FLASHPOINT Human Rights Film Festival: NO FIRE ZONE – THE KILLING FIELDS OF SRI LANKA

Solaris Pictures presents

Thursday, December 12, 2013 | 3.00pm

Viewer's discretion is advised, as explicit nature of the content may be disturbing.

NO FIRE ZONE – THE KILLING FIELDS OF SRI LANKA

90 min / UK, Sri Lanka / 2013

English, Sinhala, Tamil with English subtitles

Dir: Callum Macrae

Synopsis

In summer 2008 the Sri Lankan Government decided to finish the 30-years civil war against Tamil rebels at any cost – which meant: irrespective of the sufferings of the civilian population. The documentary is the culmination of three years of journalistic investigation and deeply disturbing evidence of the century’s worst crime against humanity and of the failure of the international community to prevent this catastrophe.

Festivals & Awards

Festival du Film et Forum International sur Les Droits Humains, Geneva

Movies that Matter Festival 2013, The Hague

Tri-Continental Human Rights Film Festival, Cape Town / Johannesburg & Pretoria

FIDH Human Rights Award - Festival des Libertés, Brussels

Jury Special Mention - Film Asia Film Festival Kathmandu, Nepal

Audience Award - Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival, 2013

Jury Special Mention - CPH:DOX festival, Copenhagen

Directors’ Statement

“I describe No Fire Zone as a film of record and a call to action. And on one level it is just that: Shocking evidence of war crimes which will – I hope – motivate people to do something about terrible injustices. The video evidence in this film is disturbing – but it also compelling. It has been forensically examined and carefully evidenced. But No Fire Zone is also a feature documentary which tells a story of human suffering and human courage, as well as the depravity to which human beings can sink.

We humans are very good at distancing ourselves from the lost humanity that is represented by news footage showing piles of dead corpses. It is more difficult to distance yourself from the ongoing suffering of the survivors – and the injustice which they continue to experience. So my aim with this film was to get people to engage on a personal human level – as well as engaging with the politics and, I hope, the fight for justice.

I am particularly pleased that the film is being shown in Mumbai. As everyone in India knows, the events in Sri Lanka and the search for justice are not academic issues to do with historical accountability – they are real live issues which need to be confronted now if human rights violations in Sri Lanka are to end and regional stability maintained.

I hope that this film can be part of this process of truth telling which will, I hope, eventually lead to justice – which itself can pave the way for political solutions and peace.”
- Callum Macrae

Directors’ Bio

BAFTA nominated film maker, writer and journalist CALLUM MACRAE has been making films for more than 20 years in the UK and around the world, including Iraq, Japan, Haiti and several in Africa, covering wars and conflicts in Cote D’Ivoire, Uganda, Mali, and Sudan. His films have ranged from observational documentaries to current affair investigations including three major investigations into allegations of coalition crimes in Iraq. His most recent major projects were the two TV documentaries on the end of civil war in Sri Lanka and a film made in South Kordofan of Sudan, documenting Khartoum's war of terror against the Nubian population. As writer for Observer, he won the Bank of Scotland Campaigning Journalist of the Year Award.

Links

http://nofirezone.org/

www.imdb.com/title/tt2949516/