ORDER OF SCREENINGS:
11am – 12pm: Challenges of Democracy: Please Vote for Me – 55mins
1pm – 3pm: Minority Rights: Call Me Kuchu – 90mins
3pm – 5pm: FFF 2012 winners:
(i) Rights of the Dead – 30mins
(ii) M-C-M’: Utopia Milik Siapa? – 30mins
(iii) Slient Riot – 30mins
5pm – 7pm: Cry Freedom: Into the current – 75mins
8pm – 10pm: Dare to Document: 5 Broken Cameras – 90mins
CHALLENGES OF DEMOCRACY
(11am to12pm)
PLEASE VOTE FOR ME
By Weijun Chen | 54 mins | Chinese with English and Bahasa Malaysia subtitles.
A grade 3 class at Evergreen Primary School has their first encounter with democracy
by holding an election to select a Class Monitor. Eight-year olds compete against each
other for the coveted position, abetted and egged on by teachers and doting parents.
Elections in China take place only within the Communist Party, but recently millions
of Chinese voted in their version of Pop Idol. The purpose of Weijun Chen’s
experiment is to determine how, if democracy came to China, it would be received. Is
democracy a universal value that fits human nature? Do elections inevitably lead to
manipulation? Please Vote for Me is a portrait of a society and a town through a
school, its children and its families.
AWARDS:
DOCNZ International Documentary Film Festival Best International Documentary
& Screenrights Best Educational Film
ASHLAND INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL Best Documentary Feature
SILVERDOCS Sterling Grand Jury Award for a Feature
EMMY AWARDS Nominated for Best Documentary
MINORITY RIGHTS (1pm to 3pm)
with 30 mins discussion: moderator: Tan Pin Pin
CALL ME KUCHU
By Katherine Fairfax, Malika Zouhali-Worrall | 87 mins English
In Uganda, a new bill threatens to make homosexuality punishable by death. David Kato – Uganda’s first openly gay man – and his fellow activists work against the
clock to defeat the legislation while combating vicious persecution in their daily lives. But no one is prepared for the brutal murder that shakes their movement to its core
and sends shockwaves around the world.
AWARDS:
BERLINALE Best Documentary, Teddy Award;
DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Amnesty International Human
Rights Award; and HOT DOCS CANADA Best International Feature
FFF2012 WINNERS (3pm to 5pm)
with 30 mins discussion: moderator: Tan Pin Pin
(i) RIGHTS OF THE DEAD
By Tricia Yeoh | 2012 | 30 mins | Bahasa Malaysia with English subtitle
In July 2009, the mysterious death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock rocked the nnation. His body was found outside the premises of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), where he was being held overnight for interrogation. The filmmaker was herself a colleague of the deceased working in the Selangor State government. She tries to make sense of the inquest and royal commission of inquiry into his death and takes a critical look at the Malaysian system of government and politics that is ultimately responsible for ensuring justice for its citizens including those who died in custody or while in detention. The film also shares the perspective from Teoh Beng Hock’s family.
(ii) M-C-M
By Boon Kia Meng | 2012 | 30 mins | Bahasa Malaysia with English subtitle
Most young Malaysians hope to own the home of their dreams one day. But with the
current market situation, this dream will most probably be achieved when we are well
over the age of 50. The filmmaker takes us on a journey to discover how this situation
came about, what kind of forces are at play and most importantly how can the
ordinary person have the power to resist market forces in a capitalist system such as
Malaysia’s.
(iii) SILENT RIOT
By Nadira Ilana | 2012 | 30 mins | Bahasa Malaysia with English subtitle
What happens after the end of a political reign? After serving two terms as Sabah’s
government, Barisan Nasional led Parti Berjaya is unexpectedly toppled by
newcomers Parti Bersatu Sabah, with the cooperation of the United Sabah National
Organisation. On the night the 1985 state election results are announced, the secret
coalition between PBS and USNO falls apart at the seams, leading to an overnight power struggle that takes place at the State Istana. This would become the precursor to dramatic demonstrations the following year. An incident that is rarely talked about today – making this – The Silent Riot.
AWARD:
WINNER OF FREEDOM FILM FEST 2012
CRY FREEDOM (5pm to 7pm)
with 30 mins discussion: moderator: Lynn Lee
INTO THE CURRENT
By Jeanne Marie Hallacy | 75 mins | English
Into the Current tells the story of Burma’s unsung heroes – its prisoners of conscience and the price they pay for speaking truth to power. It illuminates the profoundly
inspiring political vision of many recently released prisoners, at a time when Burma is just beginning her historical change towards democratic reform. The film poses key questions about the legal and institutional reforms needed to end political repression and torture. It looks at how key leader, Aung San Suu Kyi and other non-violent leaders can contribute to lasting change for freedom and democracy.
DARE TO DOCUMENT (8pm to 10pm)
with 30 mins discussion: moderators: Lynn Lee
5 BROKEN CAMERAS
By Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi | 90 mins | Arabic with English and Bahasa Malaysia subtitles
Five broken cameras—and each one has a powerful tale to tell. Embedded in the bullet-ridden remains of digital technology is the story of Emad Burnat, a farmer from
the Palestinian village of Bil’in, which famously chose nonviolent resistance when the Israeli army encroached upon its land to make room for Jewish colonists. Emad buys his first camera in 2005 to document the birth of his fourth son, Gibreel. Over the course of the film, he becomes the peaceful archivist of an escalating struggle as olive trees are bulldozed, lives are lost, and a wall is built to segregate burgeoning Israeli settlements.
AWARDS:
SUNDANCE 2012 World Documentary Directing Award
IDFA 2011 Audience Award
SHEFFIELD DOC FEST 2012 Audience Award
Function 8 