‘Picturing Reconciliation’: International Film Festival in Jaffna

Thursday, 22 November 2012 00:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) in collaboration with the Organization for Visual Progression (OVP) is proud to announce Picturing Reconciliation: An International Film Festival which will be held at the University of Jaffna on 23, 24, 25 November from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

A total of 11 international and local films will be screened at this festival. Each of the films explore what peace and reconciliation means while celebrating the power of individual stories, collective efforts, and dialogue to bridge differences.

The festival has travelled to three different cities across Sri Lanka since September, starting in Colombo and followed by Kandy and Matara.

In Jaffna, the films will be screened at the Media Resource and Training Center (MRTC) at the University of Jaffna. Subsequent to the screenings there will be a panel discussion headed by Prof. Sivachandran.

The films have been selected both on their artistic merit and their ability to convey different aspects and perspectives on reconciliation. The festival explores reconciliation in a range of different cultural, geographic and historical settings. In total five local and seven international films will be screened, each telling its own story of grief, justice, rebuilding and responsibility towards reconciliation. Whilst each film in the program emphasises a different but equally important aspect of reconciliation, some highlights of the festival include:

Iraq in fragments: An Academy and Sundance Festival award winning documentary that presents a poetic, intimate portrayal of the daily lives of people from different communities in war-ravaged Iraq.

The Redemption of General Butt-Naked: An achingly honest account of a Liberian warlord turned Christian evangelist that asks its viewers to confront the difficult question of forgiveness and redemption

Kerosene: A critically acclaimed portrait of resilience and human ingenuity in North and East of Sri Lanka in the mid-1990s; a time of acute austerity for those affected by the government’s embargoes on medicine, food and fuel. It is hoped that this festival will not only educate and entertain, but will stimulate discussion and inspire our audiences to participate in building an inclusive and peaceful Sri Lanka.

For more information visit www.ices.lk or www.visualprogression.org.