DOCU­MENT­ARIST "Which Human Rights?" Film Festival

Since 2009, the DOCUMENTARIST “Which Human Rights?” Documentary Week has been organized on the occasion of Human Rights Day, December 10. Now in its 3rd year, the event has garnered independent film festival status. Focusing on children’s rights, this year’s “Which Human Rights?” Film Festival features more than 30 films dealing with human rights abuses and everyday struggles. Throughout the week, several parallel events will be organized with the participation of guests from abroad, including a children’s workshop, exhibition, panel discussion and forum theater workshop. With the support of the Dutch Consulate and the Consulate General of Sweden, all screenings and parallel events will take place at SALT Beyoğlu, Dutch Chapel and Tütün Deposu from December 6-10, 2011.

Films screened in the Walk-in Cinema

Our School
Mona Nicoara, Miruna Coca-Cozma
USA-Switzerland-Romania
2011, Color, 94’
Romanian with English & Turkish subtitles
December 6 (15.00)

Three Roma children from a small Transylvanian town participate in a project to desegregate the local school, struggling against indifference, tradition and bigotry with humor, optimism and sass. A captivating, bittersweet, and often funny story about hope and race.


Out of Reach
Director-Script: Jakub Stozek
Poland, 2010, Color, 30’
Polish with English & Turkish subtitles
December 6 (17.00)

In the basement of their block of flats, Karolina and Natalia seek refuge from their domineering father, reflecting on a sad childhood without their mother. When the younger sister’s poor eyesight starts to deteriorate, the girls decide to find Bożena, their mother, who left the family when they were young. Director Jakub Stożek accompanies Karolina on a journey to Paris to meet a mother the girls know only from the voice message left on the phone she never answers. Will Karolina be able to establish a bond with a mother she has not seen for fourteen years?


Bridge over the Wadi
Director-Script: Tomer Heymann*, Barak Heymann
Israel, 2006, Color, 55’
Hebrew & Arabic with English & Turkish subtitles
December 6 (17.30)
* With director’s participation

For the first time in Israel a group of Arab and Jewish parents decide to establish a conjoint bi-lingual school inside an Arab village. Some parents react by removing their children from school, while others, in attempts to strengthen the identities of their children, make the encounter of the two cultures even more difficult. Despite controversy, mutual suspicion and racist sentiments, as well as legal battles with the Ministry of Education and many other obstacles, the school has opened its doors; so far, it appears to be an amazing success. Bridge over the Wadi offers a very realistic alternative: one hundred children — Arab and Jewish — growing up side by side.


Unfinished Italy
Italy, 2011, Color, 30’
Italian with English & Turkish subtitles
Director-Script: Benoit Felici
December 6 (19.00)

“Unfinished buildings have the beauty of this which could have been. Of this which is not yet there. Of this which might be one day” (Inspired by Marc Augé’s Le temps en ruines). Italy, home of ruins: a foray into the unfinished, Italy’s most prominent architectural style between the end of World War II and the present day. Buildings in limbo between perfection and nothingness — given up on halfway through their construction, fallen into ruin before ever being used — are an integral part of an Italian architectural landscape that includes stadiums without audiences, hospitals without patients, theaters that after 50 years have not yet seen their premieres.


Grace, Milly, Lucy… Child Soldiers
Director-Script: Raymonde Provencher
Canada, 2010, Color, 72’
English with Turkish subtitles
December 6 (19.30)

The little-known tragedy of young girls abducted and trained to kill by Ugandan rebel troops. A journey into the painful pasts of Grace, Milly and Lucy, who must reconstruct their lives after they return from captivity. Three young women united in a common struggle tell the story of the horrors they have been made to endure.


The Marathon Boy
Director: Gemma Atwal
UK, 2010, Color, 98’
English & Hindu with Turkish subtitles
December 7 (15.00)

Gemma Atwal’s dynamic epic follows four-year-old Budhia, rescued from poverty by Biranchi Das, a larger-than-life judo coach and operator of an orphanage for slum children in the eastern Indian state of Orissa. When Budhia displays an uncommon talent for long-distance running, Biranchi nurtures his gift, heralding him as a folk hero for the impoverished masses — and maybe even for India itself. But after golden child Budhia breaks down during a world-record 65 kilometer run at the age of four, public opinion begins to turn on the guru and his disciple, and soon the two are swept up in a maelstrom of media controversy and political scandal.


Give up Tomorrow
Director-Script: Michael Collins
USA, 2011, Color, 95’
English with English & Turkish subtitles
December 7 (17.00)

On a stormy night in July 1997, two sisters disappear without a trace… Simultaneously a murder mystery and an exposé of endemic corruption in the Philippines today, Give Up Tomorrow takes an intimate look at the case of Paco Larrañaga, a student accused of murder on the provincial island of Cebu. The film exposes a Kafkaesque world populated by flamboyantly crooked public officials, cops on the take, and a frenzied legal and media circus. It’s also a drama focused on the near-mythic struggle of two angry, sorrowful mothers who have dedicated more than a decade to executing or saving one young man.


Tahtacı Fatma [Fatma of the Forest]
Director: Süha Arın
Turkey, 1979, Color, 28’
Turkish with English subtitles
December 7 (19.00)

Fatma of the Forest, a documentary first screened in 1979, the International Year of Children, reflects on the life, longings and fears of a 12-year-old “woodcutter” girl living in the forests of the Toros Mountains at an altitude of approximately 2000 meters. The film, aiming to symbolize the little-known but common practice of child labor with Fatma, achieves a dramatic portrayal of Ministry of Forestry laborers, workers completely deprived of social security.


The Nymphs of Hindu Kush
Director-Script: Anneta Papathanasiou
Greece, 2011, Color, 56’
English with English & Turkish subtitles
December 7 (19.30)

In the mountains of Hindu Kush, Pakistan, amongst 165 million Muslims unfolds the unique story of 4,000 Kalasha, members of an ancient tribe that worships nymphs, gods and fairies. Kalasha women are strong, lovable and, oddly enough, free. Shamim is the first woman who has managed to study at university. She dreams of working with Athanassios Lerounis, president of the NGO “Greek Volunteers” that organizes developmental and educational projects in her tribe’s region. Suddenly, however, Athanassios is kidnapped by the Taliban. His abduction fills the whole Kalasha tribe with deep sadness, insecurity and fear. Everything changes. How will the Kalasha women of Hindu Kush cope? What will become of Shamim and her dreams?


Little Voices
Director-Script: Jairo Eduardo Carrillo, Oscar Andrade
Colombia, 2010, Color, 75’
Spanish with English & Turkish subtitles
December 8 (15.00)
December 9 (17.00)

Little Voices is an animated documentary based on the interviews and drawings of a new generation of displaced children (8 to 13 years old) who have grown up in the middle of Colombia’s violence and chaos. These interviews shed light on how the children perceive reality; the stories have been illustrated and animated based on the children’s original drawings.


Samouni Street
Director: Tilde De Wandel
Palestine, 2010, Color, 13’
Arabic with English & Turkish subtitles
December 8 (17.00)

Samouni Street tells the story of four children of the extended Samouni family in the Zeitoun area of Gaza. During “Operation Cast Lead,” the Israeli attack on Gaza in the winter of 2008-2009, the Samouni family lost 29 members. In response to the attack, the children made drawings about what happened to their families. Of Samouni Street’s subjects, Mahmoud and Amal lost their father and little brother, Kanaan lost his father, and the parents of Mouna both died during an attack, while Mouna was sitting next to them.


Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark
Director: May Ying Welsh
Qatar-Bahrain-USA, 2010, Color, 51’
Arabic & English with English & Turkish subtitles
December 8 (17.15)

A country that appears to be forgotten by the world, its people at the mercy of a dictator. Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark reveals the dramatic and hopeless situation Bahrainian society faces. The people’s attempt to be one of the Arab Spring’s successors fails as a result of the ruthless and intransigent actions of their oppressors. Shot undercover in Bahrain over the course of three months, the film follows the saga of a people fighting for democratic rights and breaking the barriers of fear. The film is set foremost in the inside of a hospital where doctors and nurses attempt the impossible: to treat the interminable torrent of incoming wounded protesters and state militia with their last ounces of strength.


Cut
Director: Cemre Yeşil*
Turkey, 2010, Color, 30’
English with Turkish subtitles
December 8 (19.00)
* With director or team’s participation

Cut is a documentary about the impact of female genital cutting (FGC) on the individual and society. It is comprised of interviews with Gambians who live within this culture, with women who describe their pain and struggles, and with men who voice their feelings and opinions on the practice; as well as scenes from public declarations and community panels around FGC in Senegal.


Sarabah
Director-Script: Steven Lawrence*
Germany-Senegal, 2011, Color, 58’
English with Turkish subtitles
December 8 (19.30)
* With director or team’s participation

Rapper, singer and activist Sister Fa is hero to young women in Senegal and an unstoppable force for social change. A childhood victim of female genital cutting (FGC), she tackled the issue by starting the grassroots campaign “Education Without Excision,” which uses her music and persuasive powers to end the practice. Until 2010, there is one place Sister Fa has never brought her message: back home to her village of Thionck Essyl, where she fears rejection. Sarabah follows Sister Fa on this challenging journey, where she speaks out passionately to female elders and students alike, and stages a rousing concert that brings the community to its feet. A portrait of an artist-as-activist, Sarabah shows the extraordinary resilience, passion and creativity of a woman who boldly challenges.


Hiçbir Karanlık Unutturamaz [No Darkness Can Make Us Forget]
Director-Script: Hüseyin Karabey
Turkey, 2011, Color, 10’
Turkish with English subtitles
December 9 (15.00)

To the angry crowd that attended Hrant Dink’s funeral, Rakel Dink reads a letter she wrote to her husband. Her speech left a lasting mark on history. No Darkness Can Make Us Forget commemorates this moment using animated narration.


Neither Allah, Nor Master!
Director-Script: Nadia El Fani
Tunusia-France, 2011, Color, 75’
Arabic & French with English & Turkish subtitles
December 9 (15.10)

August 2010: Tunisia is in the middle of Ramadan under Ben Ali’s régime. Despite the weight of censorship, Nadia El Fani films a country that seems open to the principle of freedom of conscience and liberal in its relationship to Islam. Three months later, the Tunisian Revolution breaks out; Nadia is out in the field. While the Arab World enters an era of radical change, Tunisia, initiator of the winds of revolt, is once again a “laboratory country” for its outlook on religion. And what if, for once, a Muslim country opted for a secular constitution?


Child Brides
Director: Onat Esenman
Turkey, 2011, Color, 30’
English with Turkish subtitles
December 9 (19.00)

Each year, thousands of girls are forced into marriage with older men, for the most part in exchange for money. These girls, never having a chance to grow up, become “brides”. They drop out of school, are impoverished and suffer from physical as well as mental diseases.


The Road to Diyarbekir
Director-Script: Zaradasht Ahmed
Norveç / Norway, 2010, Color, 56’
Swedish & Kurdish with English & Turkish subtitles
December 9 (19.30)

Ciwan lives a quiet life as a husband and father in Gavle, Sweden, where few know he is a famous musician and folk hero amongst Kurds all over the world. When the Turkish government allows the country’s Kurds to celebrate their national day, “Newroz” (new day), Ciwan is invited to the symbolic hometown of the Kurdish people, Diyarbekir. Almost a million people excitedly await him in front of an improvised stage. After years and years of waiting, they will finally hear the song “Diyarbekir,” sung by the great performer for years blacklisted by the government. Ciwan has the opportunity to meet and talk to his people in his native language. His expression through music has given voice to the dreams of millions of Kurds; on the other hand, he also realizes the same music has prolonged his own exile.


Just Kids–I: Udin, Aram, Fatma
December 10 (12.00)

Udin
Director: Anneta Papathanasiou*
Greece, 2011, 3’49”
English with Turkish subtitles
* With director or team’s participation

At age 12, Udin’s widowed mother gives him to people smugglers to be taken out of Bangladesh, in the hope of giving him a better future. He ends up in Athens, where he lives on the streets. No one tells him how he can apply for a residence permit. Because Udin has never been to school, he is unable to understand or read Greek.

Aram
Director: Ayfer Ergün
The Netherlands, 2011, 2’50”
English with Turkish subtitles

Aram is born in a center for asylum seekers. As he suffers from asthma, the caravan the center provides his family proves detrimental to his health. In light of this, Aram’s family tries to apply for asylum in Denmark, but is sent back to the Netherlands. Since then, 12 years have passed. The family is now on the brink of being returned to Iraq. Aram is depressed and thinks it is all his fault.

Fatma
Director: Necati Sönmez
Turkey, 2011, 3’20”
English with Turkish subtitles

Fatma has grown up in Southern Turkey in underprivileged circumstances. Like many children in this situation, she is sent to work on the cotton plantations to earn extra money for her family. As a result, she misses much of her school year and her chances for a better life are seriously diminished.


Meet the Muthuku Family
Director: Carren Atieno Otieno
Holland, 2011, Color, 60’
Swahili & English with English & Turkish subtitles
December 10 (12.15)*
* With the participation of the producer

The Muthuku’s live in the Mukuru Kayaba slum in Nairobi. In 10 episodes, we meet a family that experiences both tragedy and happiness in everyday life. Meet Jacob, who shows that in an African slum, even going to the toilet is an ordeal. Learn the story of fourteen-year-old Faith. Raped by a neighbor, she now has to live with HIV. Get to know the daily joys and worries of father Ruben, a night guard, and mother Rhoda, a midwife. Their children, ranging from three months to 26 years old, show us where they go to school, where they work and how they spend their free time. Little Joshua reveals his strategies for surviving in the ghetto. Laugh, cry, pray and swing along with a bunch of very special Kenyans. Meet the Muthuku Family!


Ben Geldim Gidiyorum [I’ve Come and I’m Going]
Director: Metin Akdemir*
Turkey, 2011, Color, 15’
Turkish with English subtitles
December 10 (15.00)
* With director or team’s participation

This documentary explores the crowded, colorful sounds of İstanbul’s street vendors. One vendor sells cake on the street, one repairs quilts, one announces the discounts in the market. I’ve Come and I’m Going reveals how the human voice is used in marketing.


We Forgot to Come Back
Director: Fatih Akın
Germany, 2001, Color, 60’
German & Turkish with Turkish subtitles
December 10 (15.15)

We Forgot to Come Back is a documentary about Fatih Akın’s parents’ journey from Turkey to Germany. Through stories and interviews, Akın depicts the Turkish-German way of life. Calling his film an “immigration film,” Fatih Akın reveals elements of the German-Turkish identity that reach beyond stereotypes.


13 Bullets
Director: Deniz Oğuzsoy
Turkey, 2007, Color, 6’
Without dialogue
December 10 (17.00)

13 Bullets tells the story of Uğur Kaymaz, killed in Kızıltepe, Mardin when he was only 12 years old by the Turkish police – who later claimed that Uğur and his father, also killed, were involved in “terrorist activity”. However, 13 bullets were found on Uğur’s body, all fired from his back. His father was shot by 24 bullets. The documentary’s script was written by seven children.


Budrus
Director-Script: Julia Bacha*
Israel-Palestine-USA, 2009, Color, 70’
English with Turkish subtitles
December 10 (17.10)
* With director or team’s participation

Ayed Morrar, an unlikely community organizer, unites Palestinians from all political factions and Israelis in a non-violent movement to save his village from destruction by Israel’s Separation Barrier, which would take away the town’s only source of income, its olive trees. Victory seems improbable until his 15-year-old daughter, Iltezam, launches a women’s contingent that quickly moves to the front lines. In times of separation, Budrus is an inspiring documentary about coming together.


Samouni Street
Director: Tilde De Wandel
Palestine, 2010, Color, 13’
Arabic with English & Turkish subtitles
December 8 (19.00)

Samouni Street tells the story of four children of the extended Samouni family in the Zeitoun area of Gaza. During “Operation Cast Lead,” the Israeli attack on Gaza in the winter of 2008-2009, the Samouni family lost 29 members. In response to the attack, the children made drawings about what happened to their families. Of Samouni Street’s subjects, Mahmoud and Amal lost their father and little brother, Kanaan lost his father, and the parents of Mouna both died during an attack, while Mouna was sitting next to them.


Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark
Director: May Ying Welsh
Qatar-Bahrain-USA, 2010, Color, 51’
Arabic & English with English & Turkish subtitles
December 8 (19.15)

A country that appears to be forgotten by the world, its people at the mercy of a dictator. Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark reveals the dramatic and hopeless situation Bahrainian society faces. The people’s attempt to be one of the Arab Spring’s successors fails as a result of the ruthless and intransigent actions of their oppressors. Shot undercover in Bahrain over the course of three months, the film follows the saga of a people fighting for democratic rights and breaking the barriers of fear. The film is set foremost in the inside of a hospital where doctors and nurses attempt the impossible: to treat the interminable torrent of incoming wounded protesters and state militia with their last ounces of strength.