In a democratic society, citizens should be protected by the law and independent judges. But what if the law leaves citizens in the lurch? How about when the law is hijacked by politicians, putting pressure on the independence of the judiciary? The individuals and activist groups in these films see it as their civic duty to stand up to these unjust powers that be. Sometimes, breaking the law is necessary to enforce their goals and galvanize society.
Films in this pathway
Blending styles and different points of view, this cinematic essay explores the shared histories of image technology, weapons, and policing—from the earliest photos and pigeons fitted with cameras to modern combat drones and bodycams.
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Lawyer Maria Eismont works to get the wrongly convicted activist Konstantiv Kotov released. All her media appearances come to nothing, and each appeal is rejected—until Putin suddenly appears on the scene.
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In this interactive VR experience, you talk to Kristen about her choice to have an abortion and the painful attempts by the health care system in her home state of Texas to deprive her of that choice.
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An experimental, politically charged animated film in which a voiceover confronts us with the restraints imposed on us on the basis of physical characteristics, nationality, and social conditions.
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Urgent documentary investigation made up of webcam interviews with immigrants in a private detention centre in the U.S. Precisely how long they’ll stay locked up waiting to be processed or deported is unclear. When Covid strikes they rise up.
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What does translating gruesome court testimony do to you? Three interpreters at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague discuss the disconnect between professionalism and the intense emotion generated by their work.
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In Poland, judicial independence is under serious pressure from the right-wing government: judges are being vilified, fired, or arrested. Judge Igor Tuleya becomes the face of the protest movement and fears for his job and his life.
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Combining verbal testimony, original music, and volumetric capture, this mixed reality exhibition documents events from a decade of austerity measures in the UK, inviting audiences to explore what happens when state safety nets fail.
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An award-winning short film shot entirely from the passenger seat, about a police officer patrolling an Oklahoma City suburb. A multifaceted portrait of a man scarred by his work for the police force.
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A carefully composed portrait of the journalist Elías Barahona, also known as “the Mole.” In the mid-1970s, he risked his life by infiltrating the repressive regime running Guatemala and succeeded in saving many lives.
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Amsterdam’s Allard Pierson Museum inadvertently finds itself involved in an international wrangle over a loaned collection of art. This multifaceted reconstruction sheds light on the affair from every angle: political, legal, and emotional.
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An interactive documentary about the more than 150 cold case murders involving racist violence that have been reopened under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act. The stories are drawn together into a forest of symbolism.
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