2008 Woodie Awards
Human Rights films spark conversation
A review
Jacob Abdelkhaleq
Issue date: 9/25/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
A Long Night's Journey into Day is the third of eleven films shown as a part of the Human Rights Film Festival going on throughout the semester. The films are meant to inform students about world affairs and the human rights violations that have either already occurred or are still occurring today. The goal of showing the films is to spark conversation amongst students about the movies and the atrocities they bring to light.
A Long Night's Journey into Day is a documentary about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa and its attempts to find the facts about the atrocities that occurred during apartheid. Apartheid in South Africa lasted for over 50 years and was full of violence and political upheaval. The TRC allowed people to publicly speak of their crimes in exchange for amnesty. Before amnesty is granted though, it must be proven that the crime was committed for political reasons, and that the perpetrator provided full disclosure about the event. The movie focuses on four of these hearings.
The documentary opens with the story of Amy Biehl, an American grad student who was killed during a riot. The movie strategically shifts between interviews with Amy's parents, the rioters, and the hearing in front of the TRC. Starting with this story is obviously meant to cater to an American audience, considering the victim and the fact that it is essentially a feel-good story where the parents support amnesty for the men involved and the men are remorseful about their acts. The other three stories are not as pleasant and help the viewer experience the strong emotional upheaval created by the events during apartheid and the TRC's attempts to find the truth.
The film has a nearly gritty quality that supplements the pans of ghettos and dusty streets. The filmmakers take advantage of news reels and police videos to display the often graphic images of dead and burned bodies. In one scene, the mothers of the victims of the Guguletu 7 are shown watching the police video of their dead sons during a TRC hearing. One by one they begin to wail loudly and flail as the heart-wrenching feelings of their children's death are felt afresh. Scenes like this not just inform the audience about the TRC, but ask us to try and empathize with the peoples of South Africa in their struggle to reconcile the past.
After each movie, a brief discussion is facilitated by the discussant, where audience members are given the opportunity to express how well they thought the movie did at portraying its topic and to just share some of the emotions experienced while viewing.
The next movie in the series is Osama, playing in the Multicultural Resource Center at the EUC on Thursday, Sept. 27.
For more information visit the website at www.uncg.edu/~sjsills/cci_filmfestival.html.
A Long Night's Journey into Day is a documentary about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa and its attempts to find the facts about the atrocities that occurred during apartheid. Apartheid in South Africa lasted for over 50 years and was full of violence and political upheaval. The TRC allowed people to publicly speak of their crimes in exchange for amnesty. Before amnesty is granted though, it must be proven that the crime was committed for political reasons, and that the perpetrator provided full disclosure about the event. The movie focuses on four of these hearings.
The documentary opens with the story of Amy Biehl, an American grad student who was killed during a riot. The movie strategically shifts between interviews with Amy's parents, the rioters, and the hearing in front of the TRC. Starting with this story is obviously meant to cater to an American audience, considering the victim and the fact that it is essentially a feel-good story where the parents support amnesty for the men involved and the men are remorseful about their acts. The other three stories are not as pleasant and help the viewer experience the strong emotional upheaval created by the events during apartheid and the TRC's attempts to find the truth.
The film has a nearly gritty quality that supplements the pans of ghettos and dusty streets. The filmmakers take advantage of news reels and police videos to display the often graphic images of dead and burned bodies. In one scene, the mothers of the victims of the Guguletu 7 are shown watching the police video of their dead sons during a TRC hearing. One by one they begin to wail loudly and flail as the heart-wrenching feelings of their children's death are felt afresh. Scenes like this not just inform the audience about the TRC, but ask us to try and empathize with the peoples of South Africa in their struggle to reconcile the past.
After each movie, a brief discussion is facilitated by the discussant, where audience members are given the opportunity to express how well they thought the movie did at portraying its topic and to just share some of the emotions experienced while viewing.
The next movie in the series is Osama, playing in the Multicultural Resource Center at the EUC on Thursday, Sept. 27.
For more information visit the website at www.uncg.edu/~sjsills/cci_filmfestival.html.
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