The 18th edition of the FiSahara awards second prize to “Insumisas” on an emotional day that connects different resistance movements around the world
The Wilaya of Auserd, in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf (Algeria), hosted the 18th edition of the FiSahara international film festival between 29 April and 5 May. There were six intense days of screenings, talks, concerts, clown shows, intercultural encounters and cultural celebrations, among other activities.
The documentary Insumisas. Mujeres en lucha en el Sáhara Occidental opened the festival, with a large audience, and was awarded second prize. Two of the film’s protagonists, activists El Ghalia Djimi and Mina Baali, received the award from Galia Yahia, Director of Culture of the Wilaya of Auserd, and Sidami Hafed, Director of the Women’s House of Auserd.
The first prize (White Camel) was awarded to the work 200 meters (Palestine) and the third prize went to Igualada (Colombia). The Eduardo Galeano Human Rights Prize was awarded to the Collective of Human Rights Defenders of the Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.
To resist is to win
The slogan chosen for this edition of FiSahara was Jaimitna Fi Cinema (Our haima tent in the cinema): To resist is to win. As the festival organisers explain, FiSahara “embodies the vibrant and combative spirit of the Sahrawi people, who 20 years ago believed they were capable of creating a big event that would raise their voices for the rest of the world to hear”.
“In their long struggle against colonialism and occupation,” they continue, “the Sahrawi people have embraced film as an indispensable tool to document the injustices to which they are subjected, tell their stories of resistance and preserve their culture and identity.”
In addition to highlighting the role of Sahrawi women, this edition of FiSahara has placed special emphasis “on connecting peoples who do not know each other but who share life experiences, parallel existences, stories of suffering and methods of resistance”. It therefore invited people from Timor-Leste, Puerto Rico, Palestine, Colombia, Senegal and Algeria, as well as a large delegation of advocates from occupied Western Sahara.
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- News about the launch of Insumisas on the Hegoa website.
- Other news published: "Insumisas receives the award for best short film at the MujerDOC Festival and will be screened at Impacte! (Catalonia) and at FiSahara (Auserd)"; "Insumisas selected for the Malaga Film Festival and mujerDOC - International Documentary Film Festival on Gender"; "Insumisas acknowledged at the Transhumant and Cine Invisible festivals with two special mentions"; "Insumisas se podrá ver en al menos 15 festivales y proyecciones independientes en el próximo trimestre".
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