4^th Amnesty International
Film Festival Amsterdam
March, 28^th - April, 1^st 2001

"…These films deserve to be seen. Not only because they talk about subjects that deserve our remaining interest, but especially because a good film can reach us in a way a newspaper article could never do."

Francois Stienen in the 'Filmkrant', September 1998.

Vinko Bresan

In its 4th edition the Amnesty International Film Festival has once again brought the best of contemporary human rights filmmaking. The stage for remarkable, sometimes bewildering and often revealing films, surprisingly included quite a few ironic and witty comments on human rights issues. The festival featured documentaries and feature films. It was not just a viewing event. The festival also offered a platform for debate and exchange through a fringe series of meetings, presentations and lectures.

In five days the audience watched over 50 documentaries and feature films. The 7000 visitors of the successfull festival watched movies, attended debates and participated in the action for the Tibetan moviemaker Ngawang Choepel.

The Golden Matchstick

The film 'The Land of the Wandering Souls' by the Cambodian moviedirector Rithy Pahn received the Golden Matchstick Award. Mayor Cohen of Amsterdam presented the grant of NLG 10.000. The jury praised 'The Land of the Wandering Souls' for its "poetic form and feeling for everyday life and its conviction that generation after generation will suffer when human rights are neglected".