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Directed by Paula Rodríguez
Produced in Germany, 2002
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Alejandro Goic was sixteen, Enrique Paris, twelve, and Carolina
Tohá, eight years old, when General Pinochet seized
power in Chile on September 11, 1973. During the coup Alejandro
and Carolina lost their fathers, and all three lost their
innocence and their youth. And eventually all went on to become
powerful student leaders in the tumultuous eighties. With
thoughtful, emotional interviews and rich archival footage,
PINOCHET'S CHILDREN is a remarkable film that beautifully
renders three people's course of life against the background
of the socio-political developments in their homeland.
Commentator: Professor Richardson will bring
his extensive knowledge of the history of modern Chile, our
involvment in the coup and other anti-democratic policies pursued
by the United States government and their effects on other countries
in the hemisphere.
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Directed by Paul Devlin
Produced in US/Republic of Georgia, 2003
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AES, an American global power company, has purchased Telasi,
the ailing electricity distribution company in Tbilisi, capital
of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, from the current
government. Under Soviet communism, the government paid for
electricity or the cost was negligible. Local AES manager
Piers Lewis must now train the entire population that in the
new market economy, customers have to pay for their electricity.
This means the people of Tbilisi must face the painful reality
that a significant portion of their already meager income
will have to go to paying their power bills. Most Georgian
citizens, large companies and even the Energy Minister choose
not to comply and devise ever more clever ways to obtain electricity
for free. Led by Lewis, AES now decides it must teach its
clients a harsh lesson by disconnecting nonpaying customers
from their electricity. In an environment of confrontation,
hot tempers, street rioting, pervasive corruption, and even
assassination, POWER TRIP takes viewers on a rollercoaster
ride as AES struggles to help build a modern nation from the
rubble of the Soviet collapse.
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Directed by Hany Abu-Assad
Produced in Palestine, 2002
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Rana wakes up one morning to an ultimatum delivered by her
father: She must either choose a husband from a pre-selected
list of eligible men, or she must accompany her father abroad.
RANA'S WEDDING is a romantic drama about a Palestinian girl
who wants to get married to the man of her own choice. With
only ten hours to find her boyfriend in occupied Jerusalem,
Rana sneaks out of her father's house at daybreak to find
her forbidden love, Khalil. Facing barriers and occupation
which have become an everyday reality, Rana overcomes her
fears and doubts, deciding not to let anyone control her life.
By the director of NAZARETH 2000 (HRWIFF 2001), RANA'S WEDDING
was shot entirely on location in East-Jerusalem and Ramallah.
Winner of the 2003 HRWIFF Nestor Almendros Prize for courage
in filmmaking.
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Directed by Norman Cowie
Produced in US, 2002
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A humorous and biting experimental documentary on militarism,
globalization, and the "war against terrorism."
Part meditation, part commentary, SCENES employs recontextualized
commercial images, rewritten news crawls, and original footage
and interviews to question received wisdom and common sense
assumptions about current American policies.
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Directed by Elaine Epstein
Produced in US, 2002
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"Does HIV cause AIDS? How can a virus cause a syndrome?
It can't!" -South African President Thabo Mbeki, August
2000. Through six intimate and powerful portraits, State of
Denial takes an unprecedented look at how the citizens of
South Africa are living with the AIDS epidemic, given the
climate of confusion and neglect perpetuated by President
Mbeki's administration. Revealing conversations with dozens
of South Africans adds context to these portraits, capturing
the unbreakable spirit of a people determined to conduct their
lives with dignity, grace, and humor. Producer/Director Elaine
Epstein, a native South African who has worked extensively
in AIDS and public health, offers a unique insider's look
at the complex issues affecting the nearly five million South
Africans living with HIV and AIDS. A film of quiet outrage,
State of Denial weaves the personal with the political to
create an uplifting portrait of ordinary people in an extraordinary
struggle to survive. Sundance Film Festival, 2003.
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Directed by Ramón Gieling
Produced in The Netherlands, 2002
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In WELCOME TO HADASSAH HOSPITAL director Ramón Gieling
takes a startling, close-up look at the individuals who make
up the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. Filmmaker Gieling cleverly
exposes the pulse of his film when he chooses as his main
character the charismatic, controversial and bluntly philosophical
Dr. Avi Rivkind who, along with his staff, must regularly
treat those affected by, and sometimes those involved in the
planning of the numerous suicide attacks which take place
in Israel. In a tangible twist of irony, victims and offenders
are often treated side by side. The doctors take the situation
for granted and make no distinction between their patients;
for the patients, the situation is more difficult to swallow.
A powerful film about integrity and humanity set against the
violence in Israel today.
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All
films and descriptions courtesy of Human Rights Watch |
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