Disruption of screenings of the films “ Mara”, “This Rain Will Never Stop” at the festival.
Ноя 16.2022The 16th Festival of Documentary Films on Human Rights "Climate and Crises: the Situation with Fundamental Human Rights, Alternatives for the SDGs" began in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic on 14 November, 2022. The festival is organized annually by the Human Rights Movement "Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan". You can find the festival program here: www.birduino.kg.
On 15 November 2022, all 9 films were screened at the Broadway Cinema according to the festival program: "Girls, Space, Equality", "Fans are Waiting", "Mother", "Silk Strings", "#BishkekSmog", "We Have to Survive: Fukushima!", "At the Bottom", "Heavenly Horse", "Alaman".
On the evening of 15 November 2022, two men came to the Broadway Cinema and informed the organizing committee of the festival that screenings of two films would be cancelled: "Mara" (60 minutes, directed by Sasha Kulak, 2022, France, Great Britain) and "This rain will never stop" (103 minutes, directed by Alina Gorlova, 2020, Ukraine).
On 16 November 2022, at 10:30 a.m., the commercial director of the Broadway Cinema, representative of AIM Group LLC, Samat Begaliev, said that after watching the trailers, he banned the screening of these films since they contained war propaganda, and he had not received any prior written notice about it. When asked about the cancellation reasons, he replied: "Last year they showed all the films, because it was a different time." However, there is no propaganda of war in the films, they were selected by a special commission of the festival. Despite the agreement on the lease of the cinema hall dated 13 October 2022, which does not provide for any restrictions and prohibitions on the screening of any films, AIM Group LLC (cinema) did not inform us on legal grounds for restricting human rights and freedoms and not fulfilling obligations to show the films "Mara" and "This Rain Will Never Stop."
The authorized body in this area is the Department of Cinematography under the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic. On 16 November 2022 the organizing committee of the film festival sent a letter to the director of the State Cinema Center "Kyrgyz Tasmasy" with a request to issue a state certificate for the documentaries (the entire festival program was provided). No response has been received at the time of the press release distribution.
The Human Rights Movement "Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan" declares the inadmissibility of the categorical restriction of human rights and freedoms in violation of Articles 10, 23, 33, 55 of the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic, Articles 2, 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Articles 6, 12, 13 of the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms[1].
The paragraph 5, Article 23 of the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic states: "human rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution are not subject to any restrictions," and paragraph 1, Article 33 states: "Everyone has the right to freely seek, receive, store, use information and disseminate it orally, in writing or otherwise." Thus, no one had the right to prohibit the screening of the films "Mara" and "This Rain Will Never Stop."
Should you have any questions or need any additional information, you can contact Lira Ismailova by mobile phone: +996-551-089-099, as well as via the following email address: birduinokyrgyzstan@gmail.com.
Organizing committee of the Film Festival
[1] The rights to: freely publish, transmit or disseminate to others opinions, information and knowledge about all human rights and fundamental freedoms; study, discuss, form and have an opinion on the observance of all human rights and fundamental freedoms both in legislation and in practice, and attract public attention to these issues using these and other appropriate means (Article 6); effective protection of legislation (Article 12), use of resources for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms by peaceful means (Article 13).