Symposium on:

The Role of Documentary Films in Spreading the Culture of Human Rights
Thursday, April 19, 2013 - aLryyan Hall, Doha Sheraton at 18:30
  
The stories depicted in documentary films remain entrenched in the minds of the public for a long time; especially when they represent factual realities.

Art has always been and will always be a stimulating and influential instrument by which we can touch the feelings of audience and reach into the depths of their souls to stir empathy towards and identification for the story told in the film.

In this sense, human rights activists consider documentary films to be one of the major mechanisms that can be used to promote the culture of human rights alongside other important tools such as television and radio programs, specialized seminars, conferences and workshops, newspapers, magazines and books.

Documentary films have worked as records for political, social and cultural reform movements not only in the Arab world but in the entire world. They have contributed to the mobilization of public opinion locally, regionally and internationally, which led eventually to the overthrow of some regimes and the reform of others.

The department of Public Liberties and Human Rights in Aljazeera Network believes that techniques followed by filmmakers in addressing human rights and humanitarian issues ultimately lead to a better documentation and dissemination of the culture of human rights and even contributes to the protection of cross-documented evidence of gross violations of human rights, and thus prevents the perpetrators of impunity.

Our symposium seeks to investigate various schools of documentary film production and the possibilities they hold for human rights activities.

Speakers are:
Four directors of miscellaneous cultural backgrounds.
1. Sophie Scott.
2. Mirko Pinceli