Participation of the public association “Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan” in the 26th International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival “One World” in Prague.

From March 15 to 19, 2025 the Executive Director of the public association “Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan” Murat Karypov took part in the International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival “One World” in Prague, which brought together filmmakers, human rights defenders, journalists and media experts from around the world for a joint dialog and discussion of the situation with respect for the rights and freedoms of citizens in the context of shrinking space for civil society and the promotion of human rights through the art of documentary filmmaking.

The festival included a number of meetings with leading documentary filmmakers from Eastern Europe, including:

Anna Nowakowa (Poland) - director of the film “Voices of Freedom”, which explores civil protests in the countries of the Eurasian space; 

- Peter Ivanov (Bulgaria), director of “Shadows of the Past”, a film about historical memory and human rights;

- Elena Kovacs (Slovakia), director of “Crossroads,” a film about the migration crisis in Europe;

- Filip Remunda (Czech Republic) - renowned filmmaker, one of the founders of the Institute of Documentary Film, author of the film “Czech Dream”, which explores the phenomenon of consumerism in modern society;

- Jaka Bizil (Slovenia) - producer, recognized for his film “Letter to Anna,” which investigates the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya;

- Milan Maryška (Czech Republic) is a documentary filmmaker and photographer known for his work on social and political transformations in Eastern Europe.

Multilateral meetings with partners facilitated the exchange of experience and discussion of opportunities for joint projects aimed at highlighting pressing human rights issues in the OSCE region and Central Asia. During participation in the screening of the documentary “Alarm Button”, which tells about anti-corruption investigations conducted by journalists of the Azattyk news agency, key recommendations on the importance of engaging leaders and activists of local communities living in risk and disaster conditions were voiced based on a joint study by Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan and the Global Association of NGOs for Disaster Risk Reduction (GNDR)[1] “View from the Frontline”[2], the local to global decision-making processes, as well as the need to take into account the needs and requirements of communities when localizing development donor projects, applying the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights[3]. The film generated a wide public response among the audience and highlighted the importance of independent journalism in the fight against corruption in the context of restrictions on the activities of public organizations and pressure on free media.

During participation in the international festival, expert meetings and interviews were also held with representatives of international media organizations, including journalists from Radio Free Europe and The Guardian. They discussed cooperation in covering human rights topics in Central Asia in the context of limited funding, as well as the possibility of co-producing documentary materials to promote the voices of the most vulnerable groups of people. New international partners expressed interest in participating in the Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival[4] in 2025, which is a sister festival of One World, and plan to submit their entries for the competitive selection process, signaling the growing international recognition of the Bir Duino Festival as a unique platform for discussing global human rights issues[5].

During the One World Festival, key recommendations were made by the Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan team to strengthen the protection of human rights, civil society freedoms and the role of local communities in risk and disaster settings:

1. Guarantee compliance with international human rights standards, including freedom of expression, freedom of association and protection of human rights defenders.

2. Ensure the participation of civil society in decision-making processes, especially in countries where there is a shrinking space for NGOs. 3.

3. Draw the attention of international organizations to human rights violations in Central Asia and promote independent investigations and monitoring of the situation.

4. Develop special programs to support local communities living under natural and anthropogenic risks, including funding for projects to reduce vulnerability through the Online Civic Space Academy for local communities.

5. Protect the rights of journalists and activists by providing them with security guarantees when investigating corruption and abuse of power.

6. Establish international mechanisms for rapid response to cases of pressure on NGOs, including the provision of emergency legal and financial assistance.

7. Promote educational initiatives for youth on human rights and sustainable development, strengthening their role in democratic processes.

8. Promote independent documentary filmmaking as a tool for highlighting social issues and mobilizing public opinion.

9. It is important to strengthen the broad platform of Solidarity through Art and Human Rights

From April 01 to July 01, 2025 will be announced an open competitive selection of documentary films for the Festival “Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan 2025”, which will be held in December 2025. For all questions on participation in the international festival “Bir Duino” please contact the Executive Director of BDK Murat Karypov by Email: m.karypov@gmail.com or birduinokyrgyzstan@gmail.com and by phone number: +996555422222.