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Tri Continental Film Festival 2008
July 25 - 30, 2008
Goa, India
http://www.moviesgoa.org/page/tri_continental/
http://www.moviesgoa.org/tricon/schedule_2008.pdf
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Of Loss, Courage & Reconciliation
DAY 2 at the Tri Continental Film Festival
Saturday, 26th July 2008 - The common thread running through six films
screened at the Festival today was the Loss - Loss of culture, birth land,
family, freedom. As we negotiate a confusing and sometimes frightening path
through the rapidly changing dynamics of today's world it is easy to relate
to these stories of immense struggle and to step out at the end of the day
with a feeling of hope because we have seen powerful examples of the
strength and perseverance needed to survive even the most unjust and
heartbreaking of circumstances.
The morning's screening began at the Mandovi Hall, International Centre with
'The Women's Kingdom' directed by Xiaoli Zhou. This finely wrought
documentary is a sensitive portrayal of the extraordinary Mosuo women of
China - keepers of one of the last matriarchal societies in the world and of
their struggle to survive the onslaught of the 21st century and the social
pressure to conform to mainstream culture.
What happens when a native tribe is overthrown and then relegated to a
'reservation'? Director Maria Correa and Karane Ikpeng tell the story of a
tribe of native Ikpeng Indians in Brazil who enact for the younger
generation their 'incarceration' by white men, in 'Pirinop, My First Contact'
in an effort to get them involved in a fight to reclaim their birth land. It
is fundamentally a story of people in power making choices and decisions for
the disenfranchised- even if seemingly well-meaning, and the ripple of
consequences this creates that reaches from the past to drag back and keep
future generations tied to poverty and confusion about their identity. A
story that we have seen and continue to see repeated in countries the world
over - from colonial rule to governments in which the poor, marginalized and
'indigenous tribes' do not have a say even about their own future.
Back at the Maquinez Palace, the afternoon began with a film that follows
the Rwandan conflict into the post-conflict period. Last year we screened a
film 'Shaking Hands with the Devil', which boldly exposed the UN's and the
world's inability or unwillingness to do what was needed to stop the Rwandan
genocide. This year, 'In the Tall Grass' portrays Rwanda's search for
redemption. Director J. Coll Metcalfe explores the challenges countries face
in attempting the transition from violence to peace through the story of a
genocide survivor who tries to find justice for her slain family using the
traditional community courts called gacaca, a historic process in Rwanda's
efforts to move forward from horror of its past. It is an amazing example of
how a community where the victims and survivors of the genocide do not allow
the destructive spiral of revenge to ruin their hope for peace and
reconciliation. The film also raised the issue of how different peoples and
countries view justice and retribution.
Directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg 'The Devil Came on Horseback'
captures the turmoil and genocide in Darfur through stark and terrifying
footage shot by a former U.S. Marine who lands a job as an unarmed military
observer taking photographs for the African Union. It portrays his extreme
frustration and helplessness at getting anyone with the power to stop it, to
do so. The question on everyone's lips was 'How can the world stand by and
watch?' and 'What can we do to prevent it happening again?' Beginning with
the action each one of us can take in our own states to raise awareness and
fight for people who are wronged and discriminated against.
The evening ended with the raw, earthy sounds of hip hop. Pumping with the
beat of the legendary club BASE, 'Hip-Hop Revolution' directed by Weeam
Williams explores the 25 year journey of this African American art form in
South Africa, and how it gave the youth a medium to express themselves and
incite black pride through the insurgence of black consciousness and the
political uprising of the '80s. (ENDS)
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