Human Rights Film Festival Held In The Netherlands

A Human Rights film festival was held in The Hague, The Netherlands, on May 19, offering filmmakers and attendees the chance to shed light on human rights issues around the world through cinema.

"The screening of these movies sheds light on the situations in various countries where human rights violations take place," Global Human Rights Defense (GHRD), an international non-governmental organization that organized the event, said.

At the film festival, a variety of films were shown highlighting the plight of human rights in various countries and regions.

A woman who escaped the Uyghur internment camps was the subject of the film From Xinyang to the Netherlands.

"The atrocities she has faced, such as forced sterilization, remain out of focus in China due to the absence of freedom of the press," according to the Global Human Rights Defense (GHRD).

Never Forget Tibet is the Dalai Lama's account of how he escaped Tibet in 1959 and arrived in India. A human rights issue in Tibet is depicted in the film.

Human Rights Focus Pakistan produced the documentary Life in Darkness which depicted the systematic plight of Pakistan's ethnic minorities. Minorities in Pakistan are dwindling as a result of the country's repression, extremism, and fundamentalism.

The film festival also featured panel discussions, which were attended primarily by students. As a way to address human rights challenges, the international community was discussed.

"Many situations might only move in a positive direction when more international pressure is applied,"GHRD stated, adding,"Supporting NGOs to inform people locally in countries where human rights are on the rise is also an important issue. Through the language of films, awareness can be raised, which we hope to see reflected in the power and impact of future generations". It was attended by 460 members from the GHRD network, as well as visitors who learned about the event on social media.

"315 students attended our Film festival, 77 students from Leiden University, 87 students from The Hague University of Applied Sciences, 47 students from Utrecht University, 51 students from the University of Amsterdam, 9 students from Maastricht University, 30 students from the Erasmus University Rotterdam and 5 students from the University of Groningen,” GHRD said.

Also in attendance were officials from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a number of other embassies from countries such as Switzerland; the United Kingdom; Tunisia; and Peru.

As a non-governmental organization, Global Human Rights Defense (/topic/global-human-rights-defense) is dedicated to promoting and preserving human rights globally.