Though far from the prestige of the red carpeted galas and polished feature films that now characterize the film festivals of Canada's major cities, Amnesty International's film festival presents a unique batch of films touching on issues of social justice throughout the world. The festival receives a bit of a bad rep for being a bit of a "downer", which can often be a bit hard to argue - the impetus for most of the films is usually some form of violation of social, political, environmental or individual rights.

The subject matter can make the films tough to watch, if for no other reason than they are often a wake up call to the brutal reality so many people in this world live with.í‚   However, within these rarely seen films there exists an element of positivity, the hope that through awareness to some of these issues, changes for the better are indeed possible. And while for many of us it is very easy to turn a blind eye to some of the uniimaginably harsh realities the films convey, it is also to sit down for an hour and a half to watch a film, and learn a little something.

These documentary films are sometimes hard to come by, but please keep an eye out for them in the future, as they are important contributions to social awareness.

Finding Dawn

Christine Welsh tells the story of three First Nations women, all from different areas of Canada who have been murdered or gone missing in recent years. Focusing on these stories, and work in their communities to fight against these intolerable acts, Welsh exposes the reality of the more than 500 Aboriginal women who have gone missing in the past thirty years. Bringing the audience on a trip from the Reservations to the Pickton Farm, this is a story of abuse, suffering, and the resilience of a people working to come to terms with the past and create a difference for their childrení¢â‚¬â„¢s generation.

10 Questions for the Dalai Lama

Rick Ray has the opportunity to meet with H.H. The Dalai Lama while in India working on a travel documentary. Over the three months while he waits, Ray travels around India, looking at the world around him all the while contemplating the 10 questions he will ask upon their meeting. Ray intertwines his experience filming in different areas of the world with a Socratic style of questioning in order to bring points concerning poverty, happiness, peace, oppression, and solidarity to the table. Following the history of this world leader - one of the last today still advocating non-violence - Ray also shows the struggle of His Holiness as he fights for the freedom of the Tibetan people from Chinese Imperialism in his native Tibet. Beyond the unique opportunity to watch the Dalai Lama go through his everyday routine, this film brings out some interesting revelations about the world around us.

Uganda RisingThis shocking tale of one of the scariest cultural genocides on the planet today, Uganda Rising tells the story of the civil war between the government forces and the Lords Resistance Army in Northern Uganda. Jesse James Miller and Pet McCormack take us from the beginning of the British rule over Uganda to the present time, underscoring how colonial policies of the past continue to reap havoc on Africa. The film tells the tale of thousands of children taken from their homes at no more than 8-10 years, put into the LRA, and trained to massacre their own people. It also documents the governmentí¢â‚¬â„¢s policy of allowing this to occur, creating a situation where the Acholi people of Northern Uganda have seen almost 2 million of their people displaced, raped, and murdered at the hands of both the military, and Joseph Koney's LRA. Each day thousands of students march from the North to the nearest towns to prevent being taken themselves, showing the resilience to survive and carry on even under these circumstances. Amongst all this death and destruction, Uganda Rising flushes out the hope for peace that remains against all odds.

Rwanda, Les Cillines Parlent (Rwanda, The Hills Speak Out)Director Bernard Cellefroid takes us back to Rwanda ten years after the brutal genocide that tore across the country. The film follows as families and their neighbours attempt to reconcile í¢â‚¬“ through a series of trials - after the Hutu led campaign killed approximately 800,000 Tutsi's over an eight month period, just barely a decade ago. The trials flush out the painful reality that continues to linger today. Obede apologizes for his actions though it is hard to really hard to judge his sincerity. Gahutu has no regrets for orchestrating the murders, while Francois has to defend the fact that he was forced to kill his own brother. Shot from an observational point of view, the film allows the viewer to see how these situations play out, and the reality of life in a society fighting to get away from the ideology of genocide.

Total DenialDeep in the hill tribes of Northern Thailand and Burma, the Karen people are being thrown off their own land and put into slave labour for the profit of major international oil companies; mostly Franceí¢â‚¬â„¢s TOTAL and UNOCOL in California. But documenting all these travesties is Ka Hsaw Wa, an exiled Burmese student who has spent the last ten years doing research and interviewing witnesses to these injustices and gathering evidence of both environmental, and human rights abuses. Wanted by both the Burmese military and Thai Secret Police, Ka Hsaw Wa has thus far managed to avoid being caught and move information to the United States, where UNOCOL goes on trial for their actions. This precedent making case brings American companies under the rule of law for their actions in other countries, countries where there are no rules for protection. Showing the disgusting nature of multinationals working with corrupt, military regimes for the benefit of shareholders, Total Denial shows how one man can make a difference in the struggle of his people.

The Mushau InnuDavis Inlet brings back many memories to Canadians. In the 1980í¢â‚¬â„¢s and into the 1990í¢â‚¬â„¢s nobody can forget the suicide or the substance abuse videos, made by Innu living in the tiny northern community and that were eventually sent via television all around the world. í¢â‚¬ËœThe Mushau Innuí¢â‚¬â„¢ tells the story of the Canadian Governmentí¢â‚¬â„¢s response to this situation. Outside of the full-scale removal of the Mushau again from their land - this time to a new reservation - it seems all the problems have remained. Gas sniffing, drug use, and alcoholism are prevalent. The governmentí¢â‚¬â„¢s detox program functioned for a mere four months before letting the children return to an almost identical social system that had precipitated the earlier problems. Watch as doctors, former government officials and others discuss what happened since Davis Inlet, and what remains to be done. Amidst the harsh portrait of the tragic situation in the town with the highest suicide rate in the Western Hemisphere, a positive side is also shown: many have given up their alcoholism in order to curb the assault of substances on the toen. The Mushau Innu acts as a harsh reminder of the consequences of the Canadian governmentí¢â‚¬â„¢s ineffective means of working with our First Nations people, and some of the hardships they face.

Sipakapa No Se Vende / Sipakapa is not for Saleí¢â‚¬ËœSipakapa No Se Vendeí¢â‚¬â„¢ tells the riveting story of a communityí¢â‚¬â„¢s fight against the mining giant Montana. Following the people of the beautiful mountain area of Sipakapa, Guatemala, the film follow the referendums the towní¢â‚¬â„¢s people hold against the pollution, destruction and waste that Montanaí¢â‚¬â„¢s operations bring to their land. Faced with water shortages, poisoned soil, and the larger sustainability issues this causes, the people of Sipakapa fight back. With referendums held in each town in the area, 11 out of 12 jurisdictions vote to end the occupation of their land by Montana. Many of these votes end in unanimous opposition, with every member of the community voting Montana out. The film then follows as a group of representatives travel to Guatemala City to present the results to the Ministers responsible for the mining in the first place. Still unresolved today, the film is a brilliant documentation of freedom of speech and movement in todayí¢â‚¬â„¢s world, and the power of the community in trying to make a difference for their people.