Human Rights Film Festival 2021 event flier

Upcoming Film Festival Highlights Human Rights Stories From Around the World

  • by Emily Rich

The Human Rights Film Festival, inaugurated in 2017 by the UC Davis Humanities Institute and the Human Rights Studies Program in partnership with Human Rights Watch, brings a series of powerful films to Davis each fall. Highlighting human rights issues from Chicago to Palestine, the films serve as a springboard for discussion and study throughout the greater Davis community. This year’s virtual festival will include online film screenings as well as live Q&A events with the filmmakers behind the documentaries.

Two of this year’s films grapple with alternatives to policing and incarceration - issues at the center of a national conversation on the subject following the death of George Floyd in 2020. Unapologetic, directed by Ashley O'Shay, follows the Movement for Black Lives coalition in Chicago as it demands justice and accountability after the police murders of Rekia Boyd and Laquan McDonald, two Black people killed by police. The film tells the stories of Janaé and Bella, two Chicagoan activists, highlighting the roles of Black, queer women in the fight for Black lives. The animated film A Once and Future Peace, directed by Eric Daniel Metzgar, explores alternatives to incarceration and the prison industrial complex. Using the story of “Andy,” a teenager facing felony charges as the centerpiece, the film highlights the work of Seattle activists who use Indigenous peace-making circles to offer healing to affected communities while fighting for reforms to the justice system. 

Borders and immigration are also key issues for this year’s festival films. Missing in Brooks County reveals the lethal outcomes of the US immigration debate. Immigrants crossing the US-Mexico border into Brooks County, Texas, are faced with a dangerous journey through harsh desert terrain; as a result, Brooks County has been the site of an estimated 3000 deaths since 2008. Missing highlights not only the plight of desperate migrants seeking security in the United States, but also the work of activists who have fought to keep these migrants safe. While 200 Meters focuses on a different border, the life-or-death consequences remain the same. The film depicts the life-threatening struggles of existence under Israeli occupation through the story of Mustafa, a Palestinian man who is separated from his family by the Israeli border wall. When Mustafa’s son gets in an accident and is taken to the hospital, Musafa is denied access through the border checkpoint and must undertake a journey to cross the border illegally in order to see his son. 

Finally, Us Kids, directed by Kim A. Snyder, chronicles the March For Our Lives movement and the youth-led fight against gun violence in schools. At once a coming-of-age story and a powerful depiction of activism, the film focuses on activist Emma Gonzalez and other shooting survivors and youth leaders as they organize one of the largest youth protests in recent history.

Films will be available to watch online from November 10-23. In addition, the festival will host live Q&As with the filmmakers behind each film.

Filmmaker Q&A Events:

If you would like to attend the Q&A events, please register at the links above. You can purchase a festival pass and view the full film catalog on the film festival website. 

Please check back for updates.