The past six days at the jubilee 30th Sarajevo Film Festival were a special experience for young people from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Human Rights Day program, which is organized as part of the Sarajevo Film Festival in partnership with the Institute for Youth Development KULT and the Network of Young European Ambassadors (YEA), gave the participants the opportunity to face human rights issues directly through film screenings and discussions.
“I had a great time!”, “Wonderful experiences, a lot of knowledge and wonderful people!”, “A great experience that I would love to repeat!”, are just some of the impressions shared by the young people after completing the program. For the third year in a row, the Human Rights Day program brings together young activists from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, providing them with a platform to discuss human rights and the impact of art in addressing important social issues.
This special program emphasized the importance of film, art and culture as tools for creating a space to discuss sensitive topics. During the six-day program, the participants watched some of the most significant film productions that, in a direct way, opened the issues of human rights violations. Among the films were titles such as “Milk” by director Stephanie Kolk, “Diaries from Lebanon” by director Myriam El Hajj, and “GAIA” by authors Nermin Hamzagić and Enis Čišić.
“The Sky Above Zenica”, a film that particularly delighted the audience, was shown as part of the 16th Human Rights Day, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The film, directed by Nanna Frank Møller and Zlatko Pranjić, thematizes the efforts of activists from Zenica to expose the real impact of the local ironworks on the environment, despite the support of the authorities and European investors. The screening of the film caused strong reactions, and it was followed by a panel discussion on the topic “Investment in tomorrow: Who owns the future?” moderated by journalist and director Robert Zuber.
In addition to film screenings, the program included a series of dynamic panels and workshops. Through topics such as statelessness in the panel “Being Invisible. Living in the Shadow of Statelessness”, organized in cooperation with UNHCR, participants explored the problems faced by stateless persons. The panel “Human Rights in Times of Uncertainty” focused on the challenges for human rights in an age of populism and authoritarian governments, while the panel “The F word(s): Feminism, Femicide, Freedom”, organized in partnership with UN Women, opened the discussion about feminism, femicide and freedom. Participants also discussed rebuilding trust and security after conflict at the panel “In the Aftermath of Conflict – Rebuilding Trust and Security.”
Young people had the opportunity to participate in the Memory Walk with historian Nicolas Molla, visit the BiH History Museum and explore the exhibitions Yughost and Pleonexia II – Stolen Future at Europe House.
The jubilee 30th Sarajevo Film Festival showed that it is not only a film event, but also a platform for the young generation that is looking for ways to change society through its involvement. This year, the Human Rights Day program once again proved that art can be a powerful tool in raising awareness in society and motivating young people to become active citizens.
Young people from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina had a rare opportunity to learn from experienced filmmakers, exchange opinions, and develop their ideas on how to create a better and fairer society for all of us during the six days of the festival. Considering the positive reactions of the participants, this program proved to be a key segment of the Sarajevo Film Festival and proved its value in encouraging change and raising awareness of human rights.
Photo credit: Europe House, Sarajevo Film Festival
Source: mladi.org
