Global Campus of Human Rights at Venezia 76
The first Press Conference of Biennale Cinema 2019 started with the presentation of the Jury and the programme of Venezia 76 that opened with the movie La vérité The Truth), directed by Kore-eda Hirokazu and starring Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, Ethan Hawke.
The aim of the Festival is to raise awareness and promote international cinema in all its forms as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue. The Festival also organises retrospectives and tributes to major figures as a contribution towards a better understanding of the history of cinema.
Within the framework of the Summer School on Cinema, Human Rights and Advocacy (CHRA), jointly developed with Picture People, the Global Campus of Human Rights hosted Askold Kurov, Director and Producer of the Documentary “The Trial: The State of Russia vs. Oleg Sentsov”.
The documentary tells about the case of Ukrainian lm director and writer Oleg Sentsov, 2018 Sakharov Prize Laureate, who was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment on charges of plotting acts of terrorism and arms tracking against the Russian ‘de facto’ rule in Crimea. Sentsov has maintained his innocence, survived a 145-days hunger strike while in prison, and continued calling for the immediate release of all Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia. Many human rights groups and personalities have joined the #FreeSentsov campaign including world lm celebrities and his name has become a source of inspiration for people who face oppression.
During the live-streamed presentation he gave on Monday 26 August at the opening of the Summer School, director Askold Kurov underlined: “The European Union, by awarding Oleg Sentsov the Sakharov Prize, has brought to the attention of the international community recognition of his status of a political prisoner. This is very important, as it provides ground for his innocence while denouncing that the charges against him are false. He is no longer just a Ukrainian lm director jailed in Russia. Oleg Sentsov is a Sakharov Prize Laureate, and this is one more reason to fight for him, to stand for him”.
During the press conference held on Thursday 29 August at "Spazio Regione Veneto" - Hotel Excelsior, Elisabetta Noli, Administrative Director of the Global Campus of Human Rights, rearmed the public’s duty to support the campaign for Oleg Sentsov and his liberation by keeping the spotlight on the many forgotten cases of political prisoners and human rights defenders who are persecuted and jailed in many countries of the world. The Global Campus of Human Rights – through its community of human rights students, teachers, and stands by the European Parliament whose Sakharov Prize helps making sure these abuses are not forgotten.
In the meanwhile, our students are watching movies in competition Venezia76, out of competition, and in competition Orizzonti and Sconfini, and having meetings with Directors: you could see them, listen to interviews and follow them on Global Campus of Human Rights Social Media.
#FreeSentsov #SakharovPrize #GCHumanRightspress #CHRASchool
For more information about the press conference pressoffice@gchumanrights.org
For more information about the CHRA school chra@gchumanrights.org
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