Annual UN festival to feature films from more than 50 nations
The United Nations Association Film Festival highlights documentaries about clean energy, the homeless, women's rights and the effects of war.
'Crude,' a film by Joe Berlinger
'Disco and Atomic War,' a film by Jaak Kilmi
'The Garden,' a film by Scott Hamilton Kennedy
The 12th annual United Nations Association Film Festival will screen more than 50 documentary films from over 50 countries, with subjects as diverse as clean-energy economy, climate change in the year 2055, the plight of the homeless in the United States, a human perspective on the siege of Fallujah in Iraq, gays and lesbians trying to find their way in Israel and Palestine, and the story of Mukhtar Mai, the Pakistani woman who was gang-raped following a tribal council ruling and then went on to become an international activist for women.
The festival, which was founded by the Stanford Film Society and the United Nations Association Midpeninsula Chapter, runs Oct. 17-25 in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Stanford and San Francisco, with opening night in Palo Alto. The theme is "Energy and the World," which, according to festival organizers, was chosen "to reflect the myriad of problems we encounter saving energy around the world and to seek awareness and solutions - through film - to better our lives and save our planet." Some of the Stanford screenings also feature panel discussions and other events.
Pictured here: Joe Berlinger's Crude takes place in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador, where 30,000 indigenous and colonial rainforest dwellers are pitted against the U.S. oil giant Chevron. Disco and Atomic War, by Finnish director Jaak Kilmi, is a lighthearted exploration of whether disco and pop culture caused the collapse of the Soviet Union. Scott Hamilton Kennedy's The Garden, an Academy-nominated film, tells the story of the country’s largest urban farm, a 14-acre community garden in South Central Los Angeles, and backroom deals, land developers, green politics, money, poverty, power and racial discord.
For the tickets, list of films, schedule and locations, visit https://www.unaff.org or call (650) 724-5544.
Media Contact
Cynthia Haven, Stanford News Service: (650) 724-6184, [email protected]
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