INTERNATIONAL
From trauma to coexistence, HCHF spotlights filmmakers using cinema for human fraternity
Filmmakers Jihan K, (left) and Shahad Ameen (second from left) with Emmy-nominated director, Brad Bailey (right) along with other panelists at the session. Picture by Astro AWANI
VENICE: At the heart of the forum “The Ties That Bind: A Journey Towards Understanding and Human Fraternity” the session titled “The Human Lens: Cinema as a Mirror of Compassion and Coexistence” brought together a powerful ensemble of filmmakers and storytellers whose work transcends entertainment to become acts of healing, remembrance, and cultural reclamation.
Among them was Jihan K., whose film My Father and Qaddafi chronicles the rediscovery of her father’s body nearly two decades after his disappearance.
Born in exile and disconnected from her Libyan roots, Jihan turned to film not only to tell her story but to reclaim her identity and honor her father’s legacy. She shared that the emotional stakes were high, having no memory of her father and watching the country he loved descend into civil war.
“I consciously chose to share it with the world because I think it’s not just about my father, but about Libya,” she said.
Her film, which premiered in Venice, was met with overwhelming empathy.
“The whole theater turned around and it was just one big, warm hug of love,” she recalled, describing the audience’s response as a moment of collective healing.
Saudi filmmaker, Shahad Ameen presented Hijra, a story of generational resilience and emotional migration set against the sacred backdrop of Saudi Arabia. She spoke of her desire to portray older women not as passive figures but as fierce and resilient.
“There is no wrong way to view freedom,” she said, challenging assumptions about how women choose to live their lives.
Her film, rooted in the region of Hijaz, explores the journey of a grandmother and her granddaughters, revealing the complexity of tradition, identity, and acceptance.
“I choose to accept each character the way she is, and at the end, they accept their culture with all that comes with it,” Shahad explained.
Emmy-nominated director, Brad Bailey shared his documentary on Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, whose death sparked national outrage in the United States. His film examines what happens after the media attention fades, focusing on the enduring trauma and activism of grieving mothers.
“Trauma is the raw material for rebirth,” Brad said, emphasizing the universal nature of his story.
He described how oral history shaped his approach, allowing the film to be told entirely from Gwen Carr’s perspective.
“I didn’t want to do a Black American story that people have heard before. I wanted to do a story that was universal, that I could show all over the world,” he said.
The President and Chairman of Quinn Studios Entertainment Valentina Castellani-Quinn, moderated the forum, framed the session as a celebration of true storytelling in an age of digital noise. She emphasized that while social media offers visibility, it often strips stories of their depth and humanity.
“We’re here to share real stories, not scroll past them,” she said, underscoring the importance of compassion and authenticity in filmmaking.
As the session unfolded, it became clear that cinema, when rooted in truth and empathy, becomes more than art, it becomes a bridge between cultures, a mirror to our shared humanity, and a balm for collective wounds. These filmmakers, each in their own way, demonstrated that storytelling is not just a creative act, but a courageous one. An offering of grace in the face of grief.
This forum was organized by the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF) in collaboration with the Better World Fund (BWF) and held on the sidelines of the Venice International Film Festival.
It forms part of an ongoing global mission to fulfill the aspirations of the Abu Dhabi Document of Human Fraternity, signed in 2019 by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb.
The document is a landmark document that calls for peace, mutual respect, and dialogue among people of all faiths and cultures. It offers a blueprint for fostering understanding and collaboration, recognizing that we are all members of one human family.
By bringing together voices from across disciplines and borders, the forum in Venice continues to advance the spirit of that document through art, empathy, and the power of storytelling.
Among them was Jihan K., whose film My Father and Qaddafi chronicles the rediscovery of her father’s body nearly two decades after his disappearance.
Born in exile and disconnected from her Libyan roots, Jihan turned to film not only to tell her story but to reclaim her identity and honor her father’s legacy. She shared that the emotional stakes were high, having no memory of her father and watching the country he loved descend into civil war.
“I consciously chose to share it with the world because I think it’s not just about my father, but about Libya,” she said.
Her film, which premiered in Venice, was met with overwhelming empathy.
“The whole theater turned around and it was just one big, warm hug of love,” she recalled, describing the audience’s response as a moment of collective healing.
Saudi filmmaker, Shahad Ameen presented Hijra, a story of generational resilience and emotional migration set against the sacred backdrop of Saudi Arabia. She spoke of her desire to portray older women not as passive figures but as fierce and resilient.
“There is no wrong way to view freedom,” she said, challenging assumptions about how women choose to live their lives.
Her film, rooted in the region of Hijaz, explores the journey of a grandmother and her granddaughters, revealing the complexity of tradition, identity, and acceptance.
“I choose to accept each character the way she is, and at the end, they accept their culture with all that comes with it,” Shahad explained.
Emmy-nominated director, Brad Bailey shared his documentary on Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, whose death sparked national outrage in the United States. His film examines what happens after the media attention fades, focusing on the enduring trauma and activism of grieving mothers.
“Trauma is the raw material for rebirth,” Brad said, emphasizing the universal nature of his story.
He described how oral history shaped his approach, allowing the film to be told entirely from Gwen Carr’s perspective.
“I didn’t want to do a Black American story that people have heard before. I wanted to do a story that was universal, that I could show all over the world,” he said.
The President and Chairman of Quinn Studios Entertainment Valentina Castellani-Quinn, moderated the forum, framed the session as a celebration of true storytelling in an age of digital noise. She emphasized that while social media offers visibility, it often strips stories of their depth and humanity.
“We’re here to share real stories, not scroll past them,” she said, underscoring the importance of compassion and authenticity in filmmaking.
As the session unfolded, it became clear that cinema, when rooted in truth and empathy, becomes more than art, it becomes a bridge between cultures, a mirror to our shared humanity, and a balm for collective wounds. These filmmakers, each in their own way, demonstrated that storytelling is not just a creative act, but a courageous one. An offering of grace in the face of grief.
This forum was organized by the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF) in collaboration with the Better World Fund (BWF) and held on the sidelines of the Venice International Film Festival.
It forms part of an ongoing global mission to fulfill the aspirations of the Abu Dhabi Document of Human Fraternity, signed in 2019 by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb.
The document is a landmark document that calls for peace, mutual respect, and dialogue among people of all faiths and cultures. It offers a blueprint for fostering understanding and collaboration, recognizing that we are all members of one human family.
By bringing together voices from across disciplines and borders, the forum in Venice continues to advance the spirit of that document through art, empathy, and the power of storytelling.
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