Dersim Human Rights Film Festival kicks off 25 May
Dersim Human Rights Film Festival kicks off 25 May
Second International Dersim Human Rights Film Festival will take place from 25 to 29 May with the slogan “cinema amidst four mountains”. Preparations are still underway for the festival which will consist of films and documentaries exploring the themes of “human rights, child, woman and nature”.
The festival, which calls attention for being organized in a city without a proper cinema house, is also essential for being the first human rights themed festival in Turkey.
The Human Rights Film Festival, hosted by Dersim Municipality, will include Turkish as well as foreign movies, panel discussions, city tour, cinema workshop for children as well as many other events.
Giving information about the festival, Program Coordinator Mesopotamian Cinema Collective member Meral Balýk says that; “It is of great importance and value to organize a human rights themed culture and art festival in Dersim region which has witnessed great slaughters and violations of human rights.” Balýk notes that this year’s program will host more movies and audience than last year when more than 60 movies were presented to some eight thousand people.
Balýk remarks that the directors of the films to be displayed in the festival attach importance to presenting their works in this festival.
“As we are organizing a film festival in a city with no cinema house, we do not know whether to laugh or cry. However, we will for sure look at the positive side with a hope to enable this city to earn a cinema house through this festival”, says Balýk and underlines that supporting young movie makers is one of the most prominent targets of all components of the festival. Balýk continues pointing out that Dersim has raised dozens of young cinema workers, directors and writers so far.
We also attach great importance to short-length films, adds Balýk and notes that some of the films will be displayed out into the open.
Balýk ends expressing the festival’s sensitivity to the environment as follows; “Dersim is a wonderful region in the midst of mountains and near the Munzur valley. In this respect, we expect the film displays in the open area to give a great joy to the people. One other point that we attach importance to is to voice our objection to the building of dams in Dersim region. We have therefore given priority to the films concerning hydroelectric power plants.”
The festival, which calls attention for being organized in a city without a proper cinema house, is also essential for being the first human rights themed festival in Turkey.
The Human Rights Film Festival, hosted by Dersim Municipality, will include Turkish as well as foreign movies, panel discussions, city tour, cinema workshop for children as well as many other events.
Giving information about the festival, Program Coordinator Mesopotamian Cinema Collective member Meral Balýk says that; “It is of great importance and value to organize a human rights themed culture and art festival in Dersim region which has witnessed great slaughters and violations of human rights.” Balýk notes that this year’s program will host more movies and audience than last year when more than 60 movies were presented to some eight thousand people.
Balýk remarks that the directors of the films to be displayed in the festival attach importance to presenting their works in this festival.
“As we are organizing a film festival in a city with no cinema house, we do not know whether to laugh or cry. However, we will for sure look at the positive side with a hope to enable this city to earn a cinema house through this festival”, says Balýk and underlines that supporting young movie makers is one of the most prominent targets of all components of the festival. Balýk continues pointing out that Dersim has raised dozens of young cinema workers, directors and writers so far.
We also attach great importance to short-length films, adds Balýk and notes that some of the films will be displayed out into the open.
Balýk ends expressing the festival’s sensitivity to the environment as follows; “Dersim is a wonderful region in the midst of mountains and near the Munzur valley. In this respect, we expect the film displays in the open area to give a great joy to the people. One other point that we attach importance to is to voice our objection to the building of dams in Dersim region. We have therefore given priority to the films concerning hydroelectric power plants.”
