The International Meeting on the Right to the City begun yesterday, and along with the debates, expositions and exchanges among participants, the event will display as well three films addressing issues related to the right to the city.
On Thursday, 13th of November 18h the exhibition of these three films begins. At a separate room the feature film Dear Mandela, directed by Dara Kell, reveals through the eyes of three leaders of a social movement for better housing in South Africa the importance of the battle for better living conditions, as they and their communities pass from impoverished areas through to the highest court in the country looking to overthrow a new legislative act that would ultimately allow for mass evictions without legal constraints.
Simultaneously on the other room, two short-length films will be aired: Wanderers, directed be Gustavo Freitas, who kindly decided to attend the event to talk about his movie, and The City is for Everyone, directed by Amanda Kamanchek from Polis Institute.
Wanderers tells the story of two drag queens hitting the road in Brazil’s capital city, Brasilia, seeking to explore the urban mobility theme. Along their journey, issues such as women security in public transportation, LGBT spaces in the city and how they integrate, beside the very fundamental discussion about the quality of public transportation in Brazil as a whole are addressed throughout their migration.
The short film The City is for Everyone sets a discussion about the roots of the process that led to the massive street protests in June 2013 in Brazil, when millions of people went to the streets holding a number of demands. The film raises the issue of the condition of public services in Sao Paulo, initial cause of the protests in the city, introducing at the same time a more general discussion reinforced in June about the crisis of legitimation of the political system in progress.
To those who wish to check out the complete schedule of the event, including the synopsis of the films, you may find it all here:
http://www.righttothecityplatform.org.br/programacao/?lang=en
The exhibition of the three films is a way to contribute lightly through the artistic and documental language of cinema to the many subjects of deep importance that will be addressed throughout the three days of the Meeting.
We wish you all a good Meeting and experience!
