The 7th Karama Beirut Human Rights Film Festival
The 7th Karama Beirut Human Rights Film Festival was held under the title “Hold on“, emphasizing the need to “adhere to the fundamentals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and on diversity and inclusion of marginalized groups”. Despite the clarity of the texts of this international charter, its “true understanding and practice are subject to much misinterpretations and various obstacles, which leads to the practical deprivation of these rights”.
The festival, in its 7th edition (October 5-8, 2023), screened 13 films from various countries. These films aimed to restore clarity to the practice of human rights by preserving human dignity and diversity, which are fundamental principles in our Arab countries. The films included both fictional and documentary works, translated into English and Arabic. They covered a range of topics such as diversity, inclusion of marginalized groups, workers’ and refugees’ rights, women’s rights, war, migration, and slavery.
During the festival, post-screening discussions were organized with guest directors, providing an opportunity for further exploration and dialogue. Additionally, a training workshop on “Refuting common media myths and fallacies about people with disabilities” was conducted. This workshop was filmed and recorded and proved beneficial to Lebanese students.
Among the participating films, notable works included “Goldfishes,” which won the Arab Network for Human Rights Films (ANHAR) Award for the best human rights film in 2022. Other films included “Under the Fig Trees” by Tunisian director Erige Sehiri, “Heroic Bodies” by Sudanese director Sara Suleiman, “Anxious in Beirut” by Lebanese director Zakariya Jaber, and “Borderline” by French directors Antoine Bonzon and Benoit Bizard in collaboration with the ANHAR network and the Karama Human Rights Films Festival in Jordan.
