With the motto "Through the fog", the Center for Civic Education (CEO) is organizing the 14th Montenegrin Human Rights Film Festival "Ubrzaj 2023" in Podgorica, Kotor and Berane. The festival will be officially opened with the Montenegrin premiere of the feature-length documentary film "Mamula All Inclusive" by the author Aleksandar Reljić on Sunday in Podgorica, at the Cultural and Information Center "Budo Tomović" at 20 p.m. On that occasion, annual awards for the affirmation of human rights and civic activism will be presented.
"The Mamula fortress on the island of Lastavica, at the very entrance to the Bay of Kotor, served as an infamous camp in which civilians were imprisoned, tortured and starved during both world wars. Ivo Marković was imprisoned on Mamula in 1942, as an eight-year-old, and he well remembers the torture of hundreds of civilians by the Italian fascists. The decision of the Government of Montenegro to give the island a concession, in order to turn the fortress into an exclusive hotel, deeply hurt and humiliated him. Although the representatives of the government claim that the investor committed to building a "unique hotel, with a special memorial room", Ivo Marković, together with other camp inmates, activists of non-governmental organizations, citizens and citizens, opposes that decision and begins the fight to preserve the memory of the innocent victims. is in the description of the film, which, due to its subject matter, attracts the attention of both the regional and the world public.
The central program of the Festival is from December 10 to 14 at KIC "Budo Tomović" in Podgorica, and accompanying editions at Cinema "Boka" in Kotor on December 12 and 13 and at the Berane Cultural Center on December 13 and 14.
"Festival Ubrzaj offers a unique overview of films of the latest production and exceptional quality, which address various aspects of human rights. These films also come with numerous nominations and recognitions from prestigious regional, European and international festivals, and they premiere in Montenegro. In addition to film screenings, the Ubrzaj Festival also has an accompanying program through which, with members of the film crew, some of the key issues in the field of human rights from certain film productions will be brought up to date," the announcement states.
Film screenings in the continuation of the Festival in Podgorica will be held in the DODEST hall at 17, 19 and 21 p.m., and on the second day, the program includes the following films: "Complete trust" directed by Jialing Zhang, "Ingeborg Bahman - Journey to the Desert" directed Margaret von Trott and “Prison 77” Alberto Rodriguez. On Tuesday, December 12, the films will be shown: "The Female Gang" directed by Susan Regina Meures, "20 Days in Mariupol" authored by him Mstislav Chernov from Ukraine and "Rodeo" in the direction Lola Kivoron. The following day, Wednesday, the program will begin at 18 p.m. with the film "Mara", which he signs Saša Kulak, followed by the director's “Three minutes: overtime”. Bianke Stigter and at 20.30:XNUMX p.m. "Family Gathering" which he signs Tia Kuovo. On the fifth day of the Festival, the program is "Facing the Darkness" by the director Jean-Gabriel Periot at 18 p.m., at 20 p.m. "Phantom of Hotel Nada" is shown Bojan Stojičić, and Ubrzaj 2023 will be solemnly closed with the film "Kristina" Nikola Spasić at 20.30:XNUMX p.m.
"Festival Ubrzaj strives, through the medium of film, to affirm the universality of human rights and the importance of tolerance, communicating with a diverse audience, which further emphasizes its importance in the deeply divided Montenegrin society. That is why the films from the selection of the Ubrzaj Festival are an important contribution to building a culture of human rights, they encourage critical thinking, encourage dialogue, engaged conversations and call for action", the organizers emphasize and add that the excellent response and reactions of the audience motivate them to constantly upgrade the Ubrzaj Festival.
"Our audience also accepts the challenge to get out of the comfort zone and open up to the new, different and reflective, connecting, even briefly, with the powerful stories of different individuals and communities, and together with them, or with them, breaks through the fog in which are human rights", concluded the CGO.
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