Final Report
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FINAL REPORT Human Rights Documentary Film Festival March 11-19, 2009 PRAGUE Held under the auspices of Václav Havel, the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra, the Minister of Culture Václav Jehlička, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg, the Mayor of Prague Pavel Bém, seven regional commissioners as well as the mayors and chief magistrates of the towns and cities where the festival took place Organised by the People in Need foundation A brief reviewJeden svět– One 2009 World 2009 • Besides Prague, another 29 cities in the Czech •“An Evening on the Subject of...”, aprogramme Republic hosted the festival devoted to One World, which was broadcast by Czech TV’s second station ČT2, was watched by • 123 films from 42 countries were presented 176,000 people. Nine One World Specials were watched by an average of 98,000 viewers. • A record number of 45,047 people attended the festival in Prague (11,682 of whom were pupils • 181 after-film debates and discussions, in and students), which is roughly a thousand more which 200 guests, directors, experts and than the previous year) journalists participated. 31 major panel discussions were held on various subjects • There were screenings in 29 Czech cities which throughout the festival. were attended 57,744 people (34,864 of these people attended school screenings). • One new feature of the festival comprised screenings for senior citizens as well as • The total attendance at the 11th annual festival screenings for parents and children was 102,791 people • The festival also expanded by moving into two • 162 Czech and foreign guests attended the cultural clubs outside the city centre, i.e. the festival Zahrada cultural centre (Prague 11) and the Spořilov cultural centre (Prague 4) • Special festival programmes were broadcasted on Czech TV and the Radio 1 and Rádio Česko • 2,500 viewers attended One World in Brussels stations. There were also special festival over the course of five screening days supplements in the daily newspapers Lidové noviny and MF Dnes • A total of 392 accredited journalists attended the festival in Prague and other festival cities. The • The festival website recorded 220,000 hits from festival was mentioned more than 460 times in the beginning of February to the middle of April the media • A One World special on Czech TV’s website • A total of 328 volunteers and team workers (22 documentary films and more than 100 trailers from took part in the festival in Prague and other cities other films) attracted 98,000 users from the where the festival was held beginning of February to the end of March ONE WORLD • INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL • 11 – 19 MARCH 2009 2 TheJeden year’s svět main 2009 theme On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the The Europe in (One) World collection of films looked at Iron Curtain, the content of this year’s One World festival contemporary problems and global challenges that and its visual promotional material showed how much its face Europe, which is headed by the Czech Republic as organisers care about addressing today’s young people in the president of the EU Council. To a considerable their twenties, who represent the first generation in the extent, the themes and priorities of the Czech presidency of Czech Republic to grow up in freedom. At the same the EU coincide with longstanding topics dealt with by One time, it is also a generation whose lives will be World. Special debates were devoted to films and themes fundamentally influenced by current global challenges. in this category. These were organised by One World, partly in conjunction with the Agora civic association. The thematic category 20 Years of Democracy in Film recounts the last 20 years since the fall of totalitarian regimes This section was divided into further sub-categories: The in Central Europe, as they have been recorded by renowned Economy, The Energy Industry, A Blue and Green Planet, documentary-makers and young filmmakers. We have been Europe as a Global Player, and Europe without Barriers. presenting films that reflect in an original way upon the important challenges, successes and failures that accompanied this period of transformation. The programme is also available on the Internet throughout 2009. ONE WORLD • INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL • 11 – 19 MARCH 2009 3 Visual for the 11th annual festival FESTIVAL’S MOTTO : The festival’s founder Igor Blaževič had this to say about the choice of visual for this year’s festival: 20 years ago you were born into freedom. Now it is your turn. “When I think about the past twenty years, I have the feeling that freedom is the greatest gift that the older The visual for the eleventh annual One World festival generation (represented by Václav Havel as a leading was conceived by the Comtech agency and produced figure of the Czech dissident movement and the Civic by Boogiefilms. The festival trailer was directed by Forum) has bestowed on the younger generation. With Tomáš Bařina. only a slight sense of exaggeration, we are trying to let today’s twenty-year-olds know that the preceding generation made it possible for them to be born into freedom, but that it is entirely up to them how they use it. We also chose Václav Havel for this year’s visual because he is someone who has stood firmly behind us throughout the existence of the People in Need foundation and the One World festival. In this way, he helped us gain considerable credibility, not just in this country, but abroad as well.” ONE WORLD • INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL • 11 – 19 MARCH 2009 4 A selection of quotes from evaluation questionnaires Feedback from our audiences is very important to us. “The festival gets better from year to year. Even the That’s why we regularly send out evaluation things I thought couldn’t get any better have improved. questionnaires and also put them up on our website. I would seriously give it top marks.” This will help us improve the quality of the festival in future years. We also enjoyed the generous praise we “I personally think the discussions are the best thing at have received… the festival. They are what bring the films home to audiences. For instance, when you see a film about “As is now traditional, the festival was of a very good Burma and then have an opportunity to talk directly standard and it had a very good atmosphere. with a Burmese monk, it certainly makes an impression. I experienced some really nice moments at One World. Another thing that I find just as good is the chance you Thank you.” get to ask directors about certain additional things concerning the subject in question...” “This is a very valuable festival – it offers a kind of respite from heaps of banality.” “Compared to previous years, the standard of debates after films improved a lot. It seemed to me that there “I’m a big fan of the festival and I have great faith in it. was a wider range of films on offer. Even though I didn’t I admire the standard it has achieved in a country where attend them, I would also positively rate the this sort of festival event doesn’t have a long tradition accompanying events, such as the supervision of stretching back something like fifty years. It gets better children in the Minor theatre. Let’s just hope it simply every year. I am a very enthusiastic spectator.” continues in a similar vein!” “In particular, One World for senior citizens strikes me as “I liked everything – you should definitely continue what an excellent idea. They are a neglected group and yet you are doing. I’m really proud that we have this kind of I believe that they are definitely interested in similar film festival in the Czech Republic. It is an event I look screenings.” forward to all year round.” “From year to year the festival is of a better standard. It is “I was absolutely overwhelmed by the atmosphere. perfect in terms of its organisation. The films selected for THANK YOU!” the festival are interesting and their quality keeps improving: Dividing them into individual thematic “I was really pleased with the big choice of films and the categories, makes it easier for audiences to choose what organisation was excellent. All in all, I am enthusiastic to see according to what interests them. All the festival about this year’s festival.” staff are well informed, courteous and helpful, and this also gives the event a good name. I hope that at least “I’m pleased that the festival has been extended in some of the films will manage to be screened on TV so Olomouc in comparison with previous years. :)” that those who didn’t go to the festival cinemas will also get a chance to see them.” ONE WORLD • INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL • 11 – 19 MARCH 2009 5 A selection of quotes from evaluation questionnaires “I really look forward to it every year. For five years now, “I would positively rate the general tone of all the films. we’ve been coming to Prague from Bratislava for the Despite the fact that practically every one of them dealt festival. Not even the sad undercurrent of the films can with serious themes, the vast majority did not evoke take anything away from it. I don’t regret the holidays I despondency. On the contrary, they strengthened the have to take from my job for the sake of the festival :). conviction that it was possible to do something about From the outset, I would be choosier about the films.