From exiled Sudanese dancing and singing amid a devastating war to passionate theatre makers speaking up against patriarchy in the Egyptian countryside to Ethiopian women facing Chinese industrialization — this year's selection at theGeneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), on till March 16, invites audiences to explore human rights issues that communities across Africa are experiencing and tackling.
For 23 years, FIFDH has invited filmmakers, activists, and artists worldwide to gather in Geneva — often called the human rights capital — coinciding with the annual UN Human Rights Council meeting. "The spirit of the festival is to bring another point of view through films that look at the reality, but with an angle that can make us think differently and put ourselves in the shoes of somebody else in a different situation," Editorial co-director Laura Longobardi tells OkayAfrica.Since its inception in 2003, the festival has expanded beyond the confines of its venues to reach underserved communities that face economic, social, or health barriers. Its programming now extends to hospitals, prisons, refugee shelters, schools, and surrounding municipalities. "A film can open discussions and conversations which are important for democracy, for changing your point of view, for learning," says Longobardi.
The question of whose point of view gets platformed is also onBaloji's mind. Since his debut feature, Omen (Augure), debuted at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Un Certain Regard New Voice Prize, the Congolese Belgianmusician and filmmaker has been navigating the expectations and limitations of the film industry. Despite previous challenging experiences as a juror, he accepted a chair on this year's FIFDH jury.
"This festival stands for something totally different because it's fighting for human rights," he tells OkayAfrica. "Being a juror can be difficult because it's difficult to agree with people different from you. It's always the movie that makes consensus and is thought to please a wide audience that wins."Baloji does not believe this “consensus” often includes African ways of seeing the world through many viewpoints rather than following the classical European hero narrative. This conundrum is important in an industry where everyone competes for large sums of money. "Film is a rich people's game," he says. "To make it and to watch it. And what we (in Africa) lack the most is our own funding resources. We have to please the European gaze or the Saudi Arabian gaze. It's a soft power game."
To open up opportunities for filmmakers with a strong human rights focus, FIFDH has created the Impact Days initiative, an industry program through which filmmakers meet NGOs and foundations that can help them create impact campaigns that go beyond traditional film distribution.
Photo courtesy of the Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights.
Baloji believes in speaking truth to power in a highly competitive film industry that requires African creatives to explain their cultures when they should be able to make films from their own viewpoints instead. He believes in playing with subtleties and creativity rather than naming things for Western understanding.
As a jury member, Baloji seeks a film that "cracks the code: playing the game and delivering something honest and truthful." He is making a conscious effort to give more flowers and help kickstart the careers of traditionally overlooked individuals, especially in Africa. He is realistic about the impact a film can have in Congo, Sudan, or Palestine. "If I'm very honest, I don't think film can change a nation," he says. "It can plant a seed. Movies changed my life in a very subtle way and made me understand certain situations. But I don't think it would change the masses."
Despite this sobering assessment, this year's program boldly addresses the world's most pressing issues, from war to the rise of fascism, climate change and cis-heteropatriarchy. The goal is to help audiences understand pressing matters, take a step back, and understand how we got here and what we can do better.
Photo courtesy of the Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights.
"Our programming gives audiences the capacity to go deeper and try to understand how things can make sense, because sometimes, just reading the news, it's hard to think that they do make sense." - Laura Longobardi
Two African films are competing in the creative documentary selection.Khartoum prompts the festival's focus on Sudan, the world's worst humanitarian crisis, which will only be exacerbated by PresidentDonald Trump'scuts to life-saving humanitarian aid. The Brink of Dreams, which has previously received funding through the Impact Days, follows a theater troupe of Coptic village girls. Their plays, rooted in Upper Egyptian folklore, address issues like early marriage, domestic violence and girls' education.
Other African film screenings areSoundtrack to a coup d'etat,Eat Bitter andMade in Ethiopia. The latter two will prompt discussions on economic, cultural and social rights in the face of Chinese and Russian development in Africa. "These are neglected rights within the sphere of human rights, but they are critical when thinking about countries that have to prioritize feeding a population and raising it from a level of poverty which is unbearable," explains Longobardi. Can there be collaborative development with fair salaries and equal rights, or is this foreign presence a new colonization?Photo courtesy of the Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights.
The 23rd edition of FIFDH will screen five African films.
Most African submissions to the festival tell environmental stories, showing how Africa is at the forefront of climate catastrophes. Another common theme is the need for young people to leave their home countries for a better future elsewhere. Still, optimism and hope shine through these stories, which are intended to map constructive ways forward.
"We are really keen on African content," says Longobardi. "There is so much potential from young people. Africa is where we should focus our attention and energy to support as much as we can."
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