Young Directors Project: Promoting Human Rights Through Film

We called on young filmmakers to film a short narrative film about human rights violations as experienced by women and girls. More than 500 of you responded from 70+ countries! 

Our contest marked the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the awards ceremony was held on the anniversary (Dec. 10, 2018) at the British Consulate-General, Hong Kong. 

Our jury is here

The winners: 

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1st place: “MEMORIAL” by Natchapat Drive Jamtaksa and Natthawat Dos Jamtaksa, Thailand.

After war comes to an end, a teenage girl takes a train back to the childhood town she had left during the war.

The trip brings back her memories of her father in this animation.

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2nd place: “PENABER” by Ramazan Kilic, Turkey.

“PENABER” is about a woman who had to migrate to Istanbul with her little girl after she lost her husband in the Syrian civil war.

She tries to hold on to her memories with a camera filled by the photos of past.

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3rd place: “Middle Passage” by Caitlin Black

“Middle Passage” follows the story of two young refugees, Fartuun and her younger sister, Amal, at a refugee camp in Europe known as ‘The Pit’.

Trying desperately to get in contact with her mother back home, Fartuun leaves voicemails which reveal a devastating truth.

 

The other 10 finalists (in alphabetical order):

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“A Play” by Zyab Qamo, Iraq

At a refugee camp in northern Iraq, a group of boys are controlling the football pitch, while the girls are merely spectators. Can one of them take a dramatic decision and change her fate?

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“Farah” by Baris Fert, Turkey

Farah, a Syrian refugee, is staying in the Basmane neighbourhood of Izmir, a city on Turkey’s Aegean coast.

She waits for her departure to the Greek islands and tries to cope with life's uncertainties.

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“Getting There” by Lindsay Wolf, USA

A boy, Carson, walks to pick up a ball. But before he is able to get his hands on it, the scene cuts. His optimism and motivation gradually slip away as the film’s frame continues to control Carson's fate.

At the same time, the director allows us into her mental monologue. This time as she makes a film, self-doubt begins to control her fate ...

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“Plomo – Journey of a Bullet” by GIULIA JIMENEZ TANI, VENEZUELA

Taking the shape of a bullet, the viewer becomes a passive witness of the event that’s unfolding around it.

Through its trajectory, the viewer of the 360 film “Plomo” gets to grasp the feeling of being inside a riot.

Eventually, the viewer actively influences and affects the outcome of the scene by reaching its unavoidable target.

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“Red Riding Hood” by Amir Morsali, Iran

“Red Riding Hood” brings home the message that every year, 15 million girls become brides.

 
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“The Grey Area” by Katie Clark, UK

“The Grey Area” is an animated exploration of manipulated consent.

Drawing from personal experiences, the filmmaker uses 2D animation and voice-over to process her sexual assault and pose questions, to herself and the audience, about what led to the events of that night and dissect the perceptions of consent.

 
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“There Was A Country” by Hebun Polat, Turkey

An elderly woman and her grandchild try to hold on to fragments of life, left alone in a Syrian city after war has torn it apart.