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2004 Common Ground Film FestivalSearch for Common Ground and The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs present the 2004 CG Film Festival All films will be screened at 7:00 p.m. and will be followed by discussions with guest speakers and audience Q & A.
Where: The Common Ground Film Festival was launched in 2001 to showcase films that focus on individuals who are working to make a difference in their community, show inspiring stories of reconciliation between former enemies, promote understanding of the issues and people involved, and give audiences a broader context of those issues. Schedule of Films
Peace by Peace: Women on the Frontlines
The Friendship Village
& Dinner for Two
Crucible of War
& Improbable Pairs
In Rwanda We Say…
The Junction
Seeds
2004 List and Description of Films
Peace by Peace: Women on the Frontlines
Opening Night: Tuesday, October 19 Narrated by actress Jessica Lange, PEACE BY PEACE: Women on the Frontlines profiles women in Afghanistan, Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burundi, and the United States who are building the foundations for sustainable peace out of conflict and crisis. Focusing on two women in each country, PEACE BY PEACE: Women on the Frontlines celebrates these women in a breakthrough documentary of their unheralded work.
Featuring a discussion with women in the film: Susan Collin Marks: Executive Vice-President of Search for Common Ground and author of "Watching the Wind: Conflict Resolution During South Africa's Transition to Democracy." Introduced by Karl F. Inderfurth, Former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, and Professor of the Practice of International Affairs, The Elliott School In cooperation with the National Council of Women's Organizations
Wednesday, October 20 The Mission of the Vietnam Friendship Village Project is to cultivate reconciliation and heal the wounds of the Vietnam War by uniting veterans and caring citizens through international cooperation in support of the Vietnam Friendship Village. The film documents an international group of veterans who are building a village in Vietnam for children with Agent Orange-related deformities. Built on a former rice paddy near Hanoi, the Vietnam Village of Friendship stands not only as a symbol of peace and reconciliation, but as a testament to the potential for all people to come to terms with the past, heal the wounds of war, and create a better world. The Village brought together American veteran George Mizo and Lt. Gen. Tran Van Quang, who led the battle in which George was wounded and his entire platoon killed. The two worked together to build Friendship Village until George's death from Agent Orange-related complications.
Special Guests: In cooperation with the Vietnam Veteran's of America Foundation
Dinner For Two
Wednesday, October 20 Peace in the rain forest is disrupted when two chameleons get "stuck" in a conflict, with catastrophic results. As they battle over "territory," these two small animals realize that their conflict affects not just them, but their whole environment. Luckily for the lizards, a frog observing the fracas turns into exactly what they need…a mediator. Dinner for Two tackles conflict in a lively and humorous way. It shows that amidst the chaos that differences can create, there are still paths to reconciliation. This award-winning animated film is designed as a flexible tool to explore conflict resolution - from teaching toddlers to share toys to encouraging national leaders to peacefully settle border disputes, the film has messages for a wide range of audiences.
Thursday, October 21 We know all too well what war looks like, but rarely do we see images of what peace looks like. In these short film pieces, we see people who, because of their history, might well have become implacable enemies, but are instead working for peace. These images are powerful reminders that people can reach across even profound barriers to create new hope.
Crucible Of War
Thursday, October 21 What happens to ordinary people after the war is over and the news cameras and aid workers have moved on to new hotspots? Is the fear gone, or has it been buried so deep that people aren't even aware of its existence? This is what Leon Gerskovic was determined to find out when he returned to his homeland -- what was once Yugoslavia. His journey took him and his team to Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia. There he met invisible refugees of a forgotten war, veterans questioning what they fought for, a woman trying to maintain the middle class life she once took for granted, and men who have turned to music for rehabilitation and reconciliation. People dealing with their own fears, prejudices, and hopes for the future. People who once believed it could never happen to them. As Gerskovic witnessed the physical and psychological displacement years after the fighting ended, he also had to re-live his own painful history.
Special Guests: Introduced by Dr. Joanna Spear, Director of the U.S. Foreign Policy Institute, The Elliott School. In Rwanda We Say… The Family That Does Not Speak Dies
Tuesday, October 26 IN RWANDA WE SAY… focuses on the release of one suspect, and the effect of his return on a rural village. While the government's message of a "united Rwandan family" infiltrates the language of the community, reactions to this imposed co-existence range from numb acceptance to repressed rage. Violence seems to lurk just below the surface. What unfolds, however, is an astonishing testament to the liberating power of speech: little by little, people begin to talk in a profound and articulate way - first to the camera, and then to each other - as these neighbors negotiate the emotional task of resuming life together. "With extraordinary sensitivity, Aghion takes us into the heart of the problem of reconciliation in a post-genocide society - not with wordy abstractions but with the earthy, real expressions of the people, victims and accused criminals, who must try to live together. Those seeking to know whether reconciliation is possible in Rwanda must look for their answer in this compelling expression of Rwandan voices." - ALLISON DES FORGES, Senior Advisor to Human Rights Watch, Africa Special Guest: Anne Aghion, Co-Producer and Director
Wednesday, October 27 Although they may have had little in common in life, Fahmi Abou Ammouneh and David Biri are linked in death, their fates tied to Netzarim Junction, an obscure crossroads between the Israeli settlement of Netzarim and the Palestinian refugee camp of Nusseirat. Once a busy intersection and a teeming neighborhood, the area is now a militarized desert. The Palestinian homes, orange groves, and greenhouses that surrounded the crossroads have been reduced to rubble and sand, a metaphor for the trap that has imprisoned both Palestinians and Israelis. It was there that David and Fahmi died - the first Israeli soldier and the first resident of Nuseirat to lose their lives in conflict that has since seen nearly 1,000 Israeli and 3,000 Palestinians killed. Using home videos and memories of family and friends, THE JUNCTION tracks their parallel lives and deaths. Guest: Pending
Closing Night - Thursday, October 28 Imagine spending three weeks living with someone you've always considered your enemy. In Seeds, a feature documentary, we meet ten extraordinary teenagers who undertake that challenge. Every summer, these kids from war-torn countries gather together at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine. For three life-changing weeks, they learn to share their dreams and fears, to listen to opposing views, to see beyond prejudices, and eventually to respect each other as individuals as the attempt to build the one thing they all strive for: a future. Seeds is a message of hope in a time of need. Caught in-between their own worlds, these teenagers are still young enough to believe in a dream, yet mature enough to know how hard they must work to keep it alive. In the words of one of the Seeds… "In order to make peace with your enemy, you have to go to war with yourself."
Special Guests: In cooperation with Seeds of Peace Please click here if you would like to make a donation to support our projects.
Search for Common Ground
Susan Koscis, Communications Director 1601 Connecticut Ave.NW, #200 Washington, DC 20009-1035 Phone: +1 (202) 777-2215 Fax: +1 (202) 232-6718 E-mail: skoscis@sfcg.org |