two million people alongthe Yangtze. Among those being forced to relocate are the Yu family. Poor, illiteratefarmers with few options available to them, they decide to send their oldest daugh-ter Yu Shui to work on a cruise ship. Working for the same cruise line on the YangtzeRiver is Chen Bo Yu, the only son from a middle class family. Good looking and pro-ficient in English, Jerry (as he is renamed by the cruise line), sees this as an oppor-tunity—a stepping stone to bigger and better things, while Yu Shui (renamed Cindy)would prefer to continue her education. Both struggle with the demands of theirjobs, especially the expectation to understand Western social cues and to operatecomfortably in a Western social environment. Chinese-Canadian filmmaker YungChang crafts a beautifully photographed and moving metaphor for life in contem-porary China, as well as a disquieting glimpse into a future that awaits us all.

Sunday, 16 March 18.30, Renoir filmmaker present (TBC)Tuesday, 18 March 20.45, Ritzy filmmaker present (TBC)

WAR/DANCE (London premiere)Sean Fine & Andrea Nix Fine—US—2006—105m—film—docIn English and Swahili with English subtitles

For the past 20 yearsUganda’s government hasbeen at war in northernUganda with a rebel force, theLord’s Resistance Army (LRA).In the war zone children arenot only the victims of therebels, they are the rebels.The LRA employs a chillinglyeffective process to fill itsranks—abducting children.Profoundly moving and beau-tifully lensed, War/Dance fol-lows the historic journey of three children deeply affected by the conflict: Dominic,14, an escaped child soldier; Rose, 13, a choir singer whose parents were mur-dered; and Nancy, 14, a dancer and sole provider for her three young siblings. Theirschool in the Patongo refugee camp is the first school from the northern war zoneto make it to the finals of Uganda’s national music and dance competition. Amidstunimaginable violence and grief, these children carry with them the hopes anddreams of their school and the entire camp as they sing and dance, in protest andin celebration, on their way to the national competition.War/Dance will renew yourfaith in the power of the human spirit to soar, against unspeakable odds.*Academy Award Nominee, Best Feature Documentary. Winner of the DirectingAward for Documentary, Sundance Film Festival 2007.

Wednesday, 19 March 18.30, ClaphamThursday, 20 March 19.00, Ritzy

WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAIN (Europe premiere)Steven Okazaki—US/Japan—2007—86m—video—docIn English, Japanese, Korean with English subtitles

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Okazaki delivers some breathtakingfigures in his latest documentary White Light/Black Rain: 75 percent of Japan’spopulation was born after 1945; the atomic explosion on Hiroshima on 6 August1945 killed 140,000 people and 70,000 were killed in the second attack which wasin Nagasaki on 9 August 1945; a further 170,000 subsequently died as a result ofillness and injuries caused bythese nuclear attacks. Yet if theyoung people who Okazakiinterviewed on the bustlingstreets of modern Hiroshima areanything to go by, many youngJapanese today can’t recall thesignificance of these dates. Butmore compelling than thefigures are the unforgettableinterviews with fourteen atomicbomb survivors, many of whomhave never spoken publiclybefore, and four Americans intimately involved in the bombings, which reveal bothunimaginable suffering and extraordinary human resilience. These indelibleaccounts are illustrated with survivor paintings and drawings, and historicalfootage and photographs, including newly uncovered material. As one survivorsaid, “I’m here to make sure it doesn’t happen again”. White Light/Black Rainstands as a powerful warning to today’s world—which harbours nuclear weaponswith the firepower of 400,000 Hiroshimas—that we cannot afford to forget whathappened on those two days in 1945.

Tuesday, 18 March 18.30, Renoir filmmaker present (TBC)Wednesday, 19 March 21.00, ICA filmmaker present (TBC)

EDUCATION PROGRAMMEThe festival’s free education programme is aimed at students age 14+and their teachers, offering challenging and exciting film screenings tosupport and inspire dialogue around issues of human rights.

All screenings will be introduced and followed with an opportunity foryoung people to discuss the issues raised with the film’s director orhuman rights activists.

Free teaching resources will be available to accompany each film, thesewill contain background material and ideas for classroom activitiesrelevant to students and teachers of Film, Media, Communications,Sociology, Politics and Citizenship.

For further information and to reserve free places contact Alice Warrenat alice.w@picturehouses.co.uk or call 020 7326 2611

Free Screening: IRON LADIES OF LIBERIAMonday, 17 March 10.30-12.30 The Ritzy Cinema

In November 2005, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became Africa’s firstelected female president. A former finance minister known as the“Iron Lady,” Sirleaf quickly appointed a team of strong women toassist her, including the Minister of Finance, the Minister ofCommerce, and the Chief of Police. Iron Ladies of Liberia followsthese women over the course of their turbulent first year in office—a year which will determine the future of their country.

Free Screening: DARFUR NOWFriday, 14 March 10.30-12.30 Greenwich Picturehouse

Darfur Now is a story of hope in the midst of one of humanity’sdarkest hours and a call to action for people everywhere to end thecatastrophe unfolding in Darfur, Sudan. Written and directed by TedBraun, this documentary charts the struggles and achievements ofsix different individuals from inside Darfur and around the world asthey attempt to bring to light the tragedy in Sudan and show howthe actions of one person can make a difference to millions.

Free Screening: EVERYTHING’S COOLTuesday, 18 March 10.30-12.30 Clapham Picturehouse

An entertaining behind-the-scenes look at the world’s ‘big problem’:global warming, and what two opposing groups of messengerspropose we do about it. Everything’s Cool chronicles the strugglesbetween a determined, but exhausted, group of environmentalists,journalists and climatologists and an army of industry-sponsoredhacks who have effectively paralysed the nation with theirmanufactured doubt. As much about messaging as it is about themessengers, as much about human nature as it is about humans’

impact on nature,veteran filmmakers’Daniel Gold and JudithHelfand explore what itwill take to push the USinto taking action onGlobal Warming.

www.hrw.org/iff London | 12–21 March

Distributor Information

BEHAVEEmail: mfmendes@estacaovirtual.comWebsite: www.estacaovirtual.com

BUDDHA COLLAPSED OUT OF SHAMEEmail: edevos@wildbunch.euWebsite: www.wildbunch.biz

CALLE SANTA FÉEmail: edevos@wildbunch.euWebsite: www.wildbunch.biz

DARFUR NOWEmail: laura.kim@warnerbros.comWebsite: http://wip.warnerbros.com

THE DICTATOR HUNTEREmail: info@pvhfilm.nlWebsite: www.pvhfilm.nl

EVERYTHING’S COOLEmail: annie@rocofilms.comWebsite: www.everythingscool.org

THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGOEmail: jwhang@wmm.comWebsite: www.wmm.com

IRON LADIES OF LIBERIAEmail: Catherine@just-media.org

KALINOVSKI SQUAREEmail: marianna.kaat@neti.eeWebsite: www.bfp.ee

LIONESSEmail: room11@earthlink.netWebsite: www.lionessthefilm.com

MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPESEmail: margaret.deriaz@bfi.org.ukWebsite: www.bfi.org.uk

MILOSEVIC ON TRIALEmail: sales@tv2.dkWebsite: www.tv2world.com

MY HOUSE IS ON FIREEmail: rodrigo@melloweb.comWebsite: wwww.myhouseisonfire.com

OPEN HEARTEmail: fowler.claire@gmail.comWebsite: www.clairefowler.com

PERSEPOLISEmail: emma@optimumreleasing.comWebsite: www.optimumreleasing.com

PRISONERS IN TIMEEmail: veronica.taylor@bfi.org.ukWebsite: www.bfi.org.uk

A PROMISE TO THE DEADE-mail: janrofekamp@filmstransit.comWebsite: www.filmstransit.com

THE SARI SOLDIERSEmail: sarisoldiers@yahoo.comWebsite: www.butterlampfilms.com

STRANGE CULTUREEmail: lynn2@well.comWebsite: www.strangeculture.net

THIS WAY UPEmail: info@arturomio.comWebsite: www.arturomio.com

UNDER THE BOMBSEmail: info@artificial-eye.comWebsite: www.artificial-eye.com

UP THE YANGTZEEmail: festivals@nfb.caWebsite: www.nfb.ca

VIRTUAL FREEDOMEmail: gefatron@alphalink.com.auWebsite: www.auxiliaryproductios.com.au

WAR/DANCEEmail: eowens@thinkfilmcompany.comWebsite: www.wardancethemovie.com

WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAINEmail: info@farfilm.comWebsite: www.farfilm.com

For further distributor information,please visit www.hrw.org/iff

19.00 PERSEPOLIS OPENING NIGHTFrance—2007—95m filmmakers present

19.00 THE SARI SOLDIERSUS—2008—91m filmmaker present (TBC)

21.30 DARFUR NOWUS/Sudan—2007—97m

16.00 BEHAVEBrazil—2006—80m

18.30 MILOSEVIC ON TRIALDenmark—2007—69m

20.45 A PROMISE TO THE DEADUS—2006—92m filmmaker and special guest Ariel Dorfman present

15.00 CALLE SANTA FÉChile/France/Belgium—2007—163m filmmaker present (TBC)

18.15 UNDER THE BOMBSFrance/Lebanon/UK/Belgium—2007—98m filmmaker present

19.00 IRON LADIES OF LIBERIAUS—2007—76m filmmaker present (TBC)

18.30 THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGOUS—2007—76m filmmaker present

20.45 IRON LADIES OF LIBERIAUS—2007—76m filmmaker present (TBC)

18.30 BEHAVEBrazil—2006—80m

18.30 LIONESSUS—2008—81m filmmaker present

20.45 UP THE YANGTZECanada—2007—93m filmmaker present (TBC)

18.30 THIS WAY UPFrance—2007—60m

Preceded by OPEN HEARTUK/Palestine—2006—22m

21.00 LIONESSUS—2008—81m filmmaker present

19.00 WAR/DANCEUS—2006—105m

21.30 BUDDHA COLLAPSED OUT OF SHAMEIran/France—2007—81m filmmaker present (TBC)

13THURSDAY

14FRIDAY

15SATURDAY

16SUNDAY

17MONDAY

18TUESDAY

19WEDNESDAY

20THURSDAY

Wednesday, 12 March 2008

BENEFIT GALAwith filmmakers Marjane Satrapiand Vincent Paronnaud presentat the Curzon Mayfair Cinema38 Curzon Street, West End

Reception to follow at Dartmouth House

For tickets and information please contact Erin Rattazzion 020 7713 2773 or email erin.rattazzi@hrw.org.

18.15 Doors open

18.45 PERSEPOLISFrance—2007—95m

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Associated Ritzy Café EventsA week of events tying in with the HRWIFF screenings at theRitzy, featuring djs and live bands from around the world.The perfect setting for a pre and/or post show drink.

For details please check www.picturehouses.co.ukor www.hrw.org/iff.

There will also be an exhibition in the Crush Bar calledPhotoMe Trips. This has been organised in conjunction withZoom-In Photography, www.zoom-in.org.

Best of the Fest at the Ritzy Due to popular demandfor the films screening in the festival, the 12th HRWIFFwill present BEST OF THE FEST on Friday, 21 March,giving audiences another chance to see two of themost sought-after films in this year’s event:

19.00 BEST OF THE FEST — FILM 1TO BE SELECTED

21.00 BEST OF THE FEST — FILM 2TO BE SELECTED

Please check with the Ritzy Box Office during thefestival for full details.

Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program (DFP)supported the following films in this year’sprogram: Everything’s Cool, Lioness, A Promise ToThe Dead, The Sari Soldiers.

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program providesyear-round support to contemporary issue non-fiction filmmak-ers worldwide, with a special emphasis on human rights, civilliberties and social issues. The program encourages the explo-ration of innovative non-fiction storytelling, and promotes theexhibition of documentary films to a broader audience. It sup-ports independent artists both domestically and internation-ally through the Sundance Documentary Fund, the FilmmakersLodge at the Sundance Film Festival, the DocumentaryComposers Laboratory and Edit and Story Laboratory, and avariety of collaborative international documentary initiatives.The Sundance Documentary Fund has a rolling deadline andhas supported over 420 films in 52 countries.

www.sundance.org

21.00 A PROMISE TO THE DEADUS—2006—92mfilmmaker and special guest Ariel Dorfman present

15.30 PRISONERS IN TIMEUK—1995—66m special guest Ariel Dorfman present

Preceded by MY HOUSE IS ON FIREUS—1997—18m special guest Ariel Dorfman present

18.15 EVERYTHING’S COOLUS—2007—94m filmmakers present (TBC)

21.00 MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPESCanada—2005—87m

15.30 DARFUR NOWUS/Sudan—2007—97m

21.00 STRANGE CULTUREUS—2007—76m filmmaker present

Preceded by VIRTUAL FREEDOMAustralia—2006—5m

18.45 THE DICTATOR HUNTERThe Netherlands—2007—75mfilmmaker and special guest Reed Brody present

18.00 MILOSEVIC ON TRIALDenmark—2007—69m

19.45 CALLE SANTA FÉChile/France/Belgium—2007—163mfilmmaker present (TBC)

18.30 THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGOUS—2007—76m filmmaker present

21.00 WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAINUS/Japan—2007—86m filmmaker present (TBC)

18.30 KALINOVSKI SQUAREEstonia—2007—73m

19.00 MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES (CLAPHAM)Canada—2005—87m

21.00 UNDER THE BOMBS (RENOIR)France/Lebanon/UK/Belgium—2007—98m special guests present

16.00 THE SARI SOLDIERS (RENOIR)US—2008—91m filmmaker present (TBC)

16.00 THE SARI SOLDIERS (GATE)Canada—2005—91m filmmaker present (TBC)

16.00 THE DICTATOR HUNTER (CLAPHAM)The Netherlands—2007—75m filmmaker and Reed Brody present

18.30 UP THE YANGTZE (RENOIR)Canada—2007—93m filmmaker present (TBC)

18.30 MILOSEVIC ON TRIAL (CLAPHAM)Denmark—2007—69m

18.30 EVERYTHING’S COOL (GATE)US—2007—94m filmmakers present (TBC)

18.30 A PROMISE TO THE DEAD (GREENWICH)US—2006—92m t

18.30 STRANGE CULTURE (RENOIR)US—2007—76m filmmaker present

18.30 IRON LADIES OF LIBERIA (GREENWICH)US—2007—76m

18.30 WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAIN (RENOIR)US/Japan—2007—86m filmmaker present (TBC)

18.30 DARFUR NOW (GATE)US/Sudan—2007—97m

18.45 THIS WAY UP (CLAPHAM)France—2007—60m

Preceded by OPEN HEART (CLAPHAM)

21.00 KALINOVSKI SQUARE (CLAPHAM)Estonia—2007—73m

18.30 BUDDHA COLLAPSED OUT OF SHAME (GATE)Iran/France—2007—81m filmmaker present TBC)

18.30 WAR/DANCE (CLAPHAM)US—2006—105m

All films are preceded by short introductions only, there are notrailers. Latecomers will be allowed entry at the manager’sdiscretion. The Programme may be subject to last minute alteration,please check with the box office. The films represent many points ofview, not necessarily those of Human Rights Watch.

Cover image fromBUDDHA COLLAPSED OUT OF SHAMEcourtesy of Wild Bunch

Back cover image fromMANUFACTURED LANDSCAPEScourtesy of BFI

Graphic Design by Rafael Jiménez

Tony Elliott, Chair Susan Gibson, Vice Chair

Bomi AniseJane AshleySherry BuchananJenny DeardenPhyllida EarleHassan Elmasry

Henry FajemirokunCharlotte FraserLouis GreigDaniel HahnJohn HowkinsKirsty Jenkinson

Sarita JhaDavid LakhdhirLinda LakhdhirSarah MartinMargaret McCabePatricia Mirrlees

Laura MosedaleTrevor PearsGerhard PlasonigJohn G. StewartRebecca TinsleyCaroline Younger

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH IN LONDONThe London office of Human Rights Watch raises awareness of human rights issues, presses for an end to abuses, and buildsfinancial support for Human Rights Watch. To accomplish these objectives, we conduct high level advocacy meetings withgovernment officials and parliamentarians, build awareness through the media and organise fundraising events.

LONDON COMMITTEE OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS WATCHINTERNATIONAL COUNCILThe Human Rights Watch London Committee is part of the Human Rights Watch Council, an international network of commit-tees. Members have the opportunity to advance the efforts of Human Rights Watch substantively though outreach and cultur-al activities, and financially through personal contributions and fundraising.

Laura Boardman, Director, Development and Outreach UKTom Porteous, London DirectorUrmi Shah, Press and Information Officer

FOR HUMAN RIGHTS WATCHINTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Marina Pinto Kaufman, Festival ChairJohn Biaggi, Acting Festival DirectorAndrea Holley, Director, Publications

and the Traveling Film FestivalJennifer Nedbalsky, Programme ManagerRafael Jiménez, Art Director

(mail@rafaeljimenez.com)Sarah Harvey, Festival Publicist

(publicity@sarahharvey.info)Iris Ordoñez, London Festival ManagerBerry Cochrane, London Marketing

and Outreach CoordinatorAlice Warren,

London Education Programme Manager

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TOBruni Burres, former Festival Director

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR VOLUNTEERS

FOR PICTUREHOUSE CINEMAS

Clare Binns, Director of ProgrammingMarc Allenby, Head of Film Marketing

and SponsorshipJo Blair, Senior Programmer

FOR THE RITZY

Rob Belfield, General ManagerGemma Murrell, Assistant ManagerThe Projection Team

FOR THE GATE

Greg Eden-Field,General Manager/Chief Projectionist

The Projection Team

FOR CLAPHAM PICTUREHOUSE

Mike Matthews, General ManagerThe Projection Team

FOR GREENWICH PICTUREHOUSE

Darren Jones, General ManagerThe Projection Team

FOR RENOIR

Rob Kenny, Operating Manager Curzon CinemasSandra Smith, Manager RenoirVerena Stackelberg, Head of Public EventsStuart Gibbs, Duty ManagerProjection: Michael Thearle, Viktor Makurins

FOR ICA

Mark Adams, Director ICA CinemaDavid Cox, Cinema ProgrammerTejinder Jouhal, Cinema CoordinatorDuncan Smith, Technical Manager

Karen JensenMarlene KawalkLinda LipsonLyla BaguraJacobia DahmFrances Jeffrey-CokerMarissa GlaubermanKaren Jensen

Marlene KawalekDavid KortovaHamdi KhalifaLinda LipsonNickole MillerAnnsophie PerssonDina Raizman

For nearly 30 years, Human Rights Watch hasbeen on the frontlines of the struggle to defendthe human rights of people around the world.We conduct on-site investigations of humanrights abuses in some 70 countries worldwideand publish our findings in reports that areknown for uncompromising accuracy. We usethese reports in high-level policy discussionsand in the media to shape the public agenda,shame abusers, and press for change.

Nineteen years ago, we created the HumanRights Watch International Film Festival toeducate and galvanise a broad cross-section ofconcerned supporters through the power offilm. Since that time, Human Rights Watch’sInternational Film Festival has become aleading venue for distinguished fiction,

documentary and animated films, and videoswith a distinctive human rights theme.Through the eyes of committed and courageousfilmmakers, we showcase the heroic stories ofactivists and survivors worldwide. We seek toempower our viewers with the knowledge thatpersonal commitment can make a very realdifference.

The Human Rights Watch International Film Festivalwould like to thank the entire staff of PicturehouseCinemas, the ICA and Curzon Cinemas for theircollaborative efforts on this year’s programme.We would like to thank Eric Abraham, Tony Elliott,Sandy Lieberson, Sigrid Rausing, John J Studzinskiand Trudie Styler. And for their invaluable assistancein creating a memorable and thought provokingevent, we would also like to thank Jenny Dearden,Dorothee Inderfurth and Sarah Lieberson.

H U M A N

R I G H T S

W A T C H

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCHJane Olson, ChairKenneth Roth, Executive Director

BerlinBrusselsChicagoGenevaJohannesburg

LondonLos AngelesMoscowNew YorkParis

San FranciscoTorontoWashington

www.hrw.org

Since the beginning of thebrutal conflict in Darfur,Human Rights Watch has

been exposing the murder, rape, torture, and mutilation of countless civilians and the displacement of more than two million people bythe Sudanese government and its proxy militias, the Janjaweed. We have dispatched teams of investigators to the region to speak withvictims and witnesses and to examine and gather evidence, in order to assemble a wide-ranging, accurate and objective picture of thehuman rights situation. We have released our findings in reports and press releases, photo essays and video documentaries, anddistributed them to key policymakers, the media, the international community, and the public to press for change.

In 2005, while taking testimony from survivors of a recent

Janjaweed attack, Human Rights Watch investigators gave

children crayons and paper to keep them occupied while

their family members were interviewed. Without any

instruction, the children drew harrowing and heartbreaking

images of what they had witnessed: indiscriminate aerial

bombings by Sudanese government forces, shootings,

burning of entire villages, and their flight to Chad.

Now, nearly five years after the conflict began, Human

Rights Watch has combined the graphic accounts from the

children of Darfur with photographs by Paolo Pellegrin and

essays by Human Rights Watch investigators in a

forthcoming book, DARFUR: SMALLEST WITNESSES.

For more information visit: www.hrw.org/darfur

Darfur, 2004 | Photo Paolo Pellegrin Forced from their homes, children study the Koran

in a makeshift school set up at the Zalingei camp for internally displaced people in Darfur.

DARFUR SMALLEST WITNESSES

www.hrw.org/iffPhoto © Edward Burtynsky

PICTUREHOUSE TICKET OFFER:Festival Offer: 5 tickets for £35(no concessions) which can bepurchased at participatingPicturehouse cinemas,or by phone (0871 704 2065).Tickets for individual films can thenbe reserved at the cinema box officewhere the film is screening—by phone or in person.

This offer excludes ICA andRenoir screenings.

THE RITZY CINEMABrixton Oval, Coldharbour LaneBrixton, London SW2 1 JGbox office: 0871 704 2065www.picturehouses.co.uk

ICAThe MallLondon SW1Y 5AHbox office: 020 7930 3647www.ica.org.uk

CLAPHAMPICTUREHOUSE76 Venn StreetLondon SW4 0ATbox office: 0871 704 2055www.picturehouses.co.uk

THE GATE87 Notting Hill GateLondon W11 3JZbox office: 0871 704 2058www.picturehouses.co.uk

GREENWICHPICTUREHOUSE180 Greenwich High RoadLondon SE10 8NNbox office: 0871 704 2059www.picturehouses.co.uk

RENOIRBrunswick CentreLondon WC1N 1AWRussell Square tube stationbox office: 0871 703 3991www.curzoncinemas.com

12th

International

Film Festival

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

2–12 Pentonville RoadLondon N1 9HFTel: 020 7713 1995 · Fax: 020 7713 1800email: hrwuk@hrw.orgwww.hrw.org

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCHINTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Hotline: 0797 164 6253email: londonff@hrw.org

H U M A N

R I G H T S

W A T C H

London | 12–21 March