We present a list of eight films you should not miss at the 17th Freedom Film Fest which will take place from September 21st – 28th in PJ Live Arts Theatre, Petaling Jaya (Malaysia)

About the festival:
The Freedom Film Network (FFN) is a not-for-profit body established to support and develop social documentary filmmaking within the context of freedom of expression and values contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in Malaysia.

The 17th Freedom Film Fest (FFF) will take place from September 20th to 28th (2019) and will focus on wealth inequality – an issue of global significance. With that in mind, FFF2019 is now calling for film grant proposals and submissions of completed film entries that take inspiration from the Malaysian phrase “Harga Naik, Gaji Maintain” (“Soaring Prices, Stagnant Wages”).

50 Years of Silence by Tham Seen Hau – Malaysia | 2019 – 90 minutes

The May 13 riots remain as a national wound that has yet to heal after half a century. With the incident shrouded in taboo and trauma, those who have lost their loved ones in the tragedy have remained voiceless for decades.

The Ngs were a family of ten living in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur in 1969. Five of them died in the May 13 riots. Due to the unbearable pain, the surviving family members never spoke to each other about the tragedy since the incident. 48 years later, they broke their silence as the director interviewed them individually, slowly piecing together fragments of a buried memory.

Screeing:
September 28th (Saturday) | PJ Live Arts Theater, Jaya One | 10:00 am

Trailer:

A Thousand Girls Like Me by Sahra Mosawi-Mani – Afghanistan | 2018 – 80 mintues

A Thousand Girls Like Me’ is an awe-inspiring vérité documentary that tells the story of a young Afghan woman’s brave fight to seek justice and protect her children after experiencing years of abuse at the hands of her father.

Khatera Golzad’s father physically and sexually abused her for more than thirteen years, and after several aborted pregnancies, she gave birth to a daughter and a son. Despite her many attempts to file charges, neither the Afghan police nor the legal system helped her. In 2014, she appeared on national television to publicly accuse her father, finally succeeding in bringing her case to court despite threats from male relatives and judges who labelled her a liar.

Shedding light on the broken Afghan judicial system and the women it seldom protects, ‘A Thousand Girls Like Me’ is the story of one woman’s battle against cultural, familial, and legal pressures as she embarks on a mission to set a positive example for her daughter and other girls like her. In a country where the systematic abuse of girls is rarely discussed, Afghan filmmaker Sahra Mani’s film is ultimately a story of bravery, love, hope and resilience.

The film screening of ‘A Thousand Girls Like Me’ and talk is organised in collaboration with Sisters in Islam (SIS).

Screeing:
September 22nd (Sunday) | PJ Live Arts Theater, Jaya One | 8:00 pm

Trailer:

Call Her Ganda by PJ Raval – Philippines | 2018 – 98 minutes

When Jennifer Laude, a Filipina transwoman is brutally murdered by a U.S. Marine, three women became intimately involved in the case-Virgie Suarez an activist attorney, Meredith Talusan, a transgender journalist and Julita “Nanay Laude”, Jennifer’s mother. Together, they galvanised a political uprising, pursuing justice and taking on the hardened legacy of U.S. imperialism in the Philippines.

A modern David and Goliath story, ‘Call Her Ganda’ fuses personal tragedy, human rights activism and the little-known history and complex aftermath of U.S. imperialism in the Philippines, forging a visually daring and profoundly humanistic geopolitical investigative exposé.

This film screening is organized in collaboration with SEED Foundation.

Screeing:
September 28th (Saturday) | PJ Live Arts Theater, Jaya One | 3:30 pm

Trailer:

Everything Must Fall by Rehad Desai
South Africa, Netherlands, Belgium | 2018 – 85 minutes

The film takes an unflinching look at the #FeesMustFall student movement in the South African political landscape during the 2015 protest against the cost of education. These youths have reached breaking point and will not back down until they have achieved a social transformation the previous generations have given up on.

The story is told by four student leaders at Wits University and their Vice Chancellor, Adam Habib, a left-wing, former anti-apartheid student activist. When Habib’s efforts to contain the protest fail, he brings 1000 police on to campus. There were dire consequences for the young leaders. By blending dramatic unfolding action with a multi-protagonist narrative, much of the drama lies in the internal struggles the activists have around the weight of leadership.

Screeing:
September 22nd (Sunday) | PJ Live Arts Theater, Jaya One | 1:00 pm

Trailer:

Outside by Tama Tobias-Macht, Johanna Sunder-Plassmann – Germany | 2018 – 80 minutes

The film explores the turbulent lives of homeless persons in Cologne, Germany. Through their personal belongings, the homeless share with the viewers their memories and emotions, and provide insight into the secrets of survival on the street. In the luminescence of night their sleeping spaces, filled with their collections of personal artifacts, are evocative of museum showcases.

The film screening of ‘Outside’ is supported by the German- French Cultural Fund, Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur, French Embassy and the Goethe-Institut Malaysia.

Screeing:
September 22nd (Sunday) | PJ Live Arts Theater, Jaya One | 4:00 pm

Trailer:

People’s Republic of Desire by Hao Wu – USA, China | 2018 – 95 minutes

As an entire generation has come of age on social media, virtual relationships are slowly replacing real-life human connections; and China has taken it to an extreme. Here, live streaming has become the most popular online entertainment for hundreds of millions. People’s Republic of Desire provides a vérité journey into this digital universe, where young performers earn as much as US$150,000 a month singing, dancing or doing talk shows to live interactive audiences of tens of thousands. The film follows three young characters – a singer, a comedian, and a migrant worker – as they search for fame, fortune and human connection in live streaming.

Screeing:
September 21st (Friday) | PJ Live Arts Theater, Jaya One | 2:00 pm

Trailer:

The Tree Remembers by Lau Kek Huat – Taiwan | 2019 – 87 minutes

‘The Tree Remembers’ presents the current situation in Malaysia where racial policy is still practiced and victims are forced to remain silent. This film re-examines the origin of racism in Malaysia and the taboo of the racial riots of 1969.

Screeing:
September 27th (Friday) | PJ Live Arts Theater, Jaya One | 8:00 pm

Trailer:

Zero Impunity by Nicolas Blies, Stéphane Hueber-Blies – France, Luxembourg | 2019 – 95 minutes

For centuries, victims of sexual war crimes have experienced abuse and its devastating consequences, yet very few have had the courage or the support to break the centuries-old silence and speak up. ‘Zero Impunity’ offers a voice to victims across the globe, including Syria and Ukraine, as well as on the African continent and in the U.S. The film is an important and necessary eye-opener to raise awareness and screams outrage on the subject. it is also a film about life, love and humanity.

The film screening of ‘Zero Impunity’ and Marion Guth’s presence at the festival is supported by the German-French Cultural Fund, Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur, French Embassy and the Goethe-Institut Malaysia.

Screeing:
September 28th (Saturday) | PJ Live Arts Theater, Jaya One | 1:00pm

Trailer:

For more information about the programme please visit the official website of the festival: Freedom Film Festival Website