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| Special Flight |
The ninth annual
Human Rights Watch Film Festival opens on February 29, 2012 at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Opening with Fernand Melgar’s documentary
Special Flight, it explores the heavily bureaucratic extradition process facing detainees in Switzerland’s Frambois detention centre, amongst them criminal offenders, illegal immigrants, refugee fathers of young children and 'unclassified' residents. The strange mix of those anxiously awaiting confirmation of legal status will hit a raw nerve.
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| The Island President |
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| How to Nail a Dictator |
Festival highlights include Jon Shenk’s
The Island President (2011), winner of the Cadillac People’s Choice Documentary Award at the Toronto International Film Festival 2011, which follows Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed as he tries to save his country from being inundated by rising sea levels – the result of global warming; Pamela Yates’ Granito:
How to Nail a Dictator (2011), a haunting tale of genocide and delayed justice that spans four decades, two films, and director Yates’ own career;
Mimi Chakarova’s The Price of Sex (2011), a startling exposé of sex trafficking in Europe and the Middle East; and Sundance and Emmy Award-winning director Lee Hirsch’s
The Bully Project (2011), which acts as a catalyst for change by confronting the prejudices which spark bullying and giving voice to those who work tirelessly to protect the vulnerable.
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| The Price of Sex |
“The lineup of timely films in this festival inform and remind audiences of human rights issues being faced around the world,” said
Helga Stephenson, chairperson of the festival. “The themes that emerge this year – the plight of refugees, the trafficking of young women, bullying among teens – are extremely relevant. We hope the films will provide a springboard for discussion and increase awareness of human rights issues – both locally and globally.”
