Human Rights Film Festival Kicks off in Romania

Some 50 movies about human rights will feature in this year's One World Film Festival running from March 11 to 17 in Bucharest.

The theme for this year, "Hate Is Bad for Your Health", looks at hatred and its repercussions. “Since the last film festival the quantity of hate and intolerance per square meter has exponentially grown… So, the program tries to be an antidote to hate and anger,” festival director Alexandru Solomon explained.

Documentaries from around the world offer intimate portraits of those caught up in conflicts, revolution, human rights abuses, prejudice and tyranny.

As well as documentaries, the One World festival will screen a retrospective of the Danish filmmaker Jon Bang Carlsen, plus workshops, debates and other side events.

There are also documentaries classified under five other themes: Dis/Abilities, Propaganda Lectures, Before the Law, Everyday Rebellions and Youth: Handle with Care.

A special jury, all high-school students, will award a special prize to the movie that contributes in the most outstanding way to the defence of human rights.

The festival is dedicated to the memory of the Czech writer, dissident and president Vaclav Havel. The organizers are One World Romania Association and the Czech Center Bucharest, with support from various businesses and institutions.

In recent years, the festival has become the most important film event in Southeastern Europe showcasing human rights movies.