It’s 1945, you are sitting on your porch or working in your garden and as you look up the only thing you see is a white flash. The next thing you know there are hundreds of thousands dead.
It’s 2005 in war torn Afghanistan and you are a woman fighting for justice against the warlords.
Operating since 2003, you are a thriving young activist and journalist of an underground newspaper in the country of Belarus, and you despise the government that is censoring you.
It’s 2008; you are a student here at the University of Tampa and you want to put yourself in the shoes of each of the individuals above. You want to globalize yourself and learn more about the world.
Mentioned above are three true stories being brought to you in the form of three movies for this year’s International Film Festival.
Co-sponsored by the International Programs Office and Sigma Phi Epsilon, the films will be shown in Reeves Theater in the Vaughn Center on March 31, April 2 and April 3 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
White Light/Black Rain, examines the effects of nuclear warfare. Oscar Award Winning Director Steven Okazaki interviews 14 survivors of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. In the film, Okazaki also interviews four Americans involved in the bombings that changed the course of World War II and all wars to follow. Over 200,000 people still live who were affected by the attacks over 60 years ago and Okazaki tries to capture their life today. (86 min. runtime)
Enemies of Happiness documents the campaign and struggle of Malalai Joya. Joya was a National Assembly candidate in the 2005 Afghani elections who spoke out against corrupt warlords at the Grand Council of tribal elders. Though she is considered a national hero in her home country, Joya has been under constant protection in the past few years because of numerous assassination attempts against her. (58 min. runtime)
A Lesson of Belarusian follows two young activists, one of which is Franek Viacorka. Viacorka and his classmates attend an underground school which was banned by President Alexander Lukashenko.
They actively run an underground newspaper and record music which opposes the government in Belarus. The students are under constant threat of arrest, but they never underestimate the belief that Belarus will be free. (53 min. runtime)
Rick Jermain contributed to this story.
Schedule
March 31:
6 p.m. White Light/Black Rain
8 p.m. A Lesson of Belarusian
April 2:
6 p.m. Enemies of Happiness,
8 p.m. White Light/Black Rain
April 3:
6 p.m. A Lesson of Belarusian
8 p.m. Enemies of Happiness
Interview with Steven Okazaki, Director of White Light/Black Rain