March 4, 2008
Rebecca Sommer's 'Indigenous Peoples' Documentary will be Screened at Montreal Human Rights Film Festival
By David M. Kinchen
Editor, Huntingtonnews.net
An "eye-opening and heartfelt" documentary made by New York City-based filmmaker and human rights advocate Rebecca Sommer will be screened March 29, 2008 at the Montreal Human Rights Film Festival. Sommer's activities with indigenous peoples around the world have been covered extensively by Huntingtonnews.net for the past few years.
What can you do when your land has been taken away from you, your culture destroyed and your language is dying? How does it feel when history books describe your ancestors as savages and the people who killed and displaced them are portrayed as heroes? Where can you go with your grievances, when the courts will not take your cases and the polices treat you as an enemy? When disaster strikes and atrocities are committed, the world looks to the United Nations to intervene, react and to help, but for the longest time, the doors of the UN were closed to indigenous peoples and for decades they were left to fend for themselves.
These are some of the issues raised in the awareness raising film "Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations Vol. 1." The film brings to life a truly historic moment for indigenous peoples from around the world. It is a story of hope. Now, with their foot in the door, the indigenous peoples of the world want to make a difference and influence the actions of the United Nations, indigenous peoples face significant impediments to exerting control over their futures, Sommers told HNN.
"While the Permanent Forum on indigenous issues has the opportunity to serve as an important catalyst, history will determine whether it ensures that the voices of the indigenous peoples are heard, and if it achieves real change and protections for indigenous peoples," she added.
Sommer is frustrated with the latest rules by the UN PFII, which institute more restrictions for indigenous peoples to show their issues in film format: "It is against Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the UN itself!" she told HNN.
The film, which received the New York Festivals International Film & Video Finalist Award, will be screened at 3 p.m., March 29 at the Cinema du Parc in Montreal. It will also be screened on Wednesday, March 5 at the Sixth Annual Oxford Brookes University Human Rights Film Festival.
Sommer explained the back story of the documentary:
"I was commissioned to create this 30 minute long film for the UNPFII secretariat to promote the newly established UNPFII, and to raise awareness on indigenous issues to a specific target audience: Politicians and diplomats - within the U.N. system.
"As an independent filmmaker and human rights advocate I deeply regret that there are new "guidelines" (rules) regarding side events for the next session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues:
Representatives of Civil Society (NGOs, Indigenous Peoples etc) can no longer show videos + films at their side events.
Instead - they have to find another host:
Film-screenings must be sponsored by a government or a UN department/agency/fund or programme.
(Guidelines for side events are posted on the PFII website - in English only)
I wonder, are these new guidelines in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media ...."
*****
Editor's Note: For more on Rebecca Sommer's activities and coverage on www.huntingtonnews.net, use the HNN search engine with the key words "Rebecca Sommer."
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Rebecca Sommer's 'Indigenous Peoples' Documentary will be Screened at Montreal Human Rights Film Festival
By David M. Kinchen
Editor, Huntingtonnews.net
An "eye-opening and heartfelt" documentary made by New York City-based filmmaker and human rights advocate Rebecca Sommer will be screened March 29, 2008 at the Montreal Human Rights Film Festival. Sommer's activities with indigenous peoples around the world have been covered extensively by Huntingtonnews.net for the past few years.
What can you do when your land has been taken away from you, your culture destroyed and your language is dying? How does it feel when history books describe your ancestors as savages and the people who killed and displaced them are portrayed as heroes? Where can you go with your grievances, when the courts will not take your cases and the polices treat you as an enemy? When disaster strikes and atrocities are committed, the world looks to the United Nations to intervene, react and to help, but for the longest time, the doors of the UN were closed to indigenous peoples and for decades they were left to fend for themselves.
These are some of the issues raised in the awareness raising film "Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations Vol. 1." The film brings to life a truly historic moment for indigenous peoples from around the world. It is a story of hope. Now, with their foot in the door, the indigenous peoples of the world want to make a difference and influence the actions of the United Nations, indigenous peoples face significant impediments to exerting control over their futures, Sommers told HNN.
"While the Permanent Forum on indigenous issues has the opportunity to serve as an important catalyst, history will determine whether it ensures that the voices of the indigenous peoples are heard, and if it achieves real change and protections for indigenous peoples," she added.
Sommer is frustrated with the latest rules by the UN PFII, which institute more restrictions for indigenous peoples to show their issues in film format: "It is against Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the UN itself!" she told HNN.
The film, which received the New York Festivals International Film & Video Finalist Award, will be screened at 3 p.m., March 29 at the Cinema du Parc in Montreal. It will also be screened on Wednesday, March 5 at the Sixth Annual Oxford Brookes University Human Rights Film Festival.
Sommer explained the back story of the documentary:
"I was commissioned to create this 30 minute long film for the UNPFII secretariat to promote the newly established UNPFII, and to raise awareness on indigenous issues to a specific target audience: Politicians and diplomats - within the U.N. system.
"As an independent filmmaker and human rights advocate I deeply regret that there are new "guidelines" (rules) regarding side events for the next session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues:
Representatives of Civil Society (NGOs, Indigenous Peoples etc) can no longer show videos + films at their side events.
Instead - they have to find another host:
Film-screenings must be sponsored by a government or a UN department/agency/fund or programme.
(Guidelines for side events are posted on the PFII website - in English only)
I wonder, are these new guidelines in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media ...."
*****
Editor's Note: For more on Rebecca Sommer's activities and coverage on www.huntingtonnews.net, use the HNN search engine with the key words "Rebecca Sommer."
Make HNN Your Homepage (IE Users Only)
