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A Lesson of Belorussian/Yahoo in China

Northwest Film Forum
Seattle, WA

Amnesty International Puget Sound presents the 16th annual Seattle Human Rights Film Festival at the Northwest Film Forum in Capitol Hill, February 15th to 17th. With our theme of Justice Without Borders, the festival includes films dealing with International Human Rights and Violence Against Women. Discussions with filmmakers and activists to follow screenings. Show your support for cinema with a social conscience by attending the festival.

Note: A Lesson of Belorussian (Lekcja bialoruskiego) Director: Miroslaw Dembinski 2006. Belarus/Poland. 53 min. Belarusian/Polish (English subtitles). A LESSON OF BELORUSSIAN is about young activists who never give up believing that Belarus will one day be free. Franek Viacorka studies at an elite school established by his father to promote the Belarusian language. However, the school has been banned and operating underground since 2003, a victim of the anti-democratic rule of President Alexander Lukashenko. Franek and his classmates are both passionate and thoughtful, expressing their critical attitude to the government by issuing an underground newspaper, recording music with activist lyrics and organizing an opposition concert. Despite the imprisonment of Franek's father and the constant threat of their own arrest, they are undeterred. In the March 2006 presidential election, they support the democratic opposition candidate in a mass demonstration in Minsk's main square. While the candidate is powerless to combat Lukashenko's corruption and use of riot police, Franek and his classmates realize that fearlessness is a victory in itself. Yahoo in China (Yahoo, La Chine) Director: Michel Lemaur 2006. France. 26 min. French/English (English subtitles). The control of the internet by the Chinese government is made possible by systems that censor content in real time -- systems which are produced and sold by American companies. Michel Lemaur, director of YAHOO IN CHINA, looks into the case of Yahoo, which, in order to reinforce its position in the Chinese market, has agreed to divulge information about its users, thereby collaborating with the Chinese government in the arrest of dissidents. This documentary reminds us that the idea of a digital utopia is dependent on the political and economic climate in which it exists.

Kid Friendly: No

Dog Friendly: No

Non-Smoking: No

Wheelchair Accessible: No

Contact

Who:	Julia Nolan-Wheatley
Phone:	206-228-8369
Email:	filmfest@aiwashington.org
Web:	http://www.aiwashington.org/filmfest.html
Question:	Ask a question...