Fåha’ Digital Media highlights some of the projects they have funded as well as films produced elsewhere in the Pacific.
Contributed photo
SAIPAN will host the 5th Pacific Human Rights Film Festival on Oct. 15 and 16 at the American Memorial Park Indoor Theater, Fåha’ Digital Media Executive Director Daisy Demapan said.
The festival is being organized in collaboration with the Pacific Community and the University of the South Pacific.
In a release, Demapan said the Pacific Human Rights Film Festival is dedicated to raising awareness of human rights issues and creating safe spaces for discussion. This year’s theme is “Loss, Damage, Resilience and Restoration.”
The free event will feature two documentaries: YUMI: The Whole World and Island Soldier.
YUMI follows three law students from USP as they take their fight against climate change to the United Nations. Island Soldier tells the story of a family in Kosrae coping with the loss of Sapuro “Sapp” Nena, a U.S. Army soldier who was killed in Afghanistan and returned home for burial.
Demapan told Variety that the screenings are part of Fåha’ Digital Media’s mission to highlight Pacific stories and expose local audiences to issues affecting the region.
“One part of our mission is to uplift Pacific stories and our own narratives in the region,” she said. “While we’re building capacity, we’re trying to do both — to let people know we’re here and want to work together, and also to share with our community the stories being told across the Pacific.”
She added that because Fåha’ is committed to developing local talent and encouraging filmmakers to share their own stories on digital platforms, showcasing regional films helps inspire residents by showing how their peers across the Pacific are creating content.
In addition to the films, Fåha’ is organizing guest speakers to address themes such as climate change and veterans’ issues.
Demapan said the festival’s other organizers are the Delegation of the European Union to the Pacific, Film Fiji, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the UN Human Rights Office. It is also supported by the French Embassy in Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu; the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; the British High Commission in Fiji; the Goethe-Institut New Zealand; the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies; Save the Children; and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
The Saipan screening is hosted by Fåha’ with support from Ben Wheeler of the Pacific Human Rights Film Festival and made possible through funding from NDN Collective.
