Cinema, science, technology, and feminism go hand in hand in the documentary film series Docs Hedy Lamarr 2023, which takes place at Canòdrom - Ateneu d'Innovació Democràtica during the month of June. This third edition is led by stories of activists who raise their voices against power and rely on technology and the strength of citizen organization to claim their rights.
What happens when science is influenced by big economic interests? How can we address the violation of human rights by governments? Through care, collectivity, and citizen organization, the protagonists of the Docs Hedy Lamarr 2023 cycle strive to create a fairer and more livable world. Starting from June 9th, three summer nights will invite us to reconsider the role of technology and democratic innovation as we reflect on current social struggles and shape future activism.
In All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, we delve into the story of Nan Goldin, a counterculture photographer from New York, and her activism against the pharmaceutical dynasty of the Sackler family. The Sacklers are held responsible for the largest opioid epidemic in the history of the United States. The collective force behind 'Myanmar Diaries' brings us a documentary closely aligned with citizen journalism, exposing the atrocities of the 2021 coup in the country, utilizing new technologies. In 'Welcome to Chechnya,' organized civil society harnesses digital tools to evade the anti-LGBTQ+ government's 'cleanse' in the Russian republic of Chechnya by hacking facial recognition algorithms.
T'esperem a la fresca del Canòdrom per gaudir de les tres projeccions cicle Docs Hedy Lamarr 2023.
Join us in the fresh air of the Canòdrom, where you can immerse yourself in these three screenings of the Docs Hedy Lamarr 2023 cycle.
Door opening: 21.00 h
Friday, June 9th, 21.30: La belleza y el dolor (All the Beauty and the Bloodshed)
- Laura Poitras, United States, 2022
- 1h 53min, +16, original version with Spanish subtitles
Considered one of the most important living photographers in the United States, Nan Goldin founded the activist group PAIN in 2017 with the aim of pressuring museums and art institutions to sever their ties with the Sackler family, owners of the pharmaceutical company responsible for producing OxyContin, while also exposing their role in the epidemic that ravaged the United States and claimed the lives of 600,000 people.
Golden Lion in Venice and Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras' All the Beauty and the Bloodshed explores the life of Nan Goldin, her work as a counterculture photographer, and her activism. The film also delves into the unchecked influence of power.
Friday, June 16th, 21.30: Diarios de Myanmar (Myanmar Diaries)
- Myanmar Film Collective, Myanmar, Norway, Netherlands, 2022
- 1h 10min, +13, Original version with Catalan subtitles
The Myanmar Film Collective, operating anonymously, releases these powerful film diaries to condemn the atrocities committed by General Min Aung Hlaing in Myanmar since the 2021 coup. This young collective of anonymous filmmakers courageously risks their lives to expose the harsh reality of their country. By blending documentary and fiction, they construct a cinematic monument that captures the suffocating experience of living in a nightmare plagued by blatant human rights violations.
It serves as a resounding collective outcry against the atrocities of General Min Aung Hlaing, using citizen journalism, cinema, and imagination as a defense against dictatorial horror. This impactful work was awarded the Best Documentary at the Berlinale 2022.
Friday, June 30th, 21.00: Bienvenidos a Chechenia (Welcome to Chechnya)
- David France, United States, 2020
- 1h 47min, +12, Original version with Catalan subtitles
Since 2016, Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, has orchestrated a campaign aimed at "blood cleansing" the LGBTQ+ individuals in Chechnya, involving the arrest, torture, and execution of dissidents. Welcome to Chechnya delves into the daily lives of a group of activists who employ their own methods of resistance.
Documentarians courageously put their lives at risk to shed light on these underreported atrocities, while safeguarding the identity of the victims by utilizing deepfake techniques to alter their faces.
