All-documentary human-rights film festival kicks off

Twenty-six films on tap at Princeton Public Library

By: Kara Fitzpatrick
   Using 26 films to probe some of the globe’s most pressing issues — poverty, war, racism — the Princeton Human Rights Film Festival is slated to kick off on Thursday and will continue as a weekend-long documentary frenzy tailored to activists, educators, students, parents and children.
   The films, which are all documentaries and produced within the past three years, address issues of social justice and tell stories of human struggle, sacrifice and triumph, festival organizer Pamela Groves said.
   "I like to stress that many of the films are difficult, because you’re dealing with difficult subjects," Ms. Groves said. "I try also to draw attention to the fact that many of them — not all but many — also bring out people’s resilience."
   The festival aims to appeal to a wide spectrum of people, but everyone will likely possess one common denominator — a general interest in humanity. "It’s for people who are curious and who want to understand their world more," Ms. Groves said.
   The festival, the second of its kind that the library has hosted, will begin Thursday with a screening of "Future of Food" — an 88-minute exploration of the impact of genetically engineered foods directed by Deborah Koons Garia. Following the film, Michael K. Hansen from Consumers Union will speak.
   On Friday, May 12, festival highlights include an 8 p.m. Princeton-area premier of "Rize," a film that tells the story of a groundbreaking South Central Los Angeles dance craze called "Krumping" and the man who began the phenomenon.
   On Saturday, May 13, Ms. Groves said the 10 a.m. to noon cartoons for peace and justice are not to be missed by area children.
   According to Ms. Groves, it is important for the festival to appeal to all ages. She said the cartoons focus on issues such as bullying, peacefully settling disputes and sharing resources. "No matter what age you are, as long as you can walk and talk, you encounter these sorts of issues — fairness, justice and peace," Ms. Groves said.
   The festival will continue the afternoon of May 13 with "Siberian Dream," in which local director Janet Gardner depicts a journey of faith between New York and Siberia. Ms. Gardner will speak after the 86-minute film. Another film, "I Know I’m Not Alone," features musician and human-rights worker Michael Franti as he travels to Iraq, Palestine and Israel to explore the human cost of war.
   "I Know I’m Not Alone" is "very, very powerful," Ms. Groves said.
   And, fittingly for Mother’s Day, films on Sunday, May 14 will focus primarily on issues that affect woman and their children.
   "We will start off with two very difficult films about children in very dire straits," Ms. Groves said. Although the films — "Gypsy Blood" and "Children of Leningradsky" — are about strife, "it is better to know than to not know," Ms. Groves believes.
   Closing night will feature a 7 p.m. screening of "LaLee’s Kin: The Legacy of Cotton," which explores how poverty is linked to illiteracy. Reggie Barns, a school superintendent featured in the film, will speak after the screening.
   Ms. Groves said the festival is a cost-free opportunity for people to learn about various cultures and their problems.
   "Sometimes, there is a feeling the United States that the rest of the world doesn’t matter," Ms. Groves said. The festival is aimed to "help people put themselves and this country in a context and to learn about other parts of the world," she noted.
   More information and a complete festival schedule can be found at www.princetonlib-rary.org/phrff.