1 - 6 February 2022
An online celebration of films and art which explore human rights
Yorktivist welcomes documentary films, films with fictional storylines, films based on stories. All film formats are eligible, whether feature-length or short film, live action or fully animated.
The defining criteria is that the film or artwork has a human rights’ focus.
2022 Yorktivist Human Rights Film Festival
The organisers were delighted to feature the following films for the 2022 Festival.
The film is still in post-production. Director, Rocky Roggerio and researcher Kathy Baldock join a panel of UK-based commentators, for a lively discussion of this ground-breaking film.
Children of the Light. 2014. 92 mins. Director: Dawn Gifford Engle.
Children of the Light looks at the life story and legacy of Nobel Prize winner Desmond Tutu, one of the fathers of modern-day South Africa.
Part of the Nobel Legacy Film series.
There Once Was An Island. 2010. 80 mins. Producer: Lyn Collie; Director Briar March.
Three people in the unique Pacific Island community of Takuu face the first devastating effects of climate change, including a terrifying flood. Will they decide to stay on the island or leave their culture and language behind forever?
Little Palestine, Diary of a Siege. 2021. 90 mins. Producers: Mohammad Ali Atassi, Jean-Laurent Csinidis. Director: Abdallah Al-Khatib
During the Syrian civil war, Yarmouk, a district of Damascus, where thousands of Palestinians are refugees, was the site of fierce fighting. This filmed diary follows the fate of civilians during the brutal siege imposed in 2015 by the Syrian regime following these battles.
Waiting For Anya. 2020. 109 mins. Producers Phin Glynn, Alan Latham; Director: Ben Cookson.
During World War II a young boy stumbles upon a dangerous secret: children are being smuggled out of Nazi-occupied France to the safety of Spain. He and his grandfather stage one last daring effort to get all of the children across the border to safety.
Put Away. 2021. 11 mins. Producer & Director: A.D. Cooper.
Prudence was put away – in a mental hospital, for ‘her own good’. She’s been there since 1920 and it’s now 1965. She tells her story to the wall every day while she struggles to stay sane.
Approval Needed. 2018. 11 mins. Written, Directed and Produced by Karen Anstee.
Approval Needed is a thought-provoking comedy-drama which tells the tale of a lonely traffic warden who suffers abuse at the hands of angry drivers.
Women’s Aid is a grassroots federation working together to provide life-saving services in England and build a future where domestic abuse is not tolerated. These three films are in support of Women’s Aid. A collective online discussion will be held for all three films: Spot the Abuse; World’s Strongest Women (Trigger warning: suggestion of domestic violence); Safe Spaces Now.
Watch the Q&A Sessions
Flamingos
Sergio Falchi discusses his debut film, Flamingos, with Emma Taylor, and touches on upcoming projects, more of which may be seen on his website.
Purple Sea
Amel Alzakout speaks with Kyveli Lignou-Tsamantani and Emilie Flower about her film, Purple Sea. For further information about the film, please see LightDox.com.
About Yorktivist
An online celebration of films and art which explore human rights
The Festival is a collaboration between the organisers and the York Human Rights City Network.
YHRCN is a civil society partnership hosted jointly by York Centre for Voluntary Service and the Centre for Applied Human Rights at the University of York.
For Film Makers
If you have a film would like to submit for Yorktivist 2023, please use the following form.