New film festival challenges human trafficking
Trish Davidson of anti-human trafficking charity, Unchosen, announces the new Bath Unchosen film festival planned for this winter.
Unchosen is a film festival that aims to raise awareness about the issues of human 
trafficking and 21st century slavery – the biggest illegal industry in the world after the arms industry. The first Bath Unchosen film festival will take place at the Forum in October/November 2010. Entrance will be free, thanks to the generosity of Bath City Church, and will kick off with the film Ghosts, and a talk on the film given by its director, the Honorary President of Unchosen, Nick Broomfield. Other events at the festival are still to be confirmed, but composer Paul Field will be bringing his musical, Cargo, to the festival, and it will be performed on November 10th
Why use films to raise awareness of these issues? Because a well-researched documentary can deliver a message in a very clear and succinct way, to a lot of people who are not experts in the issues covered. Films chosen for the festival reflect the different issues that surround human trafficking, including poverty, illegal immigration and the need for Fair Trade. All events will have a question and answer session afterwards with the directors.
What do people do as a result of coming to the festival or to awareness evenings? Hopefully, they build up strong independent groups that can campaign against human trafficking. Unchosen works with various other organisations, including Antislavery, Bath Amnesty, Bath Fairtrade, Refugee Action, Stopthetraffik, Greenpeace and Unseen, who will be offered stalls in the Forum to give out information to those who attend the festival. Last year these organisations gained over one hundred volunteers at the event.
We also facilitate awareness evenings and work closely with such organisations as UWE Human Rights, the police, CEOP, TUC, Border Control and other charities.
Unchosen has a strong committee in Bristol but we are really looking to set up a small committee in Bath as well, so if anyone is interested, please get in touch.
To find out more about the film festival or get involved click here.
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