TRIAL International at the 2021 FIFDH
For the second consecutive year, the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) will be entirely virtual. A redesigned edition, the core mission of which nonetheless remains unchanged. TRIAL International is proud to count itself once again among the Festival’s partners.
TRIAL International is pleased to co-present the documentary Downstream to Kinshasa, by Dieudo Hamadi. The film tells the story of a group of victims of the war in DRC, retracing their 20-year struggle to obtain financial reparations promised by the Congolese government. In the face of political apathy, and despite severe handicaps, the victims set out on a journey to make their voices heard in the nation’s capital, Kinshasa. The documentary chronicles their travels along the Congo River.
Watch Downstream to Kinshasa online (available from 5 to 14 March)
As a supplement to the film, Daniele Perissi, Head of the Great Lakes Program at TRIAL International, explains the connection between justice and reparations. Using examples from TRIAL’s casework, he describes the current state of affairs in the DRC.
Learn more about reparations in DRC
Expanding into new channels and new spaces
In light of the pandemic, the FIFDH has reinvented itself. The 2021 edition aims to be “even more accessible and inclusive than previous editions,” says Isabelle Gattiker, General and Program Director. In keeping with that goal, all of the Festival’s content has been made available online at fifdh.org. This year’s edition features 29 films, 17 live debates, and 16 hours of original video and audio programming, with exclusive content.
Although the format of the FIFDH has changed, its mission has not. The Festival remains true to its values, first and foremost by giving voice to human rights activists around the world. This year’s guests include Angela Davis, Arundhati Roy and Ai Weiwei, each of whom invites the audience to self-reflect and to take action. In the words of Swiss film director Milo Rau, another Festival guest: “It’s no longer just about depicting the world. It’s about changing it.”
