auspices
The One World Documentary Film Festival and its organizers People in Need are very good examples of the effectiveness of Civil Society. I can still actively remember the time when People in Need was created. The prevailing political opinion was not overly inclined to the establishment of such organizations and constantly reminded us of suspicions and warnings that the nongovernmental sector was something that would only move us away from our imagined prosperity.
This period is fortunately over. Several organizations were established and quickly disappeared, others barely hold on, and others – such as People in Need – are faring quite well with few doubts about the organization's significance. The work of People in Need on behalf of the victims of two catastrophic floods, which we experienced in the recent past, has also contributed to this belief.
Festivals such as One World are created primarily out of attempts to bring us closer to a deeper connection to human suffering which the daily news does not provide. Another reason for such festivals is the fact that if such organizations are to find support for their humanitarian and development projects, it is necessary for them to act as an intermediary in order to bring news about conflicts and catastrophes to those who have not suffered themselves. This is why year after year we inform ourselves about the diverse variations of human tragedy on one hand, and stories of human solidarity and joint responsibility on the other.
I value all of this and take delight in it. I am also delighted that the festival has expanded to other cities in our country, to schools, and even outside the Czech Republic. This is a form of our foreign policy and a type of export for us. And the advantage is that this is effective without regard for which political party is in power or that party's relationship toward human compassion.
I truly appreciate that as the Minister of Culture I am able to provide sponsorship and financial support to this year's International Film Festival about human rights One World.
Often when an individual reads through the introductory remarks from the partners and sponsors of various festival events, he comes across many big yet frequently vacuous words. However if you browse through the catalogues of the One World Festival, you will find something very different. This is true whether you read the words of sponsorship from the President, the Mayor of Prague, or contributions from directors of companies who support the festival financially. You will find in these texts a true awareness of the need for such an "alternative" film festival and an appreciation for the role and possibilities of film in its appeal to the public, especially to the younger generation. This is a reminder that there is only one world and even if much of the misfortune appears to be far away, misfortune itself has a way of shortening distances. In this regard I am reminded of a quotation from Gregory Corsa: "Man is a man to man, that is love!"
This thought, together with how much effort has been made during these six years from the beginning of the One World Festival by Igor Blaževič and all the people that have worked with him, convinced me that this international festival deserved the continued support of the Ministry of Culture along with the International Film Festival in Karlový Vary and the Children's Film Festival in Zlín. I am also pleased that last year, at the request of the organizers, the tradition was established that confirms de facto support from the Ministry of Culture with the Award of the Ministry of Culture being presented to the best film. I sincerely hope that the jury will not have an easy job in their selection of the best film.
We live in a world which is constantly in motion. Borders shift, people migrate, cultures mix, society changes – and all this is occurring at the same time over a substantial portion of the continents on our planet. Military conflicts, natural disasters, societal taboos, the violation of human rights or the spreading of deadly diseases are today all global problems which touch us all.
Despite the latest telecommunications technology, there is still for the majority of us and those beyond our closest borders much that remains unknown and unseen in the world at large. Oftentimes we are equally far away from the world of those close to us, those we see today and every day.
Through the One World International Documentary Film Festival we have for seven years running had the possibility to enrich the way we perceive the images beyond the borders of our daily lives and even beyond the borders of Europe.
Please allow me then to wish the organizers much strength and inspiration in the coming years, and to all audience members I hope that they are able to take away much positive stimulus for deeper thought.
For several years Plzeňský Prazdroj has been one of the main partners of the One World Festival. In addition to the colorful exhibition of current artistic cinematography, the persistent "black-and-white" documentary efforts of the organizers of the One World Festival have also made a very good impression. Plzeňský Prazdroj is able to value such a courageous project, as it was also established over 160 years ago as an attempt to improve one – even if in no way as fundamental – dimension of human life. From this period it has been an important part of various civic events, its active representative, and like a majority or us, one that is affected by the black-and-white reality. The fact that the One World Festival tries to reach the awareness of the public in a sometimes distinctive way, and for many a black-and-white view, has a purpose. Sometimes things must be named clearly. In all its programs aimed at support for the regions, where it is active, or for the development of significant cultural and artistic values, Plzeňský Prazdroj prefers openness, transparency, clear goals and creativity. These are approaches which have connected us over a long period of time with the organizers of the One World Festival. I wish this year's festival great success and the audience members good luck in choosing the favorite film of the festival, which will receive the Audience Award from Plzeňský Prazdroj.
Today's way of life is as such that it is often said that it is better not to see or hear what is going on but rather mind one's own business. The barriers, however, that we consciously build around our surroundings and ourselves are very treacherous and deceptive. They can lead to close-mindedness, selfishness, and intolerance.
It is not easy to move in the opposite direction and try to tear down the barriers around and inside us. However, the People In Need Foundation and its presentation of documentary films about human rights have succeeded in doing this for several years. For this they deserve our sincere thanks and admiration. Also deserving are the film directors from all over the world who each year send films to this exhibition. Thanks to the fact that they have the desire and courage to notice things that others would turn a blind eye to, and openly speak about themes, which others would rather avoid, they have succeeded in changing generally accepted human attitudes. The urgency and seriousness of their stories makes it impossible to pretend that the fate of other does not touch us.
I am especially pleased that this year's films will be seen by children in schools and by young viewers. They will have a unique chance to get to know a world different from the one they are shown daily on commercial television. I am also certain that it is exactly these viewers who are keenly perceptive and can do the most to make sure that today's ambivalence and intolerance does not have a chance in the future.
I wish this year's One World Festival every success as well as large audiences.
Brutal massacres, military conflicts, oppression and totality, destruction of the environment, violence against children and women, genocide, torture, exploitation. While looking through the old catalogues of the festival I was surprised by the wide range and number of forms that evil can and does have. In connection with this it occurred to me that one of the most important roles of the media in the public service is precisely to provide information about these themes and to openly show acts of evil.
In this regard I am very much aware of the responsibility of Czech Public Television, and therefore I consider our participation in the festival of documentary films about human rights One World as natural. In addition, for a number of years we have cooperated with many filmmakers whose artistically valuable films not only warn humanity and express solidarity with those who are suffering, but moreover through these films influence the awareness of society. And this can only improve the state of our common one world.
Fleeting times of celebration and encounters, film and television festivals nevertheless play an extremely important role in the promotion of European films. These events screen a considerable number of audiovisual productions, and act as a near obligatory means of securing commercial success; without festivals thousands of films and videos would remain buyerless and on the shelves. The number of spectators now drawn to festivals, some two million, ensures their real economic impact _not to mention their cultural, social and educational role, creating increasing levels of direct and indirect employment across Europe.
It is the goal of the MEDIA Programme of the European Commission to support these events, endeavouring to improve the conditions for the distribution and promotion of European cinematographic work across Europe. To this end, it aids more than 100 festivals, benefiting from over € 2 million in financial aid. Each year, thanks to their actions and the Commission's support, around 10 000 audiovisual works, illustrating the richness and diversity of European cinematography, are screened. The entrance into the Programme, in May 2004, of ten new countries – Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta and Cyprus, can only increase the fruits of this labour.
In addition, the Commission supports the networking between these festivals. In this area, the activities of the European Coordination of Film Festivals encourage co-operation between events, strengthening their impact in developing joint activities.
People in Need - Czech TV Foundation Sokolska 18, 120 00 Praha 2, Czech Republic Tel. +420 226 200 434, mail@oneworld.cz.