Slave to the Rhythm: Amnesty Human Rights and Music Film Season
- Posted: 1st Jul 2010
- Category: Screening
- Tags: amnesty, documentaries, human rights, music, slave to the rhythm
Amnesty International have a brilliant film season this July, entitled Slave to the Rhythm. From 1st to 26th July, it showcases documentaries telling stories of how characters break free of their repressive environments through song and dance. Not only are the films award winning, compelling and critically acclaimed documentaries, but the entire season is absolutely free!
Featured documentaries include:
Only When I Dance
The Billy Elliot of the Rio ghetto. Only When I Dance is the story of Irlan and Isabella, two teenage ballet dancers hoping to dance their way out of poverty and secure their places in one of the leading dance companies in the North.
Super Girls (click for DFG review)
Following its launch in 2005, "Super Girl Singing Contest" broke numerous records to become the most popular Chinese television show ever produced. In a country where ordinary people cannot choose their political leaders the response was huge: more than 800 million text votes were cast.
No One Knows About Persian Cats
Iranian-born filmmaker Ghobadi's (Half Moon, Turtles Can Fly) latest, No One Knows About Persian Cats, intimately explores the underground world of the Iranian rock scene. The film follows a young boy and girl in their attempts to form a rock group shortly after their release from prison.
Suffering and Smiling
Nigerian musician Fela Kuti was not only a musical star on the world stage, but a committed human rights campaigner who called for an end to poverty, greater democracy, and an improved standard of living for people across Africa.
Aghan Star (click for DFG review)
After 30 years of Taliban rule, Pop Idol has come to Afghanistan. Millions are watching Afghan Star - a Pop Idol-style TV series in which people from across the country compete for cash prizes and a record deal.
Escape from Luanda
In Luanda, one of the world's poorest and most dangerous places, three students from Angola's only music school work towards their end-of-year concert. The Music School is Angola's first and only school of its kind. It houses some 80 students, most of them desperately poor. Many face disapproval and outright rejection from their families who can't see a future in music.
Although the event is free, seats need to be booked online at the Amnesty website.