Dispossessed and in exile: Palestinian Lina Soualem's upbeat feature opens FIFDH film festival
For 10 days, every year in March, Geneva raises the profile of human rights with the FIFDH, a festival that combines cinema and debate on human rights violations around the world.
From Russia to Palestine, global conflicts and struggles are countless and intensifying.
"There's nothing to celebrate in the world at the moment if we're talking about human rights, but we're convinced that culture, and in particular the power of images through film, can make a difference, can bring powerful stories that can generate commitment and a desire to change this world for the better," explains Laura Longobardi, FIFDH Editorial Co-Director.
For the opening, and for International Women's Rights Day, the film "Bye, Bye Tiberias" was screened.
It was presented at the last Venice Film Festival and directed by Lina Soualem, daughter of the great Palestinian actress Hiam Abbas.
"It's a film about four generations of Palestinian women in my family, about how they have managed to keep their stories alive, their memories alive, despite dispossession and exile, and I think it's very important to celebrate the lives of these women, their fighting spirit, their complexity, and also to value their humanity, especially in a context where Palestinians are completely dehumanised."
There are dozens of films to be discovered and debates to be had until the festival's closes on 17 March.