The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA, is honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day by presenting a selection of four unique documentaries from the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival. With a focus on giving a voice to political injustices and human suffering, regardless of where, the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival is now in its 20th year of existence. The festival committee screens more than five hundred films and videos each time around to select those of the highest quality and that represent a range of countries and issues. It’s important to note the committee does not exclude any film based on the particular view point expressed.
The mission of the Peabody Essex Museum has always been to present art and culture from New England and all around the world. In addition to four National Historic Landmark Buildings, the museum constantly has all types of interesting and relevant exhibits and events that can be eye-opening, and it is always worth a visit.
On Saturday, January 16th, the two films screened will be Youth Producing Change, in which first-time filmmakers under the age of 19 expose pressing human rights issues of our day, and Crude, which tells the story of the controversial “Amazon Chernobyl” case. The following day, January 17th, will feature the films The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court and Afghan Star. The former follows an International Criminal Court prosecutor as he does such things as issue arrest warrants for resistance leaders in Uganda and pursues justice for the Darfur massacres. Afghan Star focuses on Afghanistan after three decades of oppression, particularly the recent arrival of pop music to the country and the hit TV show “Afghan Pop Idol.”
For more information on the event, check out the Peabody Essex Museum website here.
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