MAY 26 to JUNE 2, 2022 - 19th Annual Human Right Watch Canada Film Festival

Tacheles - The Heart of the Matter

(2020 | German, Hebrew, English, with English and German subtitles)

Synopsis: Three generations removed from the Holocaust, Yaar is a young Jewish Berliner desperate to leave the past behind. He develops a computer game set in 1940s Germany featuring a young Jewish girl based on his grandmother, Rina, which enables Jews to defend themselves, and Nazis to act humanely. Yaar’s father is shocked, and the work opens old family wounds left unaddressed for generations. Tacheles – The Heart of the Matter follows the journey of this family’s painful confrontation with history that will forever change Yaar’s relationships with his father, and explores with growing self-awareness how trauma of survivors is inherited, asking the burning question from the perspective of a 21 year old: what does the Holocaust have to do with me?

The Last Shelter

(2021 | French, with English subtitles)

Synopsis: Deep in Mali, in West Africa on the edge of the Sahel Desert, lies the peaceful city of Gao—a quiet way station for passersby with their eyes set on Europe in hopes of finding opportunity, safety, and a better future. As migration flows from  countries south of Mali like Burkina Faso, Togo, and Benin, the people of Gao maintain a safe haven where tired travelers seek refuge and immigration support before continuing their journey into Algeria, Spain and beyond. The travelers tell their stories in a uniquely beautiful and humane film about no longer having a home once you have set off.

The Human Rights Research and Education Centre (HRREC) is celebrating its 40th anniversary during the academic year 2021-2022! This event is part of a diverse and rich programme developed to highlight this major milestone. #CREDP40HRREC