November 05, 2014

Human Rights Watch film festival

located:	Kenya
editor:	Vanessa Ellingham

Next week the fourth Human Rights Watch film festival in Nairobi will begin, with a programme of films chosen to spark debate and encourage action.

Nairobi, home to a flourishing number of NGOs which focus on Africa, is an apt spot for a film festival which critically reflects on how human rights are upheld around the world.

“This year’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival in Nairobi brings an array of thought-provoking films that raise issues ranging from the rights of women and sexual minorities to murky dealings of oil corporations and the scope of international justice,” said Laetitia Bader, researcher at Human Rights Watch and coordinator of the 2014 Nairobi screenings. “These films give voice to people who courageously risk their lives and freedom to challenge abuse of power, discrimination, and injustice.”

The festival is co-sponsored by Africa Center for Open Governance, Amnesty International, Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Kenya), Center for Reproductive Rights Inuka Kenya, National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC), and PAWA 254.

"Each film will be followed by a panel discussion or a question-and-answer session featuring activists, lawyers, and doctors who will engage the audience in debating the film’s relevance to the situation in Kenya, and the possible solutions and engagements that might contribute to a more just and rights-respecting world."