In Four Movements
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee is a human rights organization; Verzio is a human rights film festival. What they share is obvious: human rights. That is what both work for. One of them trusts the power of image while the other that of professional, but civil, legal aid. Helsinki is 25 years old, Verzio is 10. When the festival was born, Helsinki was its midwife. Since then Verzio has grown big, and this year the younger is the host for the older.
In Helsinki25 four films will be shown, all of them closely related to the history and work of the civil group. After the screenings there will be discussions with specialists and the filmmakers.
1989 is about the euphoric period of the regime change, when the one-party states in Eastern Europe collapsed, our world became free, the road to democratic transition opened, and Helsinki Committee became a legal organization. Evaporating Borders focuses on refugees, which has been one of the main issues for the organization ever since its foundation. Highly acclaimed and award-winning Judgment in Hungary is connected to Helsinki Committee’s important activities in many ways. The film on the court trial of the murderers of Roma gives an insight into what access to rights, the prohibition of discrimination, fight against hate-crimes and the effective working of the judicial system mean in practice. Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus is an example of how a seemingly powerless civil initiative, an experimental theater in Minsk, can invite the wrath of a dictatorial state which then turns people into resistance fighters, who otherwise would have preferred not to become stars at all. This film seems excruciatingly relevant for Hungary.
Roundtable Discussions
(all films are screened with English subtitles, discussions are in Hungaran only)
Discussions are moderated by Zsolt Zádori.
November 12. 18:00-20:30, Toldi Mozi
Európa megtelt?
Huszár Katinka (UNHCR – ENSZ Menekültügyi Főbiztosság), Pardavi Márta (Magyar Helsinki Bizottság)
Film: Evaporating Borders
November 13. 16:00-18:30, Toldi Mozi
1989 - Rendszerváltás a keleti blokkban
Kőszeg Ferenc (Magyar Helsinki Bizottség), Mink András (OSA), Erzsébet Rácz (filmrendező)
Film: 1989
November 14. 18:00-20:30, Toldi Mozi
Dangerous Acts - Vigyázz, a civil harap?
Tóth Balázs (Magyar Helsinki Bizottság), Foltányi Zsuzsa (az Ökotárs alapítója)
Film: Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus
November 16. 16:00-19:00, Toldi Mozi
Judgment in Hungary - Gyűlölet-bűncselekmények és a magyar állam
Frech Ágnes, a Fővárosi Bíróság Büntető Kollégiumának egykori vezetője, Hajdú Eszter rendező, Ivány Borbála jogász, a Helsinki Bizottság munkatársa, Dr. Csonka Árpád, Dr. Magyar Elemér.
Film: Judgment in Hungary