Directors’ statementWelcome to the inaugural New Zealand Human Rights Film Festival When the Trust of the Human Rights Network of Aotearoa New Zealand first discussed hosting a human right film festival we had three main objectives in mind:
New Zealanders are being confronted more and more in the media with issues reflecting rights and responsibilities, whether they relate to the rights of peoples in our communities or the rights of strangers in conflict-riven countries. We are being challenged to draw conclusions on matters that are at times beyond the frame of our personal reality. The Trust considers this an opportune time for New Zealand to join the international Human Rights Film Festival circuit. Depicting human rights issues through the medium of film has never been more prevalent. Visual presentation is increasingly the channel of mass communication especially for young people. The film festival provides a safe space to explore and debate national and international human rights. We will be calling on a range of experts to lead discussions at the end of screenings so that audiences leave feeling informed and inspired. A good deal of thought has gone into selecting a programme aimed at enlightening and engaging audiences in a wide range of human rights areas. We are bringing you dramas, documentaries, animation and even hip hop! We feel the festival will appeal to existing human rights supporters and we hope that new people, especially young people, will feel encouraged to further develop their human rights understanding. On behalf of all the Human Rights Network members who contributed countless voluntary hours to organising this event, and our partners and sponsors, we look forward to welcoming you to the first ever New Zealand human rights film festival. Carol Nelson, Director |
