For more than half a decade now, we have been opening our doors and hearts each autumn to the exceptional individuals whose tireless efforts to create a better world fill us with deep admiration. Their courage, their steadfastness and their relentless fight for justice were the inspiration for this year’s festival theme, ‘The Good Fight’. Featuring forty-two internationally acclaimed films and a diverse program that includes talks, masterclasses and workshops, our aim is to inspire you and provide deeper insights into topics that often get lost in the overwhelming flood of daily news. Our hope is that the films and discussions presented here will provide an oasis for reflection, learning and taking action amidst the chaotic routines of everyday life.
This year, we are placing a special focus on the struggles of Indigenous activists. Despite land grabs, attempted erasures of their cultural identities, mass killings and genocides, they have never lost their voices. They continue to fight tirelessly for their rights and for the recognition of past injustices. Their stories are an urgent reminder that our fight for human rights can never cease – and that we shoulder a responsibility to the world.
Part of this responsibility is to bear witness when injustices take place, to speak out and to stand in solidarity with those who live in less secure countries than our own. At the same time, I sometimes feel that we have forgotten what war truly means. War is cruel, painful and destructive. Images of war are often unbearable – which is why we look away, suppress, ignore. This year’s opening film, ‘20 Days in Mariopol’, takes a square look at the war and presents an unfiltered view of its true face. Mstyslav Chernov’s camera does not shy away from the brutal reality and captures it for us instead – in images that are difficult to endure. If people can survive this reality, we can at least summon the courage to open our eyes to it.
Together with my team members and our partners, I would like to warmly invite you to embark on this exciting journey with us and allow yourself to be inspired by these stories and the unwavering determination of their protagonists and activists.
-Anna Ramskogler-Witt, Director of the Human Rights Film Festival Berlin
