Social Fabric joins Human Rights Film Festival's CALL TO ACTION programme with an interactive project "Rooted-Uprooted: Postcard Conversations".
We invite you to explore your roots — whether they're feelings, places, activities, or people — and share your thoughts with us. Postcards are available on the festival grounds with three postboxes (located at Riffraff, Das Gleis, and Foyer Zollhaus) for submissions.
The Human Rights Film Festival Zurich: 4-10.4.2024 at Riffraff features artistically strong films that address human rights issues without resorting to stereotypes or moral judgment.
In a world filled with wars, crises, and human rights violations, media images often evoke shock or prompt immediate displays of solidarity, usually taking one side or the other. However, the reality is far too intricate for simplistic slogans. Filmmaking serves as one means of artistically grappling with this complexity. The HRFF showcases 22 works at Riffraff cinemas that delve deep into these issues, uncovering nuances that are both thought-provoking and uncomfortable.
We believe in the emotive capacity of cinema as an art form and view the film festival as a platform for individuals seeking to engage with the complexities of our world.
Some films featured in this year's Human Rights Film Festival Zurich focus on locations that have faded from the media spotlight: "Etilaat Roz" follows the team of a critical Afghan newspaper, while "My Worst Enemy" depicts torture interrogations in Iran. "Queendom," "Total Trust," and "Myanmar Diaries" shed light on the personal costs of criticising government actions in Russia, China, and Myanmar. Films exploring the repercussions of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict may not be screened for another year or two. Nonetheless, "Bye Bye Tiberias," by Lina Soualem, offers a compelling feminist portrait that seeks to bridge gaps in her family history and connect them to the Palestinian experience of displacement.
Dive into different realities and sharpen your focus.
The programme features 22 films across 34 screenings, including 7 school screenings, a performance, a quiz featuring film and music, a theatre event, and a spoken word performance. Discussions with directors, protagonists, and thematic experts take place too, providing opportunities to place what is seen within broader context.
CALL TO ACTION — supporting programme — takes place at the venues Riffraff, Zollhaus, Das Gleis, and Sogar Theater.
Here, visitors have the opportunity to engage with local organisations and artists dedicated to fostering a fairer world through art, installations, or participatory projects, encouraging civic involvement. Social Fabric hosts postcard conversations centred on the theme of "Rooted - Uprooted."
My roots...
...A feeling, a place, an activity, or people? Can roots be lost? Can roots be allowed to grow? And what nourishes them? At Social Fabric, people with and without refugee experience come together. From these encounters, exchanges, and cohesion, a series of postcards titled "Rooted - Uprooted" has emerged. At the Human Rights Film Festival, we invite you to contribute your voice to the conversation. Find our postcards on the festival grounds and write down your thoughts.
When: April 4-10, 2024
Where: 3 postboxes at three locations (Riffraff, Das Gleis, and Foyer Zollhaus) - postcards distributed on the festival grounds.
Film Festival Tickets
Tickets can be purchased directly online via riffraff.ch or at the cinema box office.
All films and events at the festival are free for individuals with N, F, or S residence status. Festival passes can be obtained at the Welcome Desk.
Neugasse 57/63, 8005 Zürich
