Climate change, racism, gender discrimination, repression of the freedom of expression, war crimes: these are just some of the issues addressed in the 9th edition of the Human Rights Film Festival Lugano.
This five-day event took place from 19 to 23 October at the historic theatres of the Cinema Corso and the Cinema Iride in Lugano, with the aim of raising awareness on issues related to human rights and dignity, which today, unfortunately, are still far from being fully guaranteed in many parts of the world. Attentive to the importance of these issues, IBSA chose to support the Festival as main sponsor, to help give visibility to the stories and testimonies narrated in the 26 films presented to the public.
Born in 2014, the Human Rights Film Festival Lugano is the most important forum on human rights, as well as the first film festival in Italian-speaking Switzerland entirely dedicated to this topic. The event aims to be an opportunity for discussion and interaction, in order to highlight the universality of the theme, to give space to those who are committed to the issue of human rights and to raise awareness of any situations where people’s dignity is violated, often among the indifference of the media and the public opinion.
Through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects and the many activities by IBSA Foundation for scientific research, IBSA has always been using the language of art and culture to convey topical content. The choice to sponsor the Human Rights Film Festival Lugano arises precisely from the awareness that cinematographic expression has a strong communicative potential, that can touch – and shake – the public’s conscience, helping them understand issues that are sometimes hard to address and motivating considerations that go beyond the mere vision of the film. Furthermore, on a broader and more general level, the issue of human rights is part of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set in 2015 by the UN in the 2030 Agenda, which IBSA is committed to supporting.
“Supporting initiatives such as the Human Rights Film Festival Lugano is a way to actively participate in promoting change and a sustainable development, also – and above all – for the new generations. The Festival, indeed, is particularly focused on the participation of young people, also through the organisation of days for high schools”, commented Silvia Misti, Head of Corporate Communication & CSR, IBSA Group. “With this partnership, IBSA intends to contribute to inform and educate the public by dedicating some time to reflect on issues that may seem distant from our everyday life, but which actually concern us all, as human beings”.
The ninth edition of the Festival counted twenty-six screenings of films from different parts of the world, including six shorts. Nine were the Swiss premieres, and fifteen those in Italian-speaking Switzerland. Many films were integrated by in-depth reviews and debates with guests such as directors Neary Adeline Hay and Rachel M’Bon, rapper Inoki, historian Marcello Flores, researcher Matteo De Bellis, Mariano Lugli from Doctors Without Borders and climate activist Marie-Claire Graf. The programme also included a younger audience, with six screenings dedicated to schools.
