We had a full presence in The Hague, the City of Peace and Justice, again this year. Of course in our festival centre at Filmhuis Den Haag and Theater aan het Spui, but also at guest locations such as De Nieuwe Regentes, Theater en Filmhuis Dakota, Nieuwspoort and Beeld & Geluid. We entered into new partnerships with Theater De Vaillant, the Kunstmuseum Den Haag, The Grey Space in the Middle and Nest. Audiences could also enjoy Movies that Matter in other places around the country, as this year there were five satellite locations: Alkmaar, Amsterdam, Amersfoort, Apeldoorn and Maastricht.
The festival opened on Friday 22 March with a performance of John Lennon’s Imagine, performed in three languages by Karima el Fillali and Shishani, followed by a speech by State Secretary for Culture & Media, Fleur Gräper-Van Koolwijk and Mert Kumru. The opening film was Photophobia by Ivan Ostrochovský and Pavol Pekarčík.
From 22 to 30 March, we presented more than 80 films and numerous in-depth programmes with activists, experts and filmmakers from all over the world. We welcomed budding organisers of international human rights film festivals to our five-day workshop programme Cinema Without Borders. Over 6,000 schoolchildren and mbo students participated in the comprehensive education programme in The Hague and Amsterdam. Industry panels and workshops for film professionals from all over the world, NGOs and funds focused on creating impact with human rights films.
This year’s festival had a focus on Türkiye, with three film professionals of Turkish origin as guests of honour: Nazmiye Oral, Tülin Özen and Ahmet Boyacıoğlu. An Industry Masterclass took place: In conversation with…Ahmet Boyacıoğlu, we screened two audience-chosen classics and, of course, films by the chief guests. Nazmiye Oral presented the film adaptation of her theater performance No Longer Without You, which brought Oral and her mother Havva worldwide success. In addition, the poignant exhibition Roots & Soil opened at The Grey Space in the Middle, born of a long-term collaboration between by renowned photographer Ahmet Polat and students from Gaziantep, sharing their experiences after the largest Turkish earthquake on 6 February 2023.
We are particularly proud of screenings of films like I Shall Not Hate and the one-off special screening of No Other Land, in collaboration with IDFA, about a Palestinian activist from the West Bank and an Israeli journalist who join forces to shed light on the mass expulsion of Palestinian residents from the village of Masafer Yatta. In I Shall Not Hate, we follow Palestinian doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish, working in an Israeli hospital, who is on a mission of forgiveness and reconciliation. This is tested to the limit when an Israeli tank bombs his house and kills his three daughters. Dr Abuelaish attended the festival with a host of impressive follow-up interviews and was also a guest of Dutch discussion TV programme Buitenhof. Watch the interview back here.
We made it possible, through collaborations with the Quiet 500 and the Ooievaarspas, to make the festival more accessible to those on a small budget as well. “Thank you for a fine performance. Was a nice night out for me. Just a little distraction!” , said a visitor to the Activist Night.
Through Motify’s on site experience monitors, we know that audiences rated the festival with a rating of 8.7! The film offer and diversity of topics was particularly appreciated.
