030123 SE Cinema and Human Rights (2010W)

Human Rights documentaries have been enjoying an increasing popularity and availability in recent years. Facilitated by the affordable technology and alternative ways of distribution (i.e. internet), these documentaries became a more powerful tool to bring human rights issues to the forefront which otherwise would have gone unnoticed. They are able to depict the interconnections between human rights violations in distant parts of the world and local actions, to put minority issues into the limelight which often do not find a place in the mainstream media, and can offer a more differentiated analysis of the complexities of human life.

The seminar "Cinema and Human Rights" is aimed to take up this power of human rights documentaries and provide a forum for a thorough analysis and discussion of the raised issues and norms. The seminar is organized as a series of evening events in the course of the coming semester. Each event will comprise the screening of the documentary, a presentation/panel discussion including invited experts, and discussion with the participants. The possible topics include, among others, torture, death penalty, genocide, and migration.