Human Rights Watch Film Festival, San Diego
February 2—9, 2023
UÝRA: THE RISING FOREST
(Juliana Curi, Brazil/USA, 2022, 72 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles)
Uýra, a trans Indigenous artist, travels through the Amazon on a journey of self-discovery using performance art to teach Indigenous youth that they are the guardians of ancestral messages of the Amazon Forest. In a country that kills the highest number of trans, Indigenous, and environmentalist youth worldwide, Uýra leads a rising movement through arts and education while fostering unity and providing inspiration for the LGBTQIA+ and environmental movements in the heart of the Amazon Forest. Uýra’s performances are a metaphor inspired by the ecological cycle that mirrors social struggles: the destruction of the soil and violence against life, followed by the re-emergence of young plants that germinate quickly and make way for a renewed, stronger ecosystem.
#IAMVANESSAGUILLEN
(Andrea Patiño González, USA,
The murder of Army soldier Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood military base hit too close to home for service member Karina Lopez, a survivor of assault on the very same military base. When Karina creates a viral Facebook post with the hashtag #IamVanessaGuillen, hundreds of other soldiers open up to add their own experiences of abuse to the hashtag. Facing retaliation from the top ranks, Karina and other Latina soldiers push forward to make their stories public, fuelling a movement demanding an end to the cycle of abuse impacting US service members.
Streaming Friday, February 3, 9am — Friday, February 10, 2:59pm EST
