Movie screening: Film festival aims to sensitise youth on human rights

Two-day 10th Vasakh Documentary Film Festival provides opportunity to aspiring film-makers to showcase work


Our Correspondent April 28, 2017
Two-day 10th Vasakh Documentary Film Festival provides opportunity to aspiring film-makers to showcase work. PHOTO: FACEBOOK PAGE

LAHORE: Aimed at sensitising the youths about human rights, a two-day 10th Vasakh Documentary Film Festival will end on Friday (today) at the Ali Auditorium Lahore.

Short documentary films on human rights and cultural diversity from Pakistan, India, the US and Myanmar are being screened at the festival.

The festival provides an opportunity to aspiring filmmakers to get exposed to films from around the world and a platform to showcase their work to the public, said Festival Director Risham Waseem. “We hope to use Vasakh as a platform for civic education and dialogue for the youth and community members,” she added.

Vaaskah was launched in 2008 with an aim of creating a critical mass by sensitising the youth on issues of human rights, equal citizenship, gender equality and religious tolerance through the medium of documentary films.

According to Risham, the films highlight the unsung heroes of Pakistan, who have dedicated their lives for the eradication of extremism. “It also includes tributes to Non-Muslim soldiers, who sacrificed their lives while defending Pakistan against extremist forces,” she added.

Films produced by the students at the National College of Arts and international film schools for instance Yangoon Film School in Myanmar and the National Institute of Design, Ahmadabad ( India ) are also being screened at the festival.

Risham said they are trying to create free and safe spaces where people can be sensitised towards social issues and advocate for their rights. “This festival allows us to directly interact with the youth and initiate a healthy debate on issues that directly affect us,” she said.

IRC director Muhammad Waseem said that by showcasing these documentary films they want to change the perception people have about their own country. “We have so many films that highlight the cultural diversity in Pakistan and we want to remind people that Pakistan has the potential to be inclusive and peaceful because of our rich background and cultural heritage,” he added.

The festival is a collaborative effort of Interactive Resource Centre (IRC) and Maati TV in collaboration with National Endowment for Democracy and US Embassy. A series of film tilted Countering Violent Extremism is being screened at the festival, which have been developed by the IRC in collaboration with the US embassy.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28th, 2017.

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