Human rights film festival to hold ninth edition

Feature films, documentaries, short films and even concerts will be showcased during the 8-day festival paying tribute to human rights protection scheduled for September 22 to 28 at the Marubi film school.
TIRANA, Sept. 18 – Czech Republic director Petr Hatle will be in Tirana on Sept. 22 to introduce his “The Great Night” documentary which opens the ninth edition of the International Human Rights Film Festival in Albania. The documentary is a study of the modern-day phenomenon of night life and sleeplessness. Using authentic portraits of characters living in the dark “half-world” of Prague non-stop bars, gambler houses and night clubs, the living space and community of people of the “eternal night” is mapped.
Feature films, documentaries, short films and even concerts will be showcased during the 8-day festival paying tribute to human rights protection scheduled for September 22 to 28 at the Marubi film school.
“From more than 400 films submitted from all over the world, our audience will be watching 46 films. Movie themes and issues have been selected to reflect the concerns within our own society, such as corruption, organized crime, the rule of law and trafficking, domestic violence, the abuse of children, etc. At the same time, we have tried to choose films that are forbidden to be screened in their countries of origin,” says Kujtim ȡshku, the festival’s executive director.
“This year the dedication day of IHRFFA is related to the digital revolution. Every day we realize how rapidly, the means of disseminating information and of communication and education have been changing in the XXI century. The challenge of these “Cyber realities” is a calling to effectively give a voice to those who are seeking to share their vision of human experience within the protection of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” adds ȡshku.
Theodore S. Orlin, the festival’s honorary president, a Professor of human rights at the Utica College, New York, describes the festival as a remarkable and continuing achievement.
“The IHRFFA has become an enduring tradition that continues to bring together filmmakers, human rights advocates, students, foreign guests, and the people of Tirana to celebrate the promotion and observance of human rights,” he says.
“This year’s festival emphasis deals with issues that are contemporary, a relatively recent phenomenon that may very well impact the very future of human rights and the respect for human dignity for eons to come. The age of the computer, the internet, social media and the accompanying practices by governments, human rights advocates and businesses provides both opportunities for the promotion of human rights and threats to our privacy and freedom of expression,” he adds.
Human Rights in Albania have been an important issue to be solved during the years of transition, organizers say. “Despite the taken measures, there are still serious human rights violations in the Albanian society. Several organizations operate in this field with their methodology dealing mainly with sensitizing seminars, awareness campaigns, services offered to the people, etc.”
The International Human Rights Film Festival in Albania (IHRFFA) comes with a new way of educating people with the human rights concepts. Constituted as a cultural platform for the dissemination and awareness rising of the people on human rights issues, it operates through using image as its instrument.
IHRFFA includes in its program documentary and fiction movies dealing with human rights that are sensitive especially to the Albanian society. This event brings to the public’s attention similar experiences from all over the world and by using image as its tool, the impact is stronger and direct.