B'nai Israel Will Host A Human Rights Film Festival

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Apr 20, 2007 12:00 am

Bânai Israel Will Host A Human Rights Film Festival

SOUTHBURY â Bânai Israel will present its first annual Human Rights film festival on Sunday, April 22, sponsored by The Israel Advocacy Committee of Bânai Israel.

Patrice Gans, a committee member from Woodbury, explained, âOver the last couple of years our committee has brought the ongoing genocide in Darfur to the collective consciousness of the congregation. Recognizing that the people of Darfur are not the only victims of human rights violations, the committee decided it was important to bring these abuses to the attention of the community through award winning documentaries and feature films. Acknowledging that people are more easily touched by movies than by speeches, we decided that a human rights film festival would be an effective way to raise consciousness.â

The festival will start with the professional screening of the film Invisible Children, the eye-opening story of three young men from California who traveled to Africa and soon discovered a heart-breaking tragedy. Fast paced, with an MTV-style beat, the unique documentary sheds light on the conscription of boys in Uganda for the Lordâs Army.

After the screening, representatives from the Invisible Children organization will lead a discussion, take questions, and brief the audience on their current efforts to bring aid to Northern Uganda.

Showtime will be 1:30 pm, and the filmâs run time is 55 minutes.

The second film in the festival, 2005 Academy Award-Nominee God Sleeps in Rwanda, captures the spirit of five courageous women as they rebuild their lives, redefine womenâs roles in Rwandan society and bring hope to a wounded nation. The 28-minute film is a brutal reminder of the consequence of the Rwandan tragedy, and a tribute to the strength and spirit of those who are moving forward.

Showtime is 3:15, and this film is 28 minutes long.

The Promise is a short documentary about the genocide in Darfur.Â Since 2003, it is estimated that over 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur, with millions more displaced from their homes and at risk of starvation.

Together with his students at Danbury High School, Assistant Principal Tim Salem produced this powerful documentary in an effort to educate and motivate the public about the on-going genocide.Â With numerous screenings of the film at colleges, public schools, religious and civic organizations, including ones in partnership with actress and UNICEF representative Mia Farrow, this dynamic group also aided the push for divestment with the Connecticut State Treasurerâs Office and garnered two film awards.

Showtime is at 4 pm and run time is 8 short but powerful minutes.

Â Bânai Israel is at 444 Main Street North. Call 267-3396 for additional information.

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I have to say, I don’t understand how this project could be considered “morally wrong.” That kind of language feels more like obstruction than constructive dialogue. What is morally wrong is leaving seniors in our community without enough housing options. Right now, Newtown does not have adequate senior housing, and the few developments that exist, like Naunawag Meadows, already have waiting lists. As for the comment that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” that simply isn’t accurate. The system is broken when residents who’ve lived here their whole lives cannot find an affordable and appropriate place to age in town. Responsible development that balances environmental concerns, safety improvements (such as traffic calming measures and sidewalks), and the needs of our seniors is exactly the kind of planning Newtown should be doing. This isn’t about wanting or not wanting something in one’s backyard—it’s about building a community that takes care of its people. Please don't get scared away by the nimby mob.

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John, you raise an important point — these situations are tragic, complicated, and often far less clear-cut than the headlines make them seem. In the Fredericksburg case, the full facts still aren’t publicly known, and like so many of these stories, there’s conflicting information. It was apparently the back door at 3 a.m. — was it justified to use deadly force? We don’t know yet. What we do know is that the homeowner has been charged, and as you rightly noted, that is very serious. But this is also where perspective matters. These cases are quickly sensationalized in the news and on social media, yet when the dust settles, the outcomes are rarely publicized. People forget that in our system, you are innocent until proven guilty. Try to find much coverage of the convication in the case of the Fairfield Realtor vehicle homicide, or updates on the woman who shot her husband a couple of Christmases ago, or even the pedestrian death in Sandy Hook a year or so back. The follow-through simply isn’t there, and public opinion is often shaped only by the first round of headlines. At the end of the day, these situations remind us how split-second decisions in the middle of the night can change lives forever — which is exactly why the right to protect one’s property, home and family is so fiercely debated, and lucky constitutionally protected.

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