Movies that Matter x Nieuwspoort | The Killing of a Journalist
Movies that Matter and Nieuwspoort join forces for a series of film programmes with in-depth discussions. In these programmes, we try to interpret complex issues through film. Expect an evening of powerful stories, profound conversations and meaningful encounters. The second edition will take place on Monday 11 December at 18:30.
We screen the film The Killing of a Journalist (Matt Sarnecki, 2022). When an investigative journalist and his fiancée are brutally murdered and Slovak police fail to question the prime suspect, a leaked dossier reveals rampant corruption and protests for justice erupt.
The film will be followed by a discussion with two journalists, Opoka Christopher p’Arop and Luis, who both have first-hand experiences of the threat of violence, due to the work they do in their home countries. They have a link to the Shelter City programme, which gives support for human rights defenders by providing a temporary safe haven abroad. The moderator is Evelien Wijkstra, Director of Policy & Advocacy at Free Press Unlimited.
The screening is in Slovak with English subtitles. The post-screening discussion will be in English.
About the film
On the night of February 21, 2018, investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, both just 27 years old, were brutally murdered in their home. It was the first targeted killing of a journalist in Slovakia’s history, and shocked citizens protested on a scale not seen since the fall of communism. Kuciak was well known for covering questionable financial connections between politicians and “elite” business tycoons, namely millionaire Marián Kocner.
When police failed to meaningfully investigate the prime suspect, journalists mobilized the public. Leaked files, Kuciak’s posthumous reports and civic outcry led to scandalous discoveries of decades-old corruption networks involving Kocner and the police chief, high-ranking bureaucrats and the prime minister himself.
About the guests
Opoka Christopher p’Arop
Opoka Christopher is a journalist, writer and activist. He was born in South Sudan. He first came to the Netherlands as a guest of Shelter City and now lives in Utrecht. He continues to participate in research projects on financial and human rights abuse in South Sudan, and also helps coordinate the rescue and redeployment of fellow journalists.
Luis Carlos Díaz
Venezuelan-Spanish journalist and human rights defender. He is part of the Board of Directors of the organization Transparencia Venezuela and the NGO platform Sinergia. He is a communications strategy consultant for human rights organizations. He has given classes and lectures in more than 20 countries. He is the author and co-author of 9 books on technologies and politics in Venezuela. He received the Sophie Scholl Award from the German embassy along with his wife Naky Soto in 2020. In 2019 he was considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. He works as an anchor on the Unión Radio circuit.
Good to know
The Nieuwspoort International Press Centre is the meeting place for politicians, journalists and representatives of companies and civil society organisations. It is a good idea to take a few things into account prior to your visit to Nieuwspoort:
- The venue has an application procedure. You must register as a visitor via a separate form.
- You will then receive an email with a QR code. Bring this QR code and your ticket for the film screening with you.
- Also bring a valid ID.
- The Nieuwspoort entrance is at the side of the Lower House building.
- We advise you to be at Nieuwspoort well in advance, around 18:00.
More information about registering as a visitor can be found here.