Human Rights Film Festival: Reportero

During the Human Rights Film Festival I saw the film Reportero, which was directed by Bernardo Ruiz. This documentary follows the journalistic life of Sergio Haro and his colleagues at Zeta, a weekly paper based in Tijuana. Because of corruption and danger (granted this is the case in most of Mexico but Tijuana is worse by far) it is very difficult to be a reporter. Rather, it is very difficult to be a good reporter who is willing to write the truth. This idea of the moral responsibility for truth telling is central to the work of Sergio Haro, whose life is in constant threat. Three people have been attacked, resulting with founder Jesus Blancornelas barely surviving and the death of two other main reporters. This documentary illuminates the dangers of living within a “drug war zone”. It shows how the Mexican government has consistently failed to take care of its people and allowed drug lords to govern the country through corruption and impunity. Along with this is the issue of media censorship on the behalf of the government.

This film effectively shows how the truth can be a threatening force for a system. Tijuana drug cartels are still threatened by the possibility that the masses can know the truth. In the film they describe how Haro and the other editors of Zeta published the faces of every hired gunman for the cartel. These were normal men who were a part of the community and now their dark secret was revealed. And of course this is unsettling for the assassins—whether for issues of accountability, secrecy, or shame. The public officials involved in drug cartels are also at risk of exposure so controlling the media is in their best interest. There needs to be a standard of truth and freedom of speech but the budding relationship between the Mexican government and drug cartels stands in the way of this.

Film Festival- 5 Broken Cameras

5 Broken Cameras was an amazing movie documenting a Palestinian man and his view of the occupation through each of his five cameras which each represent a new moment in his life. It was so real and raw and unlike any documentary of Palestine I've seen before. He bought his first camera to capture the birth of his son. He watches his son grow threw the lens of his camera and also ended up catching protests, the IDF abuse, and his land being taken away in the process. Each year his son grew represented something monumental happening in his town in regards to the occupation. His camera gave him the strength and courage to document these heart-breaking moments--his brothers being taken to jail by the IDF, him getting shot, his best friend dying, and his house being invaded. He felt that his camera was protecting him. He witnessed not only men on the front lines of protests for the town to get their land back, but women as well. He watched strong young and old women fight back against the soldiers and not take the humiliation. He watched them hold signs and march through the streets right along their fellow Palestinian brothers.
I've always believed that when a community stands for something strongly enough, it brings together men and women and the differences in biology cease to matter. I think that is one of the reason the army is so unequal--because the soldiers don't believe in the cause and the lies the government is feeding them. They have no reason to unite with their fellow soldiers, because the cause isn't important to them. They end up not focusing and not respecting the female soldiers. If they were truly passionate up fighting for the sake of their country, rape and power would not be a priority.  In the end this community got their land back. People died in honor, people fought together, they didn't lose hope or focus and it paid off. 

Human Rights Film Festival

“The Invisible War”

During the Human Rights Film Festival I attended the documentary The Invisible War written and directed by Kirby Dick. After Anu Bhagwati’s visit to our class, and hearing great reviews about the documentary I decided to watch the film. The documentary highlights the controversy surrounding sexual assault within the United States military. I wasn’t able to attend the discussion following the film, however, I was extremely moved by the film’s content. I was shocked by the overall statistics of rape within the military, the amount of cases that go “unreported” and unresolved, and the stories of women who were forced to experience physical and mental abuse, sometimes even from commanders. I was shocked by the irony of the situation. Here, were women [and men] willing to fight and protect our country, however, they received no protection for themselves.
How could such an “admirable” institution have high levels of corruption and dishonesty?  Levels so high that statistics revealed in the documentary state 3,230 women reported assault during the last fiscal year in 2009, and 80% of sexual assault victims do not report. At the time of the documentary they estimated that 16,150 women were sexual assaulted in the military. Statistics continue to rise, and cases continue to go unreported. Although I had already had knowledge of sexual assault within the military from previous readings and Anu’s visit, there was absolutely nothing like seeing the personal detailed stories of the women and male survivors. The stories were heartbreaking. I watched as the lives of women and men were destroyed by the effects of the sexual assault and abuse they experienced while serving in the military.
The movie stated that “40 percent of female homeless veterans have been raped,” and “Women who have been raped in the military have a PTSD rate higher than men who’ve been in combat”. We have all heard the stories of men who experience post traumatic stress disorder after combat, however, I was extremely shocked to hear that statistics prove women who have been raped in the military have an even higher PTSD rate. After I watched the movie I thought about our idea for a rape campaign, simply stating: “DON’T RAPE”. I thought of the rape victim in the film who said “if a woman makes a rape case there always people asking questions, what was she doing there, what was she wearing? Whether or not she had a boyfriend”. I wondered what type of effect our slogan could have. How instead of victim blaming we can teach ways to prevent rape. 

Crisis In the Congo Reflection - Uncovering the Truth Reflection

I attended the Crisis in the Congo film screening and discussion. I particularly liked the message of the discussion that centered on the important role that professors, students, activists and ordinary people can play in effecting positive change in the Congo. The talk featured Kambale Musavuli, a student coordinator and national spokesperson for “Friends of Congo”.

I think Musavuli could have focused more on the role of women in international politics and the potential to address the ensuing violence by opening more positions for women in military, aid and trade negotiations. Women are considerably marginalized in the world of international politics, which is heavily gendered (Enloe, 1990). The power of local elites depends on their relation to metropolitan powers in the post-colonial capitalism in the Congo. Thus, uncomfortably suspended between local and global culture lies hegemonic masculinity of neocolonial societies (Connell, 2000). I think this plays a major role in the Congolese relationship with the U.S. and other western powers, which influences the continued violence. 

The opening film was quite graphic. Usually I don’t particularly like shock-value cinematography that simply uses dead bodies or starving children like props, but the film used these images in a meaningful and evocative way. I think for many people living in privileged societies, such as the United States, it can be easy to forget that there are still incredibly violent and torturous wars going on throughout the world. These images provoked a sense of urgency that is necessary. It reminded me of the power point Ann Jones showed us. The beautiful photographs of nature and the women’s dreams, intermixed with images of domestic violence and torture. In the same way the film juxtaposes the beautiful images of the Congo, with immense natural resources, with the heart-wrenching images of dead families.

As we have been discussing in the Davies Forum, institutionalized hierarchies of oppression are extremely difficult to not only challenge, but to simply get people to consciously recognize their existence. The film explored the role the United States and other allies, such as Uganda and Rwanda, played in triggering an extensive humanitarian crisis. France, Belgium and the U.S. have killed millions of Congolese, mainly due to foreign intervention in an effort to gain control of Congo’s extensive mineral wealth. Musavuli stressed the importance of recognizing the role of these western powers in the ensuing violence. I think this particular stress on recognition of privilege and power translates to feminist activism as well. If we could get people to actively reflect on and discover the ways in which gender hierarchies and oppression play a role in their everyday lives that would make the prospects for change much greater.

I particularly liked Musavuli’s promotion of community building through collaboration of Congolese youth, human rights activists and international actors. Sometimes aid projects have the tendency to simply ignore the needs or input of local populations and impose western ideals onto a certain society. He briefly mentioned that women could be part of this group, but I feel that their roles could be much more prominent than a simple side note. Promoting the same ideals as the projects Ann Jones worked with in Thailand and Cote D’Ivoire, women should have access to the tools to promote and articulate the issues within their own communities. Although I recognize the predominant need to end the violence, I believe women can develop a strong voice in conjunction with establishing peace. One does not negate the other, in the name of efficiency and time management. 

--Erika

Crisis in the Congo: Uncovering the Truth

Having been prodded by Professor Wibben to get up to date on the blog posts, I realized that I never posted on the event “Crisis in the Congo: Uncovering the Truth,” that occurred on February 28^th at USF. 

The event began with a film of the same name. Watching the film I was immediately transported back to Ann Jones’ chapter on the DRC in War isn’t Over when its Over. Amid the massive and devastating civil war that continues in the DRC, it is the women and the children who suffer the most, having already occupied the most oppressed positions in the society. I thought the film did a good job highlighting the extent of the issue but felt that it did not underline the issues of sexualized violence that are highly prevalent.

The discussion afterward was a continuation of the second dimension of the film: how others can help. I appreciated the speaker, Kambale Musavul's insistence that it is not the presence of peacekeeping forces and similar entities that will stop the violence. Instead, what is needed is a complete de-militarization of the society and an increase in opportunities outside of violent activities. This complimented our readings in class that see peacekeeping forces as perpetrators of sexualized violence and continued oppression as well as violence itself creating the detrimental construction of the “other.” I do wish, however, that these considerations had been better addressed in Musavul's recommendations for an end to the violence. The speaker’s recommendations focused on a) ending US military support to Rwanda and b) supporting the organization Congo Justice. I think an ultimate resolution to the conflict will also require a reconstruction of masculinity and femininity.

Human Rights Film Festival: Justice For My Sister

I went to the screening for the film Justice For My Sister mainly because I thought the film would be relatable to our class and what we were focusing on during that time.The film  follows Rebeca in her search for justice for here sister, Adela who was killed while she was returning from work. Throughout the film, she deals with a variety of different obstacles that prevent her from finding justice for her sister ranging from incompetent police officials, lost certificates and investigation records, gangs. an overwhelmed court system and a general lack of concern regarding violence in the area and specifically, violence against women.

One part of the film that really stood out in my mind was some of the data they revealed about life in Guatemala. In the last decade alone, roughly 6000 women have been killed with the majority of them unsolved. Of the cases who have been tried, only 2 percent of the perpetrators have gone to jail.

Another aspect of the film I really enjoyed was learning about their court system. In the United States, although our court system may not be perfect, it is much MUCH better than those in other countries. In Guatemala, the court system is headed by a three judge panel, who decides your fate, much like how a jury would here in the United States. In addition, the court system is very informal. While in the United States, our courts are very elaborate, large and full of specific protocol, the judicial system in Guatemala is a complete opposite. The court rooms are small, simple, and looks like a typical classroom in Cowell. In terms of protocol, the only one that was strictly enforced was when people stood up when the judges entered and exited the room. One example of the problems with the court system in Guatemala centered around one of the judges.

In the case of Adela (the one murdered when returning home), they arrested her ex-boyfriend who had a history of domestic violence against Adela and other women. While this was a case of murder and domestic abuse, one of the presiding judges at the time of the hearing was also undergoing a trial and investigation surrounding his role in his wife's death. After a protest regarding this conflict of interest by the prosecution, the judge was allowed to continue to preside over the case. This was one of the leading examples of how unfair and disorganized the justice system is in Guatemala. In the end, the suspect in Adela's murder convicted and later sentenced to 20 years (which was further extended to 30 years) in prison.

Following the film, there was a discussion with 2 professors from the International Studies program and a woman from an organization surrounding domestic abuse. Although they all made very interested points, the one point they made that really stood out was the need for gendered based asylum, especially in countries such as Guatemala where violence against women is rampant. She argued that violence against women is often forgotten on the international level. While we grant asylum to cases such as war, we should grant gendered based asylum because there is a war against women.

In the end, I really liked the film and the discussion. It was interesting and very thought provoking. I liked learning about the different court systems, and how much perseverance and self motivation it takes to bring a case to court, and charge someone with a crime in the case of Guatemala, where the court system is overwhelmed with cases and where violence against women is everywhere. The produced/director herself was raped while she was in Guatemala filming the documentary.

Response to "The Invisible War," a film directed by Kirby Dick - Allie Khori

http://invisiblewarmovie.com/

While I know that I am probably the last person in our entire class to watch this movie, and doubtless anything I say will be something my classmates have already considered, I must say that I was particularly impressed with this piece of documentary film making.

            The effect that this movie had, whether as grand as it claimed (making the DOD change its policy after viewing it) or not, gave me a lot of confidence in the power of art to make positive social change.  Television as a medium is in itself innocuous, simply a tool, a method of presenting images and sounds to a wide audience.  It can be used to numb or to incite, to quiet rumblings or fan the fire.  Telling extremely personal stories to a camera, knowing full well that these images will be seen by millions of viewers, requires a special kind of bravery, one that is full of hope and courage, and it was very powerful to see.

            If the military is like a family, and service members see each other as siblings and their commanding officers as a close authority figure, then rape within a unit and denial/punishment of the victim by the CO is akin to a sister being raped by her brother, telling their father, and then having the father punish his daughter for this crime.  This betrayal of a most intimate trust is traumatic in the extreme, and the PTSD associated with it is comparable to that male soldiers experience in combat. 

The preceding fact (above, in italics) made me think of the following sentence.  “The taking of a body in a sexually violent manner is akin to the taking of a body in a physically violent manner.”  Switch out the word “body” with the word “life” and you get an even more potent sentence.  The taking of a life in a sexually violent manner is akin to the taking of a life in a physically violent manner.  Combat trauma, which is often related to the taking of another life or seeing a comrade’s life taken, is akin to the trauma women service members experience during and especially after being raped by another service member.  This is a comparison which I believe cannot be overemphasized.

            Another fact that stood out to me was the reminder that there are, numerically, more men than women who have been subjected to sexualized violence in the military.   And if men have been in the military since its inception, the number of survivors must be absolutely astronomical.  How many suicides have been caused by this and why is no one talking about it? 

            This movie was an extremely potent reminder to me of why the debate about upping female enrollment in the armed forces is so problematic to feminists.  It’s not just the statistical potential for women to become victims of sexualized violence, but the fact that, when examined closely, the military is an arena of human interaction that has basically institutionalized sexualized violence.  Could it even exist without the fundamental tenets which encourage such violence?  Related to this was the study which showed that 15% of service members had attempted or committed an act of sexualized violence BEFORE ENLISTING.  This highlights, in neon, glowing, blindingly bright ink, the idea that something about the entire military structure encourages the traits of people which lead to sexualized violence.  Such a deep-seated problem would surely be nearly impossible to remove entirely.  Or perhaps it would transform the American Military into the proud, upstanding defense force that it claims to be, the force I want it to be

Barklow, T.K., Newson, J.S., Scully, R. K., (Producers), & Dick, K. (Director).  (2012). The Invisible War [Motion picture]. United States: Film Sprout.

Human Rights Film Festival: Transgender Tuesdays

I saw the documentary Transgender Tuesdays. The film is structured in two parts. The first, entitled “The Bad Old Days” discussed the history of trans* people in America, told through interviews with individuals old enough to remember what it was like to grow up trans* in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The second part focused on the Tom Waddell Health Center in the Tenderloin and their single-handed endeavor to provide health care and basic compassion to trans* people in San Francisco.

            The people interviewed for the film told varied, but equally harrowing stories about growing up in between genders in a very binary world. These people have been raped, abused, and psychologically traumatized from a very early age, and many share similar stories of prostitution, making porn, suicide attempts, and drug use. Another thing they have in common is incredible resilience.

            Before Tom Waddell started Transgender Tuesdays, trans* people in San Francisco were dying in the streets instead of seeking medical help because they had been rejected and mistreated by clinics and hospitals so many times before. Just by displaying compassion and living up to the Hippocratic Oath, doctors and nurses at Tom Waddell were able to incite incredible change and save hundreds of lives. They were able to bring trafficking of hormones and silicone off the street into a safe space where trans* people didn’t feel threatened, a feeling that is exceedingly rare in such a disadvantaged, feared and misunderstood community.

            This movie made me very reflective of the damaging nature of strict gender roles. The fact that people are actually driven to kill just because another person doesn’t fit into their “appropriate” sex is so hard for me to understand. As Tom Waddell shows, change is coming. But there’s still so far to go. Why is there so much fear associated with sex and gender?  I hope that projects and films like this continue to be made and watched so that others can see for themselves that trans* people are nothing to fear.

Human Rights Film Festival

As part of the Human Rights Film Festival, I saw the final film Project Z: The Final Global Event. It was very interesting! I enjoyed how the makers of the documentary used the very popular trend of the zombie apocalypse in nonfiction work. Though I feel that metaphor could have been better explained or introduced I think it brought forth several interesting questions and points. People need to wake up (stop being undead) and start living and making decisions to change the world we live in. The zombie apocalypse can be viewed as the end of human freedom, we all will become the drones of a militarized and government controlled society if we don’t actively pursue social change. It’s not necessarily a medical catastrophe or mutation of the human species that makes us undead; it is our unwillingness to go against the “norm” and our laziness to question the societal structures around us. I enjoyed the footage of the inner workings of military training and the development of video technology and how it connects to the video games that many people play. War is put on a screen and we easily destroy the enemy from a distance. These dehumanizing effects mutate the way wars are fought and how soldiers perceive the enemy. All of this information points to how war has transformed, both in financial and human costs. All in all a very interesting take on the military industrial complex.

- Jillian 

Human Rights Film Festival: The Invisible War

After Anu Bhagwati visited our class, I admit to taking the cliche route and decided to watch The Invisible War. Prior to taking this seminar, I only heard about the movie from one of my Media Studies classes, but hadn't even thought twice about watching it - now I regret it! Hearing Bhagwati's encounters with such an inherently patriarchal power - from the double-standards between men and women's fitness exams, uniforms, available work positions, all the way to the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military - were astounding. Maybe it's because I maintained such a shallow and superficial understanding of the system (that these were men and women willing to serve the country in combat, put through intense and identity-breaking training), but it was almost shocking to hear so many stories of corruption result from what is usually regarded as an esteemed national institution.

One of the most daunting pieces of information Bhagwati shared with us was that the ratio of rape within U.S. college campuses and rape within the U.S. military were strikingly similar. This fact alone gave me something to relate to, something that hit close to home since I was already aware that sexual assault was something prevalent amongst my peers. The Invisible War furthered this awareness with a slew of scandalous statistics - that 20 percent of women in the military have reported sexual assault, the estimate that 80 percent of such assaults aren't even reported and affect both women and men as well. Even worse is that women are often penalized for alleging these sexual assaults, and though they are required to report these attacks, the perpetrators still go unpunished. Though these were issues that Bhagwati noted in class, it was heartbreaking to watch the movie and actually see the victims and hear their stories! With a face and a voice to attribute to these stories made it more difficult to fathom that these things go on within such a blindly-respected institution. Since hearing Bhagwati's stories, watching The Invisible War and taking this class in general, I've just felt angry - but a good kind of angry, that makes me feel both informed and gives me the drive to do something to help.