Forget about Grace of Monaco. Some of the most noteworthy films at this year’s
Cannes Film Festival deal with human rights and the fight for press freedom, and they come from directors who have had to overcome financing, censorship or infrastructure difficulties to tell stories that they believe need telling.
Timbuktu, by Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako, is one of the 18 films in competition for the top Palme d’Or prize at the festival. This visually striking work, set against the back drop of religious extremism in northern Mali in 2012, already has people talking, not only about the movie but also about intolerance and the effects of conflict on civilians.
During the reign of terror, the young parents of two children were stoned to death for the “transgression” of not being married, and Sissako cites that act as the motivation for his film. “The video of their killing, which was posted online by the perpetrators, is horrid. I must testify in the hopes that no child will ever again have to learn their parents died because they loved each other,” he says.
With more than 1,700 films submitted for consideration in Cannes and only a fraction chosen for the festival’s official selection, it is a tough game, whether one has a message or not.
Another film that highlights human rights, and specifically press freedom, is Caricaturistes – Fantassins de la Democratie (Cartoonists – Foot Soldiers of Democracy). French filmmaker Stéphanie Valloatto follows 12 cartoonists from around the world as they use humour to confront injustice and hypocrisy.
Among others, it profiles Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat, who in 2011 was badly beaten by armed forces as they tried to destroy his hands in an attempt to prevent him from ever drawing again. His crime: he had criticised the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in some of his cartoons.
Other films at Cannes that focus on global, humanistic topics include the daring and deep Winter Sleep, also a contender for the Palme d’Or. This 196 minute long film explores relationships alongside the themes of inequality, the seemingly unbridgeable distance between rich and poor, and the role of religion in life.
Made by Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, the film is set in central Anatolia and uses stunning imagery, subtle humour and engrossing dialogue to keep viewers enthralled. At the end, one is left with questions about what the individual can do to bring about a better world, protect the rights of others and perhaps even achieve personal
redemption.
A D McKenzie/IPS
Watch trailer: Timbuktu
Watch trailer: Caricaturistes – Fantassins de la Democratie (Cartoonists – Foot Soldiers of Democracy)