Film screening for International Human Rights Day

Tuesday 12 December 2017 | 'In Procedure' | Kino Pilotu, Donská 19, Prague 10

Directed by award-winning Dutch filmmaker Jiska Rickels, and produced by Willemijn Cerutti, In Procedure (2016) is about a Syrian father, Hassan, who flees to the Netherlands to save his young daughter, who is seriously ill. The long wait during the asylum procedure delays the daughter’s hope for recovery, which makes him desperately doubt his decision to flee Syria (IDFA).

In Procedure takes the viewer into both the world of the father and the family left behind in Syria. Emotionally resonant, it is a film which asks empathy of the viewer. Suddenly refugee numbers do not mean anything; this is the plight of an ordinary family, who never expected to be caught up in the throes of war. A viewer can at last grasp what it feels like to be forced to leave your home and flee for safety. It could be any one of us if our leaders became ultra-authoritarian and had the support of world powers who would help eradicate dissent by turning their might on the country we live in.

Director of the documentary Jiska Rickels, said: 'I was touched by the powerlessness. I wanted to show what happens when you end up in a situation where nothing is in your control.' Filmed mainly in Dutch and Arabic, this screening will have both English and Czech subtitles to make it accessible to as many people as possible.
A Panel Discussion will follow the screening, discussing what became of the 2015 'refugee crisis' in relation to the Czech Republic, the state of Syria now and the question: What will come out of the ashes of war? Šarka Antošová, Migration Specialist from Amnesty International and Muna Kayalova, Syrian-Czech doctor, who has been living in the Czech Republic since late 2011 when she arrived here on holiday with a suitcase are among the panel of speakers.

The panel will provide an informative, varied and predominantly positive platform for discussion on issues related to the European refugee crisis, the current state of Syria, Islam in the Czech Republic with a question and answer section from the audience. The language of the debate is Czech, so you need to have a reasonably good passive knowledge of Czech to follow it. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to translate the whole discussion. However, questions may be put to individual speakers, or to the panel in general in either Czech or English.

Given that it is International Human Rights Day on 10 December, this event has been organized close to this day in order to strengthen public awareness of human rights and attitudes to refugees, different religions and how we can combat some of the fear and hatred which has sprung up in the Czech Republic, normally a tolerant and accepting society. The organizers of the event aim to provide a positive contribution to the current issues surrounding refugees, Islam and migrants.

In addition to the film screening and panel discussion, an information stall from Amnesty International Czech Republic will be in the cinema foyer before and after the screening. Filmgoers can get information about Amnesty‘s advocacy and human rights work both in the Czech Republic and abroad. They can also sign a relevant petition or sign up to volunteer with Amnesty.

This Human Rights Day event was initiated by Anežka Novak, founder and director of KIWI FILM FEST 2013 and the daughter of the late JUDr. Bohumír Novák, a Czech political refugee, who fled Czechoslovakia in April, 1948 (One of the 170,938 Czechoslovaks who fled their homeland during the years 1948 – 1989).

This event has been organized by KIWI FILM FEST in association with Amnesty International CZ and Kino Pilotů, along with Prague College.