Amnesty International Nelson 10th Annual Film Festival
Saturday, January 21, 2010, Capitol Theatre, Nelson

Afternoon Showing Doors open at 1:00

1:30 pm Blood in the Mobile (Denmark, Germany, 82 minutes)

Did you know your mobile phone contributes to violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo? Danish director Frank Piasecki Poulsen takes on the Congolese military and warlords to gain access to Bisie, a militia-controlled mine that produces cassiterite, a tin oxide used in cell phones. This compelling documentary reveals a mineral trade plagued with violence and human exploitation. Poulsen takes his findings back to mobile phone giant Nokia, a company that nets up to $1.6 billion in profits annually. His hope is that Nokia will stand behind its claim that “Sustainability is in everything we do.” Winner of the Cinema for Peace award in Berlin, Blood in the Mobile brings to light important issues to consider in our race for connectivity. "Recommended" - The Toronto Star.

3:25 pm Children of War (Uganda, USA, 75 minutes)

Filmed in northern Uganda over a period of three years, Children of War is a unique and incandescent documentary which follows a group of former child soldiers as they escape the battlefield, enter the sanctuary of a rehabilitation center, and undergo a remarkable process of trauma therapy and emotional healing with the help of a heroic team of trauma counselors.

Best Feature: Artivist International Film Festival (Los Angeles)

Justice Award: Cinema for Peace (Berlin)

Evening Showing Doors open at 6:30

7: 00 pm When China Met Africa (UK-France, 75 minutes)

A historic gathering of over 50 African heads of state in Beijing reverberates in Zambia where the lives of three characters unfold. Mr Liu is one of thousands of Chinese entrepreneurs who have settled across the continent in search of new opportunities. He has just bought his fourth farm and business is booming. In northern Zambia, Mr Li, a project manager for a multinational Chinese company is upgrading Zambia's longest road. Pressure to complete the road on time intensifies when funds from the Zambian government start running out. Meanwhile Zambia's Trade Minister is on route to China to secure millions of dollars of investment. Through the intimate portrayal of these characters, the expanding footprint of a rising global power is laid bare - pointing to a radically different future, not just for Africa, but also for the world. Canadian premiere

Winner, Best Filmmaker: Margaret Mead Film Festival (New York)

8:45 pm Cultures of Resistance (USA, 73 minutes)

Can music and dance be weapons of peace? On the eve of the Iraq war director Iara Lee embarked on a journey to better understand a world increasingly embroiled in conflict. She found graffiti and rap artists fighting government repression in Iran, monks protesting in Burma, musicians reaching out to slum kids in Brazil, women’s leaders in Rwanda, and hip-hop artists from Palestine, and more, all using art and creativity in the name of peace and justice.

Best Documentary on Human Rights Award: Steps International Film Festival (Ukraine)

Tickets at the Capitol Theatre box office or online at www.capitoltheatre.bc.ca
$8 for each showing / $6 for students, seniors, fixed income