Festival

LOOKING BACK – LOOKING FORWARD
We are very happy to announce that after Kosmos has filed for bankruptcy we've found a new home for our festival: The 9th edition of HRFF Zurichwill take place from 4–10 April 2024 at Riffraff and the nearby Zollhaus as well as some other small localties. We will once again create an inspiring meeting place for people who want to engage with a complex world and gain foresight through films and debates.

CONCEPT
Born in 2015, the Human Rights Film Festival Zurich takes place every year. Over seven days, we show artistically strong feature-length documentaries and fiction films that explore human rights issues – avoiding stereotypes or moralistic finger-pointing. Afterwards there are discussions with directors, protagonists and experts. In this way, what we have seen can be placed in a larger context. The programme reflects a variety of human rights themes in different geographic and social contexts. Topics include flight and migration, the war in Syria, women’s rights, LGBTI-rights, responsibilities of multinationals as well as the relation between resources, energy and human rights. Panel discussions after the screenings widen the scope of the programme and offer the possibility to contextualize and discuss the films. The festival thus offers a platform for passionate dialogue between films and human rights. We believe in the power of cinema as an art form and in the film festival as a meeting place for people who want to deal with a complex world.

SPECIAL EVENTS

CALL TO ACTION 2024

Get to know local organisations and actors who are committed to a fairer world through art, installations or participatory projects and invite citizens to participate. Participation is free of charge.
​​​​_______________
04.–10.04. | Foyer Zollhaus, Das Gleis & Riffraff | Installation
SOCIAL FABRIC
ROOTED - UPROOTED : POSTCARD CONVERSATIONS
My roots... A feeling, a place, an activity, or people?
Social Fabric invites you to add your voice to the conversation. Spot the postcards at the festival, write down your thoughts and post them.
_______________
04.–10.04. | Foodcluster Zollhaus | Art Installation
AIA | AWARENESS IN ART, «POWER BOX» BY ARTIST ASHFIKA RAHMAN
AIA presents findings by artist Ashfika Rahman, who has created an alternative visual archive of the oppression of minorities and marginalised communities in her home country of Bangladesh. Presented with courtesy of VITRINE Art Gallery. The work was commissioned by the Samdani Art Foundation for the Dhaka Art Summit 2018.

09.04. | 18:30–19:30 | Artist Talk
Unsun: The Stories of a Thousand Untold Wounds of Suppression (Engl.
​_______________
04.–10.04. | Stairway Das Gleis | Installation
HRFF ZURICH
HUMAN RIGHTS MAKE-OVER

Are the fundamental rights as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 outdated? Where do we need new legal principles? Where can old ones be cancelled? Share your thoughts and ideas on the brainstorming wall!
​​​​_______________
Weekdays from 17:00 | SA from 14:00 | SO from 15.30 | Das Gleis | Cuisine
AFGHAN ANAR
MEZZE PLATTERS

Take a break from the film programme: Afghan Anar offers fresh mezze platters in the HRFF Zurich hangout. Order at the bar in GLEIS and savour the culinary diversity and love of food.
​_______________
06.04. | 15:00–17:00 | L200 | Presentation
SOLINETZ ZÜRICH
ON THE EMERGENCY AID SYSTEM IN SWITZERLAND

The Solinetz has been supporting rejected people for 15 years. They live for years under the emergency aid system. Their basic rights are systematically violated. In this lecture, Solinetz presents conclusions from its 15 years of committed political practice.
​_______________
06.04. | from 16:00 | Foyer Zollhaus | Fast-Fashion Detector
FASHION REVOLUTION SWITZERLAND
«WHAT YOU WEAR MATTERS»

Present with the "Fair Fashion Detector", the team explains the origin and quality of the clothes and shows how fashion can be enjoyed sustainably.

HUMAN RIGHTS ON STAGE

The Human Rights Film Festival Zurich is getting a taste of the stage for the first time and is presenting two events at the sogar theatre - just around the corner from the Riffraff!

THU 04.04. 19:00 | SU 07.04. 17:00 | WED 10.04 19:00
D 90' | Theatre

JA ODER NEIN – EINE PARTEI IM KREUZ-VERHÖR
von Lukas Holliger
How might an uncontrolled AI react to the party programme of Switzerland's most popular party? A radio interview turns into a hellish trip for a politician. Followed by an audience discussion on the topics of artificial intelligence, democracy and artistic freedom.

  • 04.04. Dr. Jonathan Klüser (Digital Democracy Lab), Dr. Evelyne Tauchnitz (Institute for Social Ethics, Lucerne)
  • 07.04. Peter Laudenbach (Journalist, Theatre Critic)
  • 10.04. Patrick Karpi Karpiczenko (Author, Cabaretist)

MO 08.04. 19:00 | Dari/D 55' | Spoken Word

WORTSPRICH / مراد و درد های ناگفته
with Muska Murad and Jurczok 1001

A young Afghan author living in Switzerland talks about equal opportunities, here and there. She has translated the texts into German with Jurczok 1001.

Tickets while stocks last at sogar.ch
sogar theater, Josefstrasse 106, 8005 Zurich

DAS GLEIS

We are lucky to present anew the Das Gleis as our official late night hangout where you can get a drink, grab a snack and discuss our film selection. Grab a seat and lets cheers to the new festival edition!

Address: Zollstrasse 121, 8005 Zürich, Zollhaus, 1st floor

CHINCHONA BAR

A special HRFF drink awaits you at the 25hours Hotel throughout the month of March. Enjoy it during the «Human Hour» at the Chinchona Bar!

Langstrasse 150, 8004 Zürich, 25hours Hotel Langstrasse

Archive

2024 is the eighth edition of the festival. The film programms of 2015–2023 can be viewed here.