VSO at the Abära International Disability Film Festival
06/10/2011 11:04:00
VSO Documentary to Screen at the Abära International Disability Film Festival in October
VSO is proud to participate in Ireland's first international disability film festival, Abära, taking place from 20-23 October across various venues in Dublin. This unique event illustrates how people with disabilities lead both ordinary and extraordinary lives.
‘The Voice of 650 Million Times One’, directed by award-winning Dutchndirector Marijn Poels, is a VSO documentary to be screened on Sunday 23 October from 3.30-5.30pm in the Ballymun Axis Theatre, Dublin.
The Abära International Disability Film Festival has come about through the wonderful work of the Dóchas Disability and International Development (DDID) working group, in partnership with Arts and Disability Ireland. The aim of the festival is to celebrate progress made by people with disabilities while increasing awareness and understanding of the challenges still faced by people with disabilities globally.
In recent years, filmmakers have highlighted disability issues through documentaries, comedies, dramatic genres, music videos and animation. The films come from places as diverse as Senegal and Belgium, Tibet and Bangladesh, Australia and Brazil. In addition to addressing subjects rarely tackled in mainstream culture or media, these films have one further thing in common – they are all superb, quality films. |
The VSO documentary featuring at the festival, The Voice of 650 Million Times One, was released in 2010. This unique film features people with disabilities from around talking candidly about their exclusion from society in matters such as healthcare, sexuality, and in particular, their vulnerability to HIV and AIDS.
A testament to the courage and commitment of many people who daily battle against prejudice while carrying out their lives as parents and members of the communities in which they live, this film also reveals the many misconceptions around sexuality, HIV and people with a disability.
The Voice of 650 Million Times One is an extremely touching documentary about impressive and committed people who stand up for their rights despite all difficulties they need to conquer. They proclaim the voice of the 650 million disabled worldwide who are all facing the same stigmas.
While the world doesn’t include people with a disability in the race against the HIV pandemic we will not reach the HIV reduction targets.
“The Voice of 650Million Times one” is a documentary by Marijn Poels in conjunction with VSO Netherlands and its production has been funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
For more information on the Abara Film festival and to find out about ticket booking visit http://www.facebook.com/abarafilm
To watch a trailer of The Voice of 650 Million Times One’ visit the website http://www.thevoiceof650million.com
