First session related to the days of «Rights and Freedom Cinema».

Human Rights on the big screen in Tunisia

First session related to the days of «Rights and Freedom Cinema»

Thala – El Kef - Tunis

From the 16th to the 24th, March 2013.

Tunisia, February 16th, 2013

The Africa and Mediterranean Association for Culture, the Arab Institute for Human Rights and the Cinema Coalition Association (Alliance Ciné) organize the first session of the days related to the «Rights and Freedom Cinema» with the support of the European Union and the Ministry of Culture as well as the Municipality of El Kef and with the participation of some organizations and national and regional associations .This session is held from the 16th to the 24th of March, 2013 in the cities of Thala, El Kef and Tunis.

Within an entire changing cultural climate and the legitimate access to freedom, the issue of respect for Human Rights and democratic principles, is raised more than ever. The purpose of the first session is to support the civic awareness through initiatives that aims at promoting freedom of expression and diversity of opinion. In fact, this event seeks to mobilize and gather all relevant cultural activists and associations working on the promotion of Human Rights.

The days of «Rights and Freedom Cinema» combine two fundamental elements, namely: Human Rights and culture. They aim at sensitizing the largest possible number of people to respect Human Rights, and supporting the activities of the activists of civil society (among journalists, Human Rights defenders and Academics).

In the program:

The first session will be an opportunity to discover documentary films on Human Rights, and to honour artists in various artistic and cultural fields (cinema, music, plastic art, etc. ...) that defend Human Rights. Training workshops, table talks and discussion meetings will be organized during the days of the event.

Discussions will contribute to promote a culture of dialogue in Tunisia. The programmed films tend to provide experiences in the struggle for Gender equality, the peaceful revolutions, minority rights and refugee issues, etc... These days will allow to further identify examples from other countries.

The days of the first session will devote most of its program to Palestine and will invite Palestinian artists, including the famous Cinematograph Michel Khlayfi and Rashid Machharaoui or young hip-hop group «Darg Team» from Gaza.

During the opening and the closing ceremonies two recent documentaries will be presented: the opening ceremony will perform the film "Land of the story" by Rashid Machharaoui in his second World presentation after Abu Dhabi Festival and with the presence of his Filmmaker, while the closing film will be «five Brocken Cameras» which was nominated for the Oscar Award in 2013 and Directed by both Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi.

Besides, two musicians the Didier Awadi (from Senegal) and Smockey (from Burkina Faso), will participate in the days of «Rights and Freedom Cinema». Both artists are committed to Human Rights in Africa and will have an artistic intervention in the closing ceremony on Sunday March 24th. They will also intervene throughout the Human Rights Day related to Africa on Saturday March 23rd, which will be organized in collaboration with the Association of African Students and Trainees in Tunisia (AESAT).

This session will host the Italian Filmmaker Stefano Savona who proved throughout his glorious career not only his great sense but also his possession of the cinematographic tools. In the program, there is also a performance of his two recent films: «Diary of a Kurdish fighter» and «Reinforced Bullet».

The Days will give a special attention to the rights of the child through documentaries dealing with this subject in countries such as Burkina Faso, Iraq and India. Several workshops in the field of plastic arts will also be organized for the benefit of primary school pupils.

Refugee issues will be among the selected topics during these days. In this regard, we suggest to the attendance a special program which will be organized in collaboration with the Association «Tunisia Land of Asylum » on Thursday March 21st, 2013.

We will be also interested in the feminist struggle; in that there will be performed films either from Tunisia or from the women's prison in Afghanistan dealing with these issues. You will also enjoy watching documentary films talking about the status of women, ending with a meeting / discussion with the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women.

It will be expected that some participations either of many figures of the civil society or artists who are committed to Human Rights, will enrich this program through their interventions depending on suggested movies, music and other artistic expression.

A tribune for cooperation between the associations:

Before the festival, an important work has been fulfilled to mobilize the activists in the civil society working in the field of Human Rights in order to create a Network related to militant associations. Many partners joined this project: including the Tunisian League for Human Rights, the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women, the Amnesty International branch of Tunisia, the Tunisian film clubs federation, the Tunisian federation of amatory filmmakers, the Association of processes for an alternative Culture, the Association Alwan Al Hurriya (Colors of Freedom), the Association of African Students and Trainees in Tunisia (AESAT), the Tunisian women Association for development research, the Tunisian League of Voter Women, the Association «Tunisia Land of Asylum » and local associations like the Thala Association of solidarity , Arts for Cinema and theater Association in El Kef and the Association of maintenance and development of El Kef city. On this occasion we thank all cultural spaces that have accepted to host such event; such as the House Culture Ibn Rachik, the House Culture in Thala and the Center of Dramatic and Cinematographic Arts in El Kef.

Since the first session of the days of «Rights and Freedom Cinema» in Thala, El Kef and Tunis is considered as a means of defending Human Rights and a tool for public education to raise awareness, it is therefore a concern in permanent progress not only opened but also has multiple entries and even qualified to continue in the cultural calendar of the country.

Contact:

Project Coordinator: Mohamed Challouf

(216)97.125.460 + This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Attached to the press for the project, Rym Saoudi

96508410 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Africa and the Mediterranean Association for Culture

19 Commandant Bejaoui street , 4000 Sousse - Tunisia

www.herglacinema.org +(216)97.125.460

Arab Institute for Human Rights, Samir Bouaziz

54, Golfe Arabe street, El Menzah VIII, Ariana, Zip Code 2037, Tunisia

Phone: (216)92.553.971/(216)20.397.382

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Alliance Ciné

115, Saint Dominique street / 75007 Paris / France

Introducing:

- Africa and Mediterranean Association for Culture:

The Africa and Mediterranean Association for Culture works in order to build a bridge between the cultures of South and those of the North. It is based in Sousse, the capital of the Tunisian region of Sahel, and has a branch in Tunis. The organization aims to gather people from different horizons on cultural and humanitarian values such as: the passion for cinema and the arts, openness to other cultures, preparation for exchange and dialogue, faith in culture as a factor of development and peace among people. Since seven years, it has organized Hergla Film meeting.

www.herglacinema.org

- Arab Institute for Human Rights:

Introducing the Institute

The Arab Institute for Human Rights is an independent Arab non-governmental organization based in Tunisia, founded in 1989, at the initiative of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, the Arab Lawyers Union and the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights, and with the support of the United Nations Centre for Human Rights. The Institute has received the UNESCO International Award for Human Rights education for the year 1992.

Strategy:

Strengthen the continuity of the Institute as a house of expertise in the field of Human Rights education.

Develop the models and the working methodologies related to Human Rights and democratic transition and spread such methods in the Arab region.

Objectives:

The Arab Institute for Human Rights aims to disseminate the civil, political, cultural, economic and social culture of Human Rights, as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international conventions and to reinforce the capacities of Arab non-governmental organizations in the confirmation of democratic values and citizenship.

- Association « Thala region of solidarity »:

«Thala region of solidarity» is an organization that aims to support development in the Thala region which is located in the west of Tunisia at about 250 km from Tunis, and belongs to the City of Kasserine since 1956. It is indeed a municipality with a population of 40 thousands.

Many native members from Thala get involved in this association, along with other people whose desire is to encourage development in this region.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

- «Alliance Ciné» Association :

The «Alliance Ciné» Association (coalition of Cinema) which was created in 2000 according to the law 1901, seeks to set up, consolidate and implement projects related to the reinforcement of solidarity and help those who are involved in such project through audio-visual tools. Since ten years, the International Festival of Cinema of Human Rights (FIFDH) in Paris is considered the most important permanent cultural event on Human Rights held by that association. In 2007 the «Alliance Ciné» Association organized the first session of the International Film Festival for Human Rights in Paris in both cities Lomé (Togo) and Bangui (Central Africa Republic) ,with the support of the European Union , the International Francophone Organization and the United Nations Program for Development (PNUD).

In fact, these two artistic manifestations have attracted respectively more than 6 thousand and 10 thousand spectators. «Alliance Ciné» Association organized the first session of the International Film Festival for Human Rights in Yaoundé in April 2011, and also prepared the two first sessions of Tunisia and Madagascar in 2012. Indeed, the «Alliance Ciné» Association has founded and managed the Human Rights Film Network since 2004, which is an international network that attracts film festivals for the sake of defending Human Rights.

www.festival-droitsdelhomme.org

- European Union:

The European Union consists of 27 States members who decided to compile gradually their expertise, resources and destiny. They built together, over a period of expansion that lasted more than 50 years, an area of stability, democracy and sustainable development while maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms.

The European Union is determined to share its achievements and values with countries and peoples beyond its borders through its engagement in this festival.